Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-06-25

see, mother, how many faces of strango
people, and Indians among them, and
sailors! What have they all come to do
here in the market placer"
"They wait to see the procession pass"
said Hester. For the governor and the
magistrates are to so by and the minis
tiers and all the great people and good
people, with the music and the soldiers
marching before them.
''And will the minister be thereg' asked
Pearl. And will he hold out both his
hands to me, as when thou ledst me t.
him from the hrookside?"
ale will be there, child" answered
her mother. "But he viii not greet
thee today; nor must thou greet him."
''What strange, sad man is hei"
said the child, as if speaking partly to
herself. 'In the dark night time he
calls us to him, and holds thy hand and
mine, as when we stood with him on
the scaffold yonder And in the deep
forest, where only the old trees can
hear, and the strip of sky see it, he
talks with thee. sitting on heap OF
mossi And he kisses my forehead, too,
so that the little brook would hardly
wash it off But here, in the sunny day,
and among all the people, he knows Ia
not: nor must we know him! A strange,
sad man is he, with his hand always
over his heart!"
''Be quiet, Pearl! Thou undecstandest
not these things" said her mother
"Think not now OF the minister. but
look about thee and see how CHEEKY is
everybodys face today. The children
have come from their schools, and the
grown people from their workshops an!
their fields ON purpose to be happy. Tor
today new man is beginning to rule
over them, and so-as has been the Gus
tom of mankind ever since n nation was
first gathered-they make merry and re-
ioice, as if a good and golden year were
at length TO pass over the poor old
world"
The picture of human life in tho mar
ket place, though its general tint was
the sad gray, brown or black of the Eng
lish emigrants, was yet enlivened by
some diversity of hue. A party of In
dians-in their savage iinery of curious
" embroidered deerskin robes, wam
pun belts, red and yellow oeher and
feathers, and armed with the bow and
arrow and stoneheaded spear = stool
apart with eountenances of inflexible
gravity beyond what even the Puritan
aspect could attain. Nor, wild as
were these painted barbarians, We're
they the widest feature Of tho scene.
This distinction could moro justly be
claimed by some mariners-a part of the
crew of the vessel from the Spanish
Main-who had come ashore to see
the humors of election day. They
were rough looking desperadoes, with
sun blackened faces and an inn
mensity of beard; their wide. short
trousers were confined about the waist
by belts, often clasped with a rough
plate of gold, and sustaining always a
long knife, and in some instances n
sword.
From beneath their broad brimmed
hats of palm leaf CLEANED eyes which,
even in good nature and merriment, had
a kind of animal ferocity. They trans
crossed without fear or scruple the rules
Of behavior that were binding ON all
others; smoking tobacco under the bea-
dies very nose, although each Whit
would have cost a townsman shil-
ling; and quaffing at their pleasure
drafts Of wine or aqua vitae from pocket
TASKS, which they freely rendered to tho
gaping crowd around them 1t remark
rality of the age, rigid as we call it,
that license was allowed the seafaring
class, not merely for their freaks on
shore, but for far more desperate deeds
ON their proper element.
Thus the Puritan elders III their black
cloaks, starched bands and steeple
crowned hats smiled not unbenignantly
at the clamor and rude department Of
these jolly seafaring men; and It excited
neither surprise nor animadyersion
when so reputable a citizen as old Roger
Chillingworth, the physician, was seen
TO enter the market place in close and
familiar talk with the commander Of
the questionable vessel.
The latter was by far the most snowy
and gallant figure, 50 far as apparel
| went, anywhere to be seen among the
multitude. He wore profusion of rib
bons on his garment and gold lace ON
his r. t--N'o'' ---@r olso encircled by a
gold chainV and surmounted wit
feather. TIL ire was a sword at his
and sword Ecution his forehead, wi
by the ARA Fgement Of his hair
seemed anxio Us rather to display
hide. A Ian psman could hardly
worn this g arb and shown this
ana worn al ID shown them both
such a galliaf Esair without underg
stern questio. q before a magistrate
probably in Kurring fine or impri
ment, or per haps an exhibition in
stocks As Regarded the shipmai
however, all xas looked upon as
tanning 10th 6character, as to a fisf
glistening SC lies.
After part fng from the physician,
commander Of the Bristol ship stro
idly through tthe market place, u
happening to tapproach the spot wi
lester Pryuhe was standing, no
peared to rec 6gnize and did not hest
70 address hef Aswas usually the
wherever Htkgter stood, small vac
area~-a sort Ymagic circle-had forr
itself about her, into which, though
people were teIhowing one another d
little distancB none ventured or felt
posed to intrlde. II was a forcible I
OF the moral golHude in which the 81
let letter enEeloped its fated weal
partly by herlown reserve and partly
the lnstinctiye,. though no longer so
Kindly, withdrawal Of her fellow CT
lures. Now, lf never before, it answe
2 good purpose by enabling Hester q
the seaman ito speak together with,
risk OF being}overheard, and so chang
was Hester Prynne's repute before
/ public that tho matron In town m,
eminent for rigid morality could !
have held such intercourse with less
suit Of scandal than herself.
$50, mistress" said the mariner.
must bid the steward make ready o
more berth than you bargained for, !
fear of scurvy or ship fever this voyae
What with the ships surgeon and Ii
other doctor, our only danger will
from drug or pill; more by token.
there isa lotof apothecarys stuff aboar
which l traded for with Spanish We
sell"
What mean your inquired Heste
startled more than she permitted to n
pear. Have you another passenger
why, know Won NOT cried fI,a .t;,