Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-04-30
JOB WORK
Of every description, plain on In colors
promptly done at lowest rates, such as
POSTERS,
PAMPHLETS,
BlLLHEADs,
CIRCULARS,
LETTERHEADs,
SALE BILLS, 60.
..Nestness, taste and dispatch, p IL Gus
motto.
Basiness Cards, Wedding Invitations ana
Visitinh Cards receive special attention.
ali aai certain our prices.
JOB WORK
the scarlet letter on her breast, would
scamper off with strange, contagious

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fear.
Lonely as was Testers situation, and
without friend ON earth who dared to
show himself, she. however, incurred no
risk of want. She possessed an art that
suiHiced, even in land that afforded
comparatively little scope for its exer-
else, to supply food for her thriving in
FAINT and herself. twas the art--then az
now almost the only one within wom-
ans grasp-of needlework. She bore on
her breast, in the curiously embroid-
cred letter, specimen of her delicate
and imaginative skill, Of which the
danes Of court might gladly havo
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 the fashion. Whether from COM
miseration for woman of SO miserable
a destiny, or from the morbid curiosity
that gives fictitious value even to COM
mon or worthless things, or by what
ever other intangible circumstance was
then as now sufficient to bestow ON some
persons what others might seek in vain.
or because Hester really filled gap
which must otherwise have remained
vacant, it is certain that she had ready
and fairly requited employment for as
many hours as she saw fit to occupy
with her needle Vanity, it may be,
chose to mortify itself by putting on for
ceremonials of pomp and state the gar
ments that had been wrought by her
sinful hands Her needlework was seen
on the ruff Of the governor; military
men wore it ON their scarfs, and
the minister on his band; it decked
the baby's little cap; it was shut
up to be widowed and molder away
in the collins of the dead. But it
is not recorded that in a single instance
was her skill called in to embroider the
white veil which was TO cover the pure
bushes of bride. The exception indi-
Gated the ever relentless rigor with
which society frowned upon her sin.
Hester sought not to acquire anything
beyond a subsistence Of the plainest
and most ascetic description for herself
and simple abundance for her child.
Her own dress was Of the coarsest mate
rails and the most somber hue, with only
that one ornament-the scarlet letter
which it was her doom to wear. The
child's attire, ON the other hand, was
distinguished by q fanciful, or, we might
rather say, fantastic ingenuity, which
served indeed TO heighten the airy charm
that early began to develop itself in the
little girl, but which appeared to have
also deeper meaning. We may speak
further Of it hereafter. Except for that
small expenditure in the decoration Of
her infant, Hester bestowed all her SUI
perhuous means in charity ON wretches
less miserable than herself, and who not
unfrequently insulted the hand that fed
them. Much of the time, which she
might readily have applied to the better
efforts of her art, she employed in max
ing coarse garments for the poor.
1t is probable that there was an idea
of penance in this mode of occupation,
and that she offered up real sacrifice
of enjoyment In devoting so many
hours to such rude handiwork. She had
in her nature rich, voluptuous, ORR
entail characteristic--a taste for the
gorgeously beautiful, which save in the
exquisite productions of her needle
found nothing else in all the possible
ties Of her life to exercise itself upon.
Women derive pleasure, incompre-
| hensible to the other sex, from the deli
cate toll Of the needle. To Hester
| Prynne it might have been mode Of
expressing, and therefore soothing, the
passion of her life. Like all other joys,
she rejected it as sin. This morbid
meddling of conscience with an imma-
terial matter betokened, it is to be
feared, no genuine and steadfast peni-
tence, but something doubtful, some
thing that might be deeply wrong, be-
meath.
Her imagination was somewhat af-
| fected, and had she been Of softer
moral and intellectual fiber would have
been still more so by the strange and
solitary anguish of her life. Walking
| to and fro, with those lonely footsteps,
| in the little world with which she was
| outwardly connected, it now and then
| appeared to Hester--if altogether fancy,
| it was nevertheless too potent TO be re-
sisted--she felt OF fancied, then, that
the scarlet letter had endowed her with
new sense. She shuddered to believe,
yet could not help believing. that gave
her q sympathetic knowledge of the hid
den sin in other hearts. She was terror
| stricken by the revelations that were
thus made. What were they? Could
they be other than the insidious whiss
pers Of the bad angel, who would fam
have persuaded the struggling woman,
as yet only half his victim, that the out
ward guise Of purity was but a lie, and
that, II truth were everywhere to DO
shown, q scarlet letter would blaze
forth ON many bosom besides Hester
Prynne's7 Or must she receive those in
timations, 20 obscure, yet 80 distinct, "a
TRUTH
In all her miserable experience there
was nothing else 70 awful and 30 lonth.
some as this sense. Il perplcxed as
well a. shocked her by the irreverent
inopportuneness Of the occasions that
brought il into vivid action. Sometimes
the red infamy upon her breast would
give a sympathetic throb, as she passed
near venerable minister or magistrate,
the model of piety and justice. TO whom
that age of antique reverence looked up.
as to moral man in fellowship with
angels. "What evil thing Is at handT
would Hester say to herself. Lifting
her reluctant eyes, there would be moth
ing human within the scope Of view
save the form Of this earthly saint
Again, mystic sisterhood would con-
tumaciously assert itself, as she met the
sanctified frown Of some matron, who,
according to the rumor Of all tongues,
had kept cold snow within her bosom
throughout life.
That unsunned snow in the matron's
bosom and the burning shame on Hester
Prynne's-what had the two in com
mon? Or, once more. the electric thrin
would give her warning =" Behold. He's
ter, here is a companionl"-and looking
up she would detect the eyes Of young
maiden CHANGING at the scarlet letter
shyly and aside and quickly avertcd
with faint, chill crimson in her cheeks,
as If her purity were somewhat sullied
by that mornentary glance. o fend.
whose falisman was that fatal symbol,
wouldst thou leave nothing, whether in
youth or age, for this poor sinner to re.
yeres Such loss Of faith Is ever one Of the
saddest results Of sin. Be it accepted a.
q proof that all was not corrupt In this