Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-04-23


ing blush and yet naughty smile, and
a glance that would not be abashed,
looked around at her townspeople and
neighbors. On the breast of her gown,
in fine red cloth. surrounded with an
elaborate embroidery and fantastic -four
ishes of gold thread, appeared the letter
A. It was so artistically done, and with
so much fertility and gorgeous luxuri-
ance of fancy, that it had all the effect
of last and fitting decoration to the
apparel which she wore, and which was
of splendor in accordance with the
taste of the age, but greatly beyond
what was allowed by the sumptuary
regulations of the colony.
The young woman was tall, with a
figure of perfect elegance on large
scale. She had dark ana abundant hair,
SO glossy that it threw off the sunshine
with CLEAN and face which, besides
being beautiful from regularity of fea-
ture and richness of complexion, had
the impressiveness belonging to a
marked brow and deep black eyes. She
was ladylike, too, after the manner of
the feminine gentility Of those days;
characterized by certain state and dig
nifty, rather than by the delicate, evan
escent and indescribable grace which is
now recognized as its indication. And
never had Hester Prynne appeared more
ladylike. in the antique Interpretation
of the term, than as she issued from the
prison. Those who had before known
her, and had expected to behold her
dimmed and obscured by disastrous
cloud. were astonished and even startled
to perceive how her beauty shone out
and made halo of the misfortune and
ignominy in which she was enveloped.
1t may be true that, to sensitive OBJ
server, there was something exquisitely
painful in it. Her attire, which, in
deed, she had wrought for the occasion,
in prison, and had modelled much after
her own fancy, seemed to express the
attitude of her spirit, the desperate reck-
lessness of her mood, by its wild and
picturesque popularity. But the point
which drew all eyes, and, as it were,
TRANSPORTED the wearer-so that both
men and women who had been famil-
iarly acquainted with Hester Prynne
were now impressed as if they beheld
her for the first time-was that scarlet
letter, so Enthusiastically embroidered and
illuminated upon her bosom. 1t had the
effect of SPELL taking her out of the
ordinary relations with humanity and
inclosing her in a sphere by herself.
"She had good skill at her needle,
that's certain" remarked one of her
IL a%a+r III
an, before this brazen huzzy, contriye
such a way of showing it? Why, gos-
sips, what is it but to laugh in the faces
of our godly magistrates, and make
pride out of what they, worthy gentle
men, meant for punishment
"It were WELL" muttered the most
iron visaged of the old DANES, eff we
stripped Madam Testers rich gown off
her dainty shoulders; and as for the red
letter, which she hath stitched so curl
ously, I'll bestow a rag of mine own
rheumatic flannel to make filter one!"
"Oh, peace, neighbors, peaceP' whis-
pered their youngest companion; ''do not
let her hear you'll Not stitch in that
embroidered letter, but she has felt it in
her heart"
The grim beadle now made gesture
with his staff.
'sMake way, good people, make way,
in the kings Manner cried he. "Open a
passage, and, l promise ye, Mistress
Prynne shall be set where man, woman
and child may have fair sight of her
brave apparel, from this time till an hour
past meridian. A blessing on the right
eous colony of the Massachusetts, where
iniquity is dragged out into the sum
shine! Come along Madam Hester, and
show your scarlet letter in the market
place"
A lane was forthwith opened through
the crowd of spectators. Preceded by
the beadle and attended by an irregular
procession of stern browed men and I'M
kindly visaged women, Hester Prynne
set forth toward the place appointed for
her punishment. A crowd of eager and
curious schoolboys, understanding lit
tie of the matter in hand, except that it
gave them a holiday, ran before her
progress, turning their heads continually
to stare into her face and at the wink
ing baby in her arms, and at the igno-
minious letter on her breast.
It was no great distance in those days
from the prison door to the market
place. Measured by the prisoners ex-
perience, however, it might be reckoned
journey of some length, for, naughty
as her demeanor was, she perchance un-
derwent an agony from every footstep
of those that thronged to see her, as If
l.er heart had been flung into the street
for them all to spurn and trample upon.
In our nature, however, there is pro-
vision, alike marvellous and merciful,
that the sufferer should never know the
intensity of what he endures by its pres
ent torture, but chiefly by the pang that
rankles after it. With almost serene
department, therefore, Hester Prynne
passed through this portion of her or
deal. and came to sort of scaffold at
the western extremity of the market
| place 1t stood nearly beneath the caves
! Of Boston's earliest church and appeared
| To be fixture there.
In fact this scaffeld constituted por-
| ton of penal machine. which now, for
two or three generations past, has been
merely historical and Evolutionary
AMONG rs. but was held In the old time
to be as efectual an agent in the pro-
motion of good citizenship as ever was
I 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 confne 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 continuance 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 IA