Evening journal., 1892-08-31

It has already been noticed that direct |
" over the platform on which Hester |
Prynne stood was a kind Of balcony OF
open gallery appended to the meeting !
house. 1t was the place whence procla- !
nations were won't to be made, amid
an assemblage Of the magistracy, with
all the ceremonial that attended such
public observances in those days. Here,
to witness the scene which we are de-
scribing, sat Governor Bellingham him
self, with four sergeants about his chair,
bearing halberds, as a guard of honor.
He wore a dark feather in his hat, n bor-
der of embroidery on his cloak and
black velvet tunic beneath--a gentleman
advanced in years with a hard expert
ence written in his wrinkles. He was
not i'll fitted to be the head and repre-
sentative of a community which owedits
origin and progress and its present state
Of development, not to the impulses OF
youth, but to the stern and tempered en-
ergies Of manhood and the somber sa-
gacity Of age, accomplishing so much
precisely because it imagined and hoped
so little.
The other eminent characters, by
whom the chief ruler was surrounded,
were distinguished by a dignity Of
mien, belonging to a period when the
forms of authority were felt to possess
the sacredness Of divine institutions.
They were, doubtless, good men, just
and sage. But, out of the whole hui
man family, it would not have been
easy TO select the same number of wise
and virtuous persons who should be less
capable of sitting in Judgment on an
erling woman's heart and disentangling
its mesh Of good and evil than the sages
nof rigid aspect toward whom Hester
prynne now turned her face. She seemed
conscious, indeed, that whatever SYM
pathy she might expect lay in the larger
and warmer heart Of the multitude; for
as she lifted her eyes toward the balcony
the unhappy woman grew pale and
trembled.
The voice which had called her atten-
ton was that Of the reverend and ia
nous John Wilson, the eldest clergy
man Of Boston, a great scholar, like
most Of his contemporaries in the pro-
fession, and withal man Of kind and
genial spirit. This last attribute, how
ever, had been less carefully developed
than his intellectual gifts, and was, in
truth, rather a matter of shame than
self congratulation with him. There no
STOOD with a border Of grizzled locks
beneath his skull cap; while his gray
eyes, accustomed 70 the shaded light of
his study, were winling, like those of
Hester's infant, in the unadulterated
sunshine. lie looked like the darkly
engraved portraits which we see pre-
fixed to old volumes Of sermons, and
had no moro right than one Of those
portraits would have to step forth, as he
now did, and NEEDLE with a question of
human guilt, passion and anguish.
Chester Prynne," said the clergyman,
81 have striven with my young brother
here under whose preaching Of the
word you have been privileged to sit"-
,e Hore Mr.. Wilson laid his hand on the
shoulder of a pale young man beside
him. 81 have sought, l say, to persuade
this godly youth that he should deal
with you here in the face Of heaven and
before these wise and upright rulers and
d IN hearing Of all the people as touching
the vileness and blacllness of your sin
Knowing your natural temper better
than /, he could better judge what argu
ments to use, whether Of tenderness o.
terror, such as might prevail over you
hardness and obstinacy, insomuch tina
you should no longer hide the name o
him who tempted you to this grievou
fall. But he opposes to me with
young mans oversoftness, albeit wis
beyond his years. that it were wronginl
the very nature Of woman to force he
to lay open her hearts secrets in sucl
broad daylight and in the presence 0
so great a multitude. Truly, as l sough
to convince him, the shame lay in tn
commission Of the sin, and not in tn
showing Of it forth. What say you to
once again, Brother Dimmesdale? Mus
it be thou or that shall deal with thi
poor sinners soulY'
There was q murInur among the dig
nifed and reverend occupants Of tn
balcony, and Governor Bellinghan CAV
expression to its purport, speaking in a
authoritative voice, although tempere
with respect toward the youthful clergy
man whom he addressed.
"Good Master Dimmesdale," said hC
1.-THE responsibility Of this woman's sou
lies greatly with you. 1t behooves yor
therefore, to exhort her to repentanc
and to confession as a proof and cons'
quence thereof"
The directness Of this appeal drew til
eyes Of the whole crowd upon the Rev
erend br. Dimmesdale a young clergy
man who had come from one Of Ii
great English universities, bringing a
the learning of the age into our vii
forest land. His eloquence and religion
fervor had already given the earnest ,
high eminence in his profession. Il
was a person Of very striking aspec
with a white, lefty and impendin
brow, large, brown, melancholy eye
and a mouth which, unless when l
forcibly compresstd it, was apt 10
tremulous, expressing both nervous SCI
sibility and a vast power Of self restrain
Notwithstanding his high native gift
and scholarlike attlinments there vi
IN air about this goung minister