The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1892-11-02

| stretched forth his arms.
"Hester, said he, "come hither! Come
my little Pearll"
1t was CHASTITY look with which h
regarded them, but there was something
at once tender and strangely triuinphan
in it. The child, with the birdlike mo
ton which was one of her characteristics
flew to him and claspcd her arms abou
his knees. Hester Prynne-slowly, rs i
impelled by inevitable fate and agains
her strongest will-likewise drew near
but paused before she reached him. Al
this instant old Roger Chillingwortl
thrust himself through the crowd-or
perhaps, so dark, disturbed and evil was
his look, he rose up out of some neither
region-to snatch back his victim from
what he sought to do! Be that as Il
might, the old man rushed forward and
caught the minister by the arm.
"Madman, holdl what is your pur,
poser whispered he. "Wave back that
woman! Cast off this child! All shall
be well! Do not blacken your fame and
perish in dishonor! can yet save you
Would you bring infamy on your sacred
profession
"Ha, tempterl Methinks thou art too
late!" answered the minister, encoun-
tering his eye fearfully but firmly.
"Thy power is not what it was. With
Gods holp shall escape thee now"
He again extended his hand to the
woman Of the scarlet letter.
Hester Prynne" cried he, with a
piercing earnestness, "in the name Of
him 30 terrible and so merciful, who
gives me grace at this last moment to
do what-for my own heavy sin and
miserable agony withheld myself
from doing seven years ago, come
hither now and Irvine thy strength
about me! Thy strength, Hester, but
let it be guided by the will which God
hath granted me! This wretched and
wronged old man is opposing it with all
his might-with all his own might and
the fiend's. Come, Hester, comet Sup
port Inc up yonder scaffoldl-
The crowd was in tumult. The men
Of rank and dignity who stood more i'm
mediately around the clergyman were
so taken by surprise and so perplexed as
to the purport of what they saw, unable
to receive the explanation which most
readily presented itself or to imagine
any other, that they remained silent and
inactive spectators of the Judgment
which Providence seemed about to work.
They behell the minister, leaning on
Hester's shoulder and supported by her
arm around him, approach the scatfold
Il 4 AL
hand of the sin born child was clasped
in his. Old Roger Chillingworth fol-
lowed as one intimately connected with
the drama Of guilt and sorrow in which
they had all been actors, and well en-
titled, therefore, to be present at its
closing scene.
"Hadst thou sought the whole earth
o'@r," said he, looking darkly at the
Clergyman, there was no one place SO
secret-no high place nor lowly place
where thou couldst have escaped me
save on this very scaffoldr
Thanks be TO him who hath led me
hitherw answered the minister.
Yet he trembled and turned TO Hester
with an expression of doubt and anxiety
in his eyes, not the less evidently be-
trayed that there was a feeble smile
upon his lips.
as not this Setter," murmured he,
"than what VIZ dreamed Of in the for
estT'
II know notI know notg' she hur-
riedly replied. Better? Yea; so we
may both die, and little Pearl die with
uBY'
For thee and Pearl, be it as God shall
order" said the minister; land God is
mercifull Let me now do the will
which he hath made plain before my
sight. For, Hester, am dying man.
So let me make haste to take my shame
upon mer'
Partly supported by Hester Pryne, and
holding one hand of little Pearls, the
Reverend Mr.. Dimmesdale turned to the
dignifed and venerable rulers; to the
holy ministers, who were his brethren;
TO the people, whose great heart was
thoroughly appalled,, yet overlooking
with fearful sympathy, as knowing that
some deep life which, if full of
sin, was full Of anguish and repentance
likewise-was now TO be laid open to
them. The sun, but little past its me-
ridian, shone down upon the clergyman
and gave distinctness to his figure as
he stood out from all the earth TO put in
his plea of guilty at the bar of eternal
justice.
People of New Englandr' cried he,
with voice that rose over them, high,
solemn and majestic-yet had always a
tremor through it, and sometimes a
shrek, struggling up out of a fathom-
less depth of remorse and woe-''ye that
have loved mel-ye that have deemed
me holy-behold me here the one sinner
of the world! At last-at last stand
upon the spot where seven years since !
should have stood; here with this wom-
an, whose arm, more than the little
strength wherewith have crept hither-
ward, sustains me at this dreadful mo-
ment from groveling down upon my
facet Lo, the scarlet letter which Hes
ter wears! Ye have all shuddered at it!
Wherever her walk hath been-wher-
ever, so miserably burdened, she may
have hoped to find repose-it hath cast a
lurid CLEAN of awe and horrible repug-
nance around about her. But there
stood one in the midst of you at whose
brand of sin and infamy we have not
shudderedr'
Il seemed at this point as If the min
lister must leave the remainder of his
secret undisclosed. But he fought back
the bodily weakness-and, still more,
the faintness of heart-that was striv-
ing for the mastery with him. He threw
IF 4, N al OBJ ,,a 4alxy