Evening journal., 1892-09-01

this idea upon Iester's contemplation,
and laughed at the passionate and des-
porato JOY with which she seized and
then strove 60 cast it from her. She
barely looked the idea in the face ard
hasteuod TO bar 1t in its dungeon. What
she compelled herself to beheve-what
finally she reasoned upon as her motive
for continuing a resident Of New Eng
land-was half truth and half a self
delusion Here, she said TO herself, had
been the scene of her guilt, and here
should be the scene Of her earthly pun
ishment: and so, porchancc, the 70 we
Of her daily shame would at length
purge her soul and work out another
purity than that which she had lost
moro saintlike, because tho result Of /
martyrdom.
Hester Prynne therefore did not flee. /
On the outskirts Of The town, within the /
verge Of the peninsula, but not in close /
vicinity to any other habitation, there
was a small matched cottage. 1t had
been built by an earlier settler and aban- /
donel because the soil about it was too
sterile for cultivation, while its COM
paratiye romOteness put it out Of the
sphere Of that social activity which al
ready marked the habits Of the emil
grants. II stood on the shore looking
across basin Of the sea at the forest
covered hills, toward tho west. A clump
of scrubhy trees, such as alone grew on
the peninsula, did not so much conceal
the cottage from view, as seem to denote
.hat here was some object which would
fain have been, or at least ought TO be,
concealed. In this little, lonesome dwell
ing, with some slender means that she
possessed, and by the license Of the mag
istrates. who still kept an inquisitorial
watch over her, Hester established her
self with her infant child. A mystic
shadow of suspicion Immediately at
tached itself to the spot. Children, too
Young TO comprehend wherefore this
| wo- IN should be set out from the sphere
Of hanan charities, would creep nigh
enough to behold her plying her needle
at the cottage window, OF standing in
! the doorway, OF laboring in her little
| garden. or coming forth along the path
way that led downward; and, discerning
the scarlet letter on her breast, would
scamper OF with a strange, contagious
fear.
Lonely as was Testers situation, and
|. without a friend on earth who dared to
show himself, she, however, incurred no
risk of want She possessed an art that
suficed. even in a land that afforded
comparatively little scope for its exer-
else. to supply food for her thriving in
fant and herself. twas the art-then as
now almost the only one within wom-
! ans crasp-of needlework. She bore ON
her breast, in the curiously embroid-
! cred letter, a specimen Of her delicate
and imaginative skill, Of which the
DANES Of o court might gladly have
availed themselves to add the richer
and more spiritual adornment Of human
ingenuity to their fabrics OF silk and
gold
By degrees, nor very slowly, her
handiwork became what would now be
termed tho fashion Whether from com
miscration for woman of so miserable
a destiny, OF from the morbid curiosity
that gives q fictitious value even to com
mon or worthless things, or by what
ever other intangible circumstance wa.
I
persons what others might seek in vain
or because Hester really filed a gal
8 | which must otherwise have remained
J vacant, IL is certain that she had read,
= and fairly requited employment for a
, ! many hours as she saw fit to occup,
r with her needle Vanity, it may be
chose to mortify itself 10y putting on fo
| ceremonials of pomp and state the gar
e ments that had been wrought by he
e sinful hands Her needlework was seel
r on The ruff of the governor; militar.
D mea wore it ON their scarfs, ant
o / the minister on his band; it decke
] the babys little cap; it was shu
r up to be widowed and molder ava
e IN the collins Of the dead. But
( suot recorded that in a single instanc
p vas her skill called in to embroider tn
I white veil which was to cover the pur
G bushes Of a bride. The exception ind
C Gated the ever relentless rigor wit
y which society frowned upon her sin.
d Hester sought not to acquire anythin
,, bevond q subsistence Of the plaine.
g and most ascetic description for herse
7. md a simple abundance for her child
e her own dress was Of the coarsest mat
i rails and the most soinber hue, with onl
Is chat one ornament-the scarlet letter
?, which it was her doom to wear. III
d chiids attire, on the other hand, W,
b distinguished by fanciful, or, we migl
e rather say, a fantastic ingenuity, whic
served indeed to heighten the airy char
Is that early began TO develop itself in I'll
Il little girl. but which appeared to hay
II ! also q deeper meaning. We may spca
D. further Of it hereafter Except FOR tn
q. small expenditure in the decoration
"a her infant, Hester bestowed all her 81
ID perhuous means in charity on wretch
or less miserable than herself, and who n
Of unfrequently insulted the hand that f,
,y | them. Much Of the time, which 81
TO might readily have applied to the bett
n efforts Of her art, she employed in ma
&c ing coarse garments for the poor
al It is probable that there was an id'
I'd Of penance in CHS mode of occupatio
ID ana that she offered up a real sacrii
of enjoyment in devoting SO maj
10 hours to such rude handiwork. She hi