Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-05-07

craft Pearl saw and uaXed lufeOtIYs
h,t naver sought % make acouaint-
s,,c
IN fhe afternoon of a certain summers
day. after pearl grew big enough to
nm abont. she amused herself with
pafher;nr handfuls Of Wild flowers and
fl;nc;ng tbern. one by one. at her
mothers bosom: dancing up and down,
lie Z little Elf. whenever she hit the
scarlet letter. Hesters first motion had
been ia cover her bosom with her clasped
hands. but whether from pride or resig-
nation. or n feeling that her penance
miobt hest be wrought out BY this I'M
ntferabla main. she resisted the impulse
and sat erect. pale as death, looking
sadly into little Pearls wild eyes. Still
came the battery of flowers, almost in
yariablv hitting the mark and covering
the mothers breast with hurts for which
she could find no balm in this world.
NOR l<naxv how Ia seek It in another. AT
last her shot being all expended, the
child stood still and cazed at Hester,
with that little. laughing image OF
fand ,,aeY;no. out--or. whether il peeped
or mo- her mother so imagined It from
the unsearchable abyss of her black ewes.
ssCbild what art thousa cried the
mother.
..Oh. ! am your little Pearl,a answered
tba child
Rnt wb,la she said IL Pearl laughefl
and began to dance up and down with
the humorsome gesticulation Of a little
-. I'll T.. = : a. -.
the chimney.
cart thou my child, in very TRUTH
asked Hester.
Nor did she put the question altogether
idly. but for the moment with portion
Of genuine earnestness, for such was
Pearls wonderful intelligence that her
mother half doubted whether she was
not acquainted with the secret spell of
her existence and might not now reveal
herself.
Eyes. | am little Pearlw repeated the
child. continuing her antics.
"Thou art not my childi Thou art no
Pearl of miner said the mother half
playfully, for it was often the case that
a sportive influence came over her in the
midst of her deepest suffering. ssTell
me. then, what art thou and who sent
thee hither."
"Tell mo, motherl' said tile child seri-
ously. coming up to Hester and pressing
herself close to her knees. ssDo thou
tell mer'
sThv Heavenly Father sent thee,n an
swered Hester prvnne.
But she said it with a hesitation that
did not escane the acuteness of che child
Whether moved only by her ordinary
freakishness or because an evil spirit
prompted her. she nut up her small fore
finger and touched the scarlet letter.
.sHe did not send mel'' cried she posi-
lively. 81 have no Heavenly Father~
"Hush. Pearl. hushl Thou must not
talk sor answered the mother, sup
pressing groan. .He sent us all into
this world He sent even me, thy
mother. Then, mach more, theel Or.
if not, thou strange and elfish child
whence didst thou Gomez
0TeIl me! Tell me!' repeated Pearl
no longer seriously, but laughing and
capering about the floor. at is thou
that must tell mel
But Hester could not resolve the
query, being herself in dismal labyrinth
of doubt. She remembered-betwi a
smile and a shudder-the talk of the
neighboring townspeople who, seeking
vainly elsewhere for the childs pater-
nifty, and observing some Of her odd
attributes, had given out that poor little
Pearl was demon offspring.
Hester Prynne went one day
to the mansion of Governor Bellinghan
with a pair of gloves, which she had
fringed and embroidered to his order
and which were to be worn on some
great occasion Of state, for, though the
chances of popular election had caused
| this former ruler to descend step or
| two from the highest rank, he still held
an honorable and influential place among
| the colonial rnagistracy.
Another and far more important
reason than the delivery of pair of en-
| broidered gloves impelled Hester at this
| time to seek an interview with a per-
sonage of so much power and activity in
| the affairs of the settlement. It had
reached her ears that there was design
| on the part of some of the leading in
| habitants cherishing the more rigid
order of principles in religion and gov
| eminent to deprive her of her child.
On the supposition that Pearl, as al
ready limited, was of demon origin, these
| good people not unreasonably argued
| that a Christian interest in the mothers
| soul required them to remove such q