Evening journal., 1892-09-06

Her pastor, Arthur Dimmesdule, cNhOrts her I
20 name the father of her child. She will not /
and Is led 10 prison. lila stranger in the |
settlement enters the prison as physician. |
lie is Roger 0hillngw0rth, wanuerer whom |
Hester had married years before in England |
She agrees 20 keep his identity secret. ~ ana |
N.-Hester leaves the prison and lives m re- |
propose to take the child from its mother, Rev.
Arthur Dimmesdale prevents il. Nlt-koger ]
Chillingsworth becomes physician TO Dimnes-
dale, who Is an invalid, and goes To live IN
room adjoining the minister's. So on the
Story proceeds through 10 chapters. each one
growing in interest TO the end.
7 .m
All people, in word, would come
g stumbling over their thresholds, and turn
mp their amazed and horror stricken Wis
ages around the scaffold. Whom would
they discern there, with the red eastern
light upon his brow? Whom, but the
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, half
frozen to death, overwhelmed with
shame, and standing where Hester
Prynne had stood
Carried away by the grotesque horror
of this picture, the minister, unawares,
and to his own infinite alarm, burst into
a great peal Of laughter 1t was imme-
diately responded to by light, airy,
childish laugh, in which, with thrill Of
the heart-but he knew not whether Of
exquisite pain, or pleasure as acute-he
recognized the tones of little Pearl.
pearl! Little Pearl" cried he after
moments pause; then, suppressing his
voice, "Hesterl Hester Prynnel Are
you theres"
Eyes; it is Hester Prynne" she re-
piled, in tone Of surprise; and the min
lister heard her footsteps approaching
from the sidewalk along which she had
been passing. 1T is and my little
Pearl"
whence come you. Hesterf" asked
the minister what sent you hither?
81 have been watching alta ceathbed,"
answered Hester Prynne; lat Governor
Winthrops deathbed, and have taken
his measure for a robe, and am now
going homeward to my dwelling"
Come up hither, Hester, thou and
little Pearl" said the Reverend Mister
Dimmesdale. Eye have both been here
before, but was not with You. Come
up hither once again, and we VII stand
all three togetherp
She silently assembled the steps and
stood ON the platform, holding little
Pearl by the hand. Tie minister felt
for the child's other hand and took IT,.
The moment that he did SO there came
what seemed n tumultuous rush of new
life, other life than his own, pouring
like q torrent into his heart and hurry
ing through all his veins, as if the
mother and the child were communi-
eating their vital warmth to his half
torpid system The three formed ar
electric chain.
Minister" whispered little Pearl.
What wouldst thou say, child" asked
Mr. Dimmesdale.
"Wls thou stand here with mother
and me tomorrow noontideY' inquired
Pearl.
"Nay, not so, my little Pearl" an
swered the minister; for with the new
energy Of the moment all the dread OF
public exposure, that had so long beer
the anguish of his life, had returned
upon him; and he was already trembling
at the conjunction in which-with q
strange JOY, nevertheless-he now found
himself. mot so, my child. l shall
indeed stand with thy mother and the'
one other day, but not tomorrow"
Pearl laughed and attempted to pull
away her hand. But the minister held j
fast
"a moment longer, my childr sait
he.
"But wilt thou promise, asked Pearl
ito take my hand and mothers hand to
morrow noontide?"
mot then, Pearl, said the minister
but another time"
''And what other timer" persisted tn
child.
~ "At the great judgment day." whis
pered the minister, and strangely enougl
the sense that he was a professiona
teacher of the truth impelled him t
answer the child so. "Then and there
before the Judgment seat, thy mothe
and thou and l must stand together
uBut the daylight of this world shall nc
en-. see our meeting"
Pearl laughed again.
o1- But before Mr.. Dimmesdale had don
,iao speaking a light CLEANED far and wild
'issofer all the mufiied sky. 1t was doubt
i. less caused by one of those meteor
which the night watcher may so ofte
observe burning out to waste in tn
vacant regions of the atmosphere.
powerful was its radiance that it tho
oughly illuminated the dense mediuI
of cloud betwixt the sky and earth. TIL
great vault frightened, like the dome {
an immense lamp. Itshowed the fami
lar scene Of the street with the distinc
ness Of midday, but also with tn
awfulness that is always impaired I
familiar objects by an unaccustome
light.
The wooden houses, with their juttin
stories and quaint gable peaks; the doc
steps and thresholds, with the earl
grass springing up about them; the ga
den plots, black with freshly turne
earth; the wheel track, little worn, AM
even in the market place, margined wit
green on either side-all were visibl
but with "a singularity Of aspect TIL
seemed to give another moral interpr
tation to the things Of this world tina
they had ever borne before. And the
stood the minister with his hand ov
his heart, and Hester Prynne with &