San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-22
THE SCARLET LETTER
By NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

there. Inc nelgnDorhood would DegH
to rouse itself. The earliest riser, com
ing forth in the dim twilight, would
perceive vaguely defined figure aloft
on the place of shame. and half crazed
betwixt alarm and curiosity would go
knocking from door to door summoning
all the people to behold the ghost-as
he needs must think it--of some defunct
transgressor.
All people, in a word. would come
stumbling over their thresholds, and turn
up their amazed and horror stricken Wis
ages around the,scaffold. Whom would
they discern there, with the red eastern
light upon his brow? Whom, hut 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 a 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 Pearlr' cried he after
a moments pause; then. suppressing his
voice, Hester! Hester Prynne! Are
you there?"
"Yes; it is Hester Prynne" she re-
piled, in tone of surprise: and the min
lister heard her footsteps approaching
from the sidewalk slong which she had
been passing. 1T is l and my little
Pearl"
Whence come You. Hester2' asked
the minister. what sent you bither?"
81 have been watching alta deathbed,"
answered Hester Prynne; lat Governor
Winthrop's 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. "Ye have both been here
before, but l was not with you. Come
up hither once again, and we viii stand
all three together
She silently assembled the steps and
stood on the platform, holding little
Pearl by the hand. The minister felt
for the child's other hand and. took it,
The moment that he did so there came
what seemed tumultuous rush of new
life, other life than his own, pouring
like torrent into his heart and hurry.
ing through all his veins, as If the
mother and the child We're communi-
eating their vital warmth to his half
torpid system. The three formed an
electric chain.
Minister whispered little Pearl.
"What wouldst thou say, childT asked
Mr.. Dimmesdale.
= "Wilt thou stand here with mother
and me tomorrow noontide" 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 been
the anguish of his life, had returned
upon him; and he was already trembling
at the conjunction in which-with a
strange joy, nevertheless-he now found
himself. mot so, my child. | shall
indeed stand with thy mother and thee
one other day, but not tomorrow"
Pearl laughed and attempted to pull
away her hand. But the minister held it
fast.
"a moment longer, my childp' said
he.
But wilt thou promise, asked Pearl,
"to take my hand and mothers hand to-
morrow noontide?"
mot then, Pearl" said the minister,
'but another time"
"And what other timer" persisted the
child.
SAT the great judgment day." whis-
pered the minister, and strangely enough
the sense that he was professional
teacher of the truth impelled him to
answer the child So "Then and there,
before the judgment seat, thy mother
and thou and must stand together.
But the daylight of this world shall not
see our meeting"
Pearl laughed again.
But before Mr.. Dimmesdale had done
speaking light CLEANED far and wide
over all the muffied sky. 1t was doubt
less caused by one of those meteors
which the night watcher may so often
observe burning out to waste in the
vacant regions of the atmosphere. So
powerful was its radiance that it thor
oughly illuminated the dense medium
of cloud betwixt the sky and earth. The
great vault frightened, like the dome of
an immense lamp. Itshowed the famil-
lar scene of the street with the distinct
ness of midday, but also with the
awfulness that is always impaired to
familiar objects by an unaccustomed
light.