San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-27


character of flannel And Pearl was The
oneness of their being. Be the foregon,
evil what it might, how could the
doubt that their earthly lives and future
destinies were conjoined, when they be-
i.eld at once the material nnion and tn
spiritual idea in whom they met al
were to dwell Immortality togethe .
Thoughts like these-and perhaps 9th
thoughts. which they did not acknow
edge or define-threw an awe about the
child as she came onward.
s'Let her see nothing strange-no pas
SION nor -eagerness-in thy way OF &C
costing her," whispered Hester. ''Oul
Pearl is a fitful and fantastic little ell
sometimes Especially, she is seldom
tolerant of emotion when she does not
fully comprehend the why and where
fore. But the child hath strong atfec-
lions, She loves me and will love thee!
..Thou canst not think" said the min
lister. glancing aside at Hester Prynne,
show my heart breads this interview
and yearns for it, But in truth. as al
ready told thee, children are not readily
won to be familiar with me. They will
not climb my knee, nor prattle In my
ear, nor answer to my smile: but stand
apart and eye me strangely. Even lit
tie babes. when | take them in my arms.
weep bitterly Yet Pearl twice in he1
little lifetime hath been kind To me-
The first time-thou knowast it well!
The last was when thou ledst her with
Of Eta
governor.
And thou didst plead so bravely in
her behalf and mine!" answered the
mother. Il remember it, and SO shall
little Pearl Fear nothing! She may
be strange and shy at first. but will soon
learn to love thee!'
By this time Pearl had reached the
margin of the brook, and stood on the
farther side. gazing silently at Hester
and the. clergyman, who still sat TO,
gether on the messy tree trunk, waiting
to receive her Just where she mad
paused the brook CHANGED to form a
pool, so smooth and quiet that it re
Elected perfect image of her little fig
ure, with all. the brilliant picturesque.
ness of her beauty, in its adOrnment OF
flowers and wreathed foliage, but more
refined and spiritualized than the real
ity.
This image, so nearly identical with
the living Pearl, seemed to communicate
somewhat of its own shadOwy and in
tangible quality to the child herself. II
was strange. the way in which Pearl
eta w, or hor
through the dim medium of the forest
gloom; herself. meanwhile, all gloritied
with ray of sunshine that was attract
ed thitherward as by certain sympathy.
In the brook beneath stood another
child-another and the same-with like
wise its ray of golden light. Hester fell
herself. in some indistinet and tantaliz.
ing manner, estranged from Pearl: as if
the child, in her lonely ramble through
the forest. had S : aged ont Of the sphere
in which she and her mother dwelt to
gether, and was now yainly seeking to
return'to it.
There was both truth and error in the
impression; the child and mother were
estranged, but through Hester's fault.
not Pearls. Since the latter rambled
from her side another inmate had been
admitted within the circle of the moth.
er's feelings, and so modified the aspect
of them all that Pearl, the returning
wanderer, could not find her wonted
place, and hardly knew where she was.
81 have a strange fancy" observed the
sensitive minister, ''that this brook is
the boundary between two worlds, and
thou canst never meet thy Pearl again.
Or is she an elfish spirit. who, as the
legends of our childhood taught us, is
forbidden to cross running streami
Pray hasten her, for this delay has al
ready impaired tremor to my nerves.
Come, dearest childr' said Hester en-.
couragingly, and stretching out both
her arms. "How slow thou art! When
hast thou been so sluggish before nowi
Here is friend of mine, who must be
thy friend also. Thou wilt have twice
as much love henceforward as thy
mother alone could give thee! Leap
across the brook and come to us. Thou
canst leap like young deerT
Pearl, without responding in any man.
ner to these honey sweet expressions, re-
manned on the other side of the brook.
Now she fixed her bright, wild eyes on
her mother, now on the minister, and
now included them both in the same
/ glance, as if to detect and explain to
herself the relation which they bore to
one another. For some unaccountable
reason, as Arthur Dimmesdale felt the
childs eyes upon himself, his hand
with that gesture SO habitual as to have
become neutrality-suspicious. over his
| heart. At length. assuming a singular