The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-06-02

! purity of thought which, as many people
said, affected them like the speech Of an
angel.
Such was the young man whom the
Reverend Mr.. Wilson and the governor
had introduced so openly to the public
notice. bidding him speak in the hearing
of all men to that mystery of woman's
soul. so sacred even in its pollution.
The trying nature of his position drove
the blood from his cheek and made his
lips tremulous.
''Speak to the woman, my brother"
said Mr.. Wilson. at is of moment to
her soul, and therefore. as the worship
full governor says, momentous to thine
own, in whose charge hers is. ExhOrt
her to confess the truth"
The Reverend Mr.. Dimmesdale bent his
head in silent prayer, as it seemed, and
then came forward.
''Hester Prynne, - said he, leaning over
the balcony and looking down steadfast-
,ly into her eyes, thou nearest what this
good man says and seest the accounta-
bility under which labor. If thou feel
est it to be for thy souls peace, and that
thy earthly punishment will thereby be
made more effectual to salvation
charge thee to speak out the name Of thy
fellow sinner and fellow suffererl Be
not silent from any mistaken pity and
tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hes
ter, though he were to step down from
q high place and stand there beside thee
on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were
it so than to hide a guilty heart through
life What can thy silence do for him.
/, ,,nHk
as it were-to add hypocrisy to sin?
Heaven hath granted thee an open igno-
miny, that thereby thou mayest work
out an open triumph over the evil within
thee and the sorrow without. Take heed
how thou deniest to him-who perchance
hath not the courage to grasp it for him.
self-the bitter but wholesome cup that
| is now presented to thy lips"
The young pastors voice was treln-
ulously sweet, rich, deep and broken
The feeling that it SO evidently mani
tested, rather than the direct purport of
the words, caused it to vibrate within
all hearts, and brought the listeners
into one accord of sympathy. Even the
poor baby at Testers bosom was af
fected by the same influence, for it
directed its hitherto vacant gaze toward
Mr.. Dimmesdale and held up its little
| arms with half pleased, half plaintive
murmur So powerful seemed the min
ister's appeal that the people could not
| believe but that Hester Prynne would
| speak out the guilty name, or else that
| the guilty one himself, in whatever
high or lowly place he stood. would I've
drawn forth by an inward and ineviia
BILE necessity, and compelled to ascend
| the scaffold.
Hester shook her head.
"Woman, transgress not beyond the
| limits of heavens mercyr' cried the Rev
erend Mr.. Wilson more harshly than be
fore. ''That little babe hath been gifted
with voice to second and confirm the
| counsel which thou hast heard. Speak
out the nameI That and thy repentance
NAV avail to take the scarlet letter off
| thy breast
'NeverI'' replied Hester Prynne, look
ing not at Mr.. Wilson, but into the deep
! and troubled eyes of the younger clergy
man. ''It is too deeply branded. Ye
| cannot take it off And would that
might endure his agony as well as mine!
''Speak, woman said another voice
| coldly and sternly, proceeding from the
| crowd about the scaffold. Speak. and
| give your child fatherr'
81 will not speak!'' answered Hester.
turning pale as death. but responding t.
| this voice, which she too surely recog-
| nized. land my child must seek heav-
/ enly father; she shall never know an
/ earthly onel"
''She will not speak," murmured Mr..
Dimmesdale, who, leaning over the bal
cony with his hand upon his heart. had
awaited the result Of his appeal He
now drew back with long respiration.
'Wondrous strength and generosity of
woman's hearth She will not speakr'
Discerning the impracticable state of
| the poor culprit's mind the elder clergy
man, who had carefully prepared himself
for the occasion, addressed to the multi
/ tude discourse on sin in all its branches.
but with continual reference to the igno-
minious letter. So forcibly did he dwell
upon this symbol for the hour or more
/ during which his periods were rolling
over the peoples heads that it assumed
new terrors in their imagination, and
/ seemed to derive its scarlet hue from the
flames of the internal pit.
l Hester Prynne, meanwhile, kept her
place upon the pedestal of shame, with
glazed eyes and an air OF weary 1ndiHer-
ence. She had borne that morning all
| that nature could endure, and as her
| temperament was not of the order that
escapes from too intense suffering by a
swoon, her spirit could only shelter itself
beneath a stony crust of insensibility.
while the faculties of animal life re-
manned entire In this state the voice of
The preacher Numbered remorselessly.
b ut unavailingly, upon her ears. The
infan t, during the latter portion of her
ordes |, pierced the air with its wailings
and screams; she strove to hush it, me
cham. ally, but seemed scarcely to sym
pathizs with its trouble. With the same
hard <lemeanor, she was led back to
prison, and vanished from the public
gaze WI thin its iron clanped portal II
was win spered by those who peered after
her tina the scarlet letter threw lurid
CLEAN along the dark passageway Of the
| interior.
MAA EcoNTINUED.1