Evening journal., 1892-08-30


merely historical and traditionary
among us. but was held in the old time
to be as eilectual an agent in the pro.
motion of good citizenship as ever was
the guillotine among the terrorists Of
France. 1t was in short, the platform
Of the pillory, and above it rose the
framework of that instrument of disci
pline. so fashioned as TO conhne the
human head IN its tight grasp. and thus
hold it up TO the public gaze. The very
IDEAL of ignominy was embodied and
made manifest in this contrivance OF
wood and iron There can be no out
rage. methinks. against our common ma.
ture- whatever be the delinquencies OF
the individual-no outrage more fla
gran; than to forbid the culprit to hid,
his face for shame, as it was the essence
Of this punishment TO do
In Hester Prynnes instance, however
as not unfrequently in other cases. her
sentence bore that she should stand a
certain time upon the platform. bat
without undergoing that grippe about the
neck and confinement Of the head. the
proncness to which was the most devil
sh characteristic Of this ugly engine
knowing well her part, she assembled a
light Of wooden steps. and was thus dis.
played to the surrounding multitude, al
about the height of mans shoulders
above the street. The unhappy
culprit sustained herselfas best a woman
might, under the heavy weight Of a
thousand unrelenting eyes, all fastened
upon her, and concentrated at her
bosom It was almost intolerable to be
borne.
OF an impulsive and passionate nature
she had fortified herself to encounter the
stings and venomous stabs Of public con
tumely, wreaking itself in every variety
of insult; but there was quality SO
much more terrible in the solemn mood
Of the popular mind that she longed
rather to behold all those rigid counte.
nances contorted with scornful merri.
ment and herself the object. Had a
roar of laughter burst from the multi.
| tude-each man. each woman. each lie.
tie shrill voiced child contributing their
| individual parts-Hester Prynne might
! have repaid them all with a bitter and
lisdainful smile. But. under the leaden
infection which it was her doom to
,ndure. she felt at moments as if she
must needs shrek out with the full
iower Of her lungs and cast herself
rom the scaffold down upon the ground
n else go mad at once.
Yet there were intervals when the
whole scene. in which she was the mosi
onspicuous object, seemed TO vanish
rom her eyes or. ut least, glinmeret
ndistinctly before them like mass Of
nperfectiy shaped and spectral images
Ter mind. and especially her memory
AS preteuaturally active and KEEP
ringing up other scenes than thi
lughly hewn street of little town on
ne edge Of the western wilderness
.her faces than were lowering upon he
tom beneath the brims Of those steepl
rowned hats "reminiscences the mos
rihing and immaterial. passages of in
incy and school days, sports. childisl
uarrels and the little domestic trait
her maiden years came swarminl
lck upon her. intermingled with recOl
'ctious Of whatever was gravest in he
absequent life: one picture precisely a
ivid rs another, as if all were of simila
nportance OF all alike a play. Poss
" il was an instructive device Of he
irit TO relieve itself by the exhibitio
these phantasmagoric forms from tn
ucl weight and hardness of the reality
Lastly. in lieu Of these shifting scenes
.une back the rude market place of tn
uritan settlement. with all the towns
eople assembled and leveling thei
ern regards al Hester Prynne-yes. a
erself-who stood on the scaffold Of tn
illory. an infant on her arm and th
tier a, in scarlet. Enthusiastically ell
roiaered with gold thread. upon be
OsOm
Could it be true? She clutched IN
mild so fiercely to her breast that
snt forth a cry; she turned her eye
uwnward at the scarlet letter. and eve
iuched it with her finger to assure hoi
elf that the infant and the shame wei
cal Yes!-these were her realities
Il else had vanished