Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-09-12

midday Sunshine on the scarlet letter.
establish him false and sin stained
creature of the dust
The authority which we have chiefly
followed-a manuscript Of old date,
drawn up from the verbal testimony Of
individuals, Some Of whom had known
Hester Prynne, while others had heard
the tale from contemporary witnesses
fully confirms the view taken in the
foregoing pages. Among many morals
which press upon us from the poor min
isters miserable experience we put only
this into a sentence. BE truel BE
truel BE truel Show freely to the
world, if not your worst, yet some trait
whereby the worst may be inforredr
At old Roger Chillingworth's decease
(Which took place within the year,, and
by his last will and testament. of which
Governor Bellingham and the Reverend
Mr.. Wilson were executors, no be-
queathed a very considerable amount of
property, both here and IN England, 10
little Pearl, the daughter Of Hester
Prynne.
So Pearl-the elf child, the demon OF
spring, as some people up TO that epoch
persisted in considering her-becamo the
richest heircss of her day in the New
World. Not improbably this circum-
stance wrought very material change
in the public estimation, and had the
mother and child remained here little,
Pearl, ut manageable period Of life.
might have mingled her wild blood with
tho lineage Of the devoutest Puritan
among them ALL But in no long time
after tho physicians death the wearer
of the scarlet letter disappeared. and
Pearl along with her.
For many years, though Vague re-
port would now and then find its way
across the sea-like a shapeless piece OF
driftwood tossed ashore with the initials
of name upon it-yet no tidings of
them unquestionably authentic were re-
ceived- The story Of the scarlet letter
grew into a legend. Its spell, however,
was still potent and kept the scaffold
awful We're the poor minister had died,
and likewise the cottage by the soashore,
where Hester Prynne had dwolt. Near
| this latter spot one afternoon some chill
dren were at play, when they beheld a
tall woman in a gray robe stpproach the
cottage door. In all those years il had
never once been opened; but either she
unlocked it or tho decaying wood and
| iron yielded 10 her hand, or she glided
shadowlke through these impediments
and. at all events, went in.
On the threshold she paused-turned
partly around-for perchance the idea
of entering all alone and all so changed
the homo Of so intense q former life was
more dreary and desolate than even she
could bear. But her hesitation was only
for an instant, though long enough to
display q scarlet letter on her breast.
And Hester Prynne had returned and
taken up her long forsaken shamel But
where was little Pearl? If still alive.
she must now have been in the flush
and bloom of early womanhood. None
| lTnew-nor ever learned. with tho full
ness Of perfect certainty whether the
elf child had gone thus untmely to q
maiden grave, or whether her wild, rich
nature had been softened and subdued
and made capable of a woman's gentle
1 happiness. But through the remainder
/ of Hester's life there were Indication
that the recluse Of tho scarlet letter wa
the object of love and interest witt
I some inhabitant of another land. Let
( ters came with armorial seals upol
them, though Of bearings unknown &
English heraldry.
In the cottage there were articles o
comfort and luxury such as Hester nevei
! cared to use, but which only wealth
could have purchased and affection hav,
imagined for her. There were trife
too-ittle ornaments, beautiful token
Of a continual remembrance that mus
have been wrought by delicate fingers
at the impulse of q fond heart. An,
once Hester was seen embroidering
baby garment, with such lavish rich
ness Of golden fancy as would hav
raised a public tumult had any infan
thus appareled been shown TO our sobe
hued community.
In fine, tho gossips Of that day be
lieved-and Mr.. Surveyor Pue, VIII
made Investigations a century later, be-
lieved, and one of his successors in office
= illDlt0NtAs AAiNAAAAAl nlAiANta- tiluN 4 Ctll
was not only alive, but married ant
happy and mindful of her mother, AM
that she would most joyfully have en-
tertained that sad and lonely mother a
her Preside
But there was q moro real lifo 70
Hester Prynne here, In New England
than in that unknown region wher
Pearl had found a home. Here ha
been her sin; here her sorrow, and her
was yet to be her penitence. She ha
returned, therefore. and resumed-o
her own free will, for not the sternes
magistrate Of that iron period woul
have imposed it-rosumed the symbol q
which we have related so dark tai,
| Never afterward did it quit her bosom
But, in the lapse Of the toilsomC
thoughtful and self devoted years tina
made up Hester's life, the scarlet lette
ceased to be a stigma which attracte
the worlds scorn and bitterness, and b'
came q typo Of something 10 be sorrowe
over and looked upon with awe, ye
with reverence too. And as Heste
Prynne had no selfish ends, nor lived j
any measure for her own profit and CT
a