Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-05-07

all 4 / ! 49, ts1 0Nf frictH>
As the two wayfarers came within tile
precincts of the town the children OF
tho Puritans looked up from their play.
or what passed for play with those SOM
Der little nrchins. and spake gravely ona
to another:
Behold. verify, there IS the woman
Of the scarlet letter; and Of truth.
moreover, there is the likeness of the
scarlet letter running along by her side.
Come. therefore. and Let rs fling mud at
them.
But Pearl, who was dauntIess child,
after frowning, stamping her foot and
shaking her little hand with a variety
of threatening gestures, suddenly made
rush at the knot Of her enemies and
put them all to flight. She resemhled,
in her fierce pursuit Of them, an infant
pestilence- scarlet fever or some
such half tiedged angel Of Judgment
whose mission was to punish the sins Of
the rising generation. She screamed
and shouted, too, with terrific volume
Of sound, which doubtless caused the
hearts Of the fugitives to quake within
them. The victory accomplished, Pearl
returned quietly to her mother and
looked up smiling into her face.
Without further adventure they
reached the dwelling Of Governor Bel
lingham. This was large wooden house.
built in fashion of which there ara
specimens still extant IN the streets OF
our older towns; now moss grown,
crumbling to decay, and melancholy at
heart with the many sorrowful or joyful
occurrences, remembered or forgotten,
that have happened and passed away
within their dusky chambers. Then,
however, there was the freshness Of the
passing year on its exterior, and tho
cheerfulness, cleaning forth from the
sunny windows, of human habita-
ton into which death had never en-
tered.
They approached the door, which was
of an arched form and flanked on each
side by o narrow tower or projection OF
the edifice, in both of which were lattice
windows, with wooden shutters to close
over them at need. Lifting the iron
hammer that hung at the portal, Hester
Prynne gave summons, which was an
swered by one Of the governors bond
servants, a free born Englishman, but
now seven years slave. During that
term he was to be the property Of his
master, and as much commodity Of
bargain and sale as an OK, or joint stool.
The serf wore the blue coat, which was
the customary garb of serving men OF
that period and long before in the old
hereditary halls Of England.
els the worshipfu1 Governor Belling-
ham withing' inquired Hester.
YEA, forsooth, replied the bond sery-
ant, staring with wide open eyes at the
scarlet letter, which, being q newcomer
in tho country, nc had never before seen.
"Yea, his honorable worship is within.
| But he hath godly minister or two with
| him, and likewise leech. Ye may not
| see his worship now"
Nevertheless, will enter,r answered
Hester Prynne. and the bond servant,
perhaps judging from the decision Of her
! air and the glittering symbol in her
I ;Sosom that she was great lady in the
land, offered no opposition"
So the mother and little Pearl were
l admitted into the hall of entrance With
| many variations suggested by the nature
| of his building materials, diversity OF
| climate and g different mode Of social
| life, Governor Bellingham had planned
| his new habitation after the residences
| of gentlemen of fair estate in his native
| land. Here, then, was q wide and vea.
sonably lofty hall, extending through tho
| whole depth Of the house and forming
| medium of general communication, more
| or less directly, with all the other apart
| ments.
At about the center of the oak panels
| that lined the hall was suspended q suit
I of mail, not like the pictures-an ances
| trail relic--but of the most modern date,
| for it had been manufactured by skill
full armorer in London the same year in
which Governor Bellingham came over
to New England. There was steel head
piece, a cuirass, gorget and greaves,
with pair Of gauntlets and q sword
hanging beneath, all, and especially the
helmet and breastplate, so highly bur-
| nished as to glow with white radiance
and scatter an illumination everywhere
about upon the floor This bright pane
ply was not meant for mere idle show,
but had been worn by the governor on
many solemn muster and training field
and had glittered, moreover. at the head
Of regiment in the Pequod war. For,
though bred lawyer and accustomed
to speak of Bacon, Coke, Noye and Finch
as his professional associates, the ext
gencies Of this new country had trans
formed Governor Bellingham into sol
der as well as a statesman and ruler.
Little Pearl, who was as greatly
pleased with the cleaning armor as she
had been with the giittering frontispicco
Of the house, spent some time looking
into the polished mirror Of the breast.
plate.
Mother" cried she, II see you here.
Lookl Loolylp
the child, and she saw that, owing to
the peculiar effect Of this convex mirror,
the scarlet letter was represented in ex.
aggerated and gigantic proportions, 50
as to be greatly the most prominent fea-
ture Of her appearance. In truth, she
seemed absolutely hidden behind It.
Pearl pointed upward also, at similar
picture in the headpiece, smiling at her
mother with the elfish intelligence that
| was so familiar an expression on her
small phygiognomy. That look Of
naughty merriment was likewise reflect
ed in the mirror with 80 much breadth
and intensity Of effect that it made Hes
ter Prynne feel as If it could not be the
image Of her own child, but Of an imp
who was seeking to mold itself into
Pearls shape.
Come along, Pearl, said she, draw
ing her away. Come and look into
this fair garden. 1t may DO we shall
see flowers there, more beautiful ones
than we find in the woods
| Pearl accordingly ran to tho bow win
dow at the farther end of the hall aud
looked along the vista Of a garden walk
carpeted with closely shayen grass and
bordered with some rude and immature
attempt at shrubbery. But the proprie-
tor appeared already to have relin-
quished as hopeless the effort to perpst-
uate on this side Of tho Atlantic, IN q
hard soil and amid the close struggle for
subsistence, the native English taste for
ornamental gardening. Cabbages grew
In plain sight, and . pumpkin vine,
rooted at some distance, had run across
the intervening space and deposited one