The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-06-30
THE SCARLET LETTER.
By NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE LEEcH AND ELS PATIENT.

On his ndnU anu his elbow on the Sill or
the open window that looked toward
the graveyard, he arthur Dimmesdale)
talked with Roger Chillingworth, while
the old man was examining bundle OF
unsightly plants
Where" asked he, with a look
askance at them-for it was the clergy
mans popularity that he seldom nova
days looked straightforth at any object,
whether human or where,
my kind doctor, did you gather those
herbs with such dark, fabby leaf?"
Given in the graveyard here at hand"
answered the physician, continuing his
employment "They are new to me.
found them growing on grave which
bore no tombstone or other memorial
of the dead man save these ugly weeds
that have taken upon themselves to
keep him in remembrance. They grew
out of his heart, and typify, it may be,
some hideous secret that was buried
with him, and which he had done bet
ter to confess during his lifetime"
"Perchance," said Mr.. Dimmesdale,
she earnestly desired it, but could not"
"And whereforeY' rejoined the physi-
clan. Wherefore not, since all the
powers of nature call so earnestly for
the confession of sin that these black
weeds have sprung up out of buried
heart to make manifest an unspoken
crime?'
THAT, good sir, is but fantasy of
yours" replied the minister. "There
can be, if forbode Alright, no power,
short of the divine mercy, to disclose,
whether by uttered words or by type or
emblem, the secrets that may be buried
with a human heart. The heart max
ing itself guilty of such secrets must
perforce hold them until the day when
all hidden things shall be revealed. Nor
have so read or interpreted Holy Writ
as to understand that the disclosure of
human thoughts and deeds, then to be
made, is intended as a part of the retri-
button. That, surely, were a shallow
view of it. No; these revelations, I'M
less ! greatly err, are meant merely to
promote the intellectual satisfaction of
all intelligent beings, who will stand
waiting on that day to see the dark
problem of this life made plain. A
knowledge of mems hearts will be need
full to the completest solution of that
problem. And l conceive, moreover,
that the hearts holding such miserable
secrets as you speak of will yield them
up at that last day, not with reluctance.
but with joy unutterable.
"Theu why not reveal them here| :
asked Roger Chillingworth, glancing
quietly aside at the minister. "Why
should not the guilty ones sooner avail
themselves of this unutterable solace?'
"They mostly do" said the clergy
man, gripping hard at his breast as if
afflicted with an importunate throb of
pain. "Many, many poor soul hath
given its confidence to me, not only on
the deathbed. but while strong in life
and fair in reputation. And ever after
such an outpouring, oh, what a relief
have 1 witnessed in those sinful
brethrenl even as in one who at last
draws free air after long sitting with
his own polluted breath. How can it
be otherwise? Why should wretched
man, guilty, we will say, of murder,
prefer to keep the dead corpse buried in
his own heart rather than fling it forth
at once and let the universe take care
of it?"
"Yet some men bury their secrets
thus" observed the calm physician.
"True, there are such men," answered
Mr.. Dimmesdale. ''But, not to suggest
more obvious reasons, it may be that
they are kept silent by the very consti-
tuition of their nature, or-can we sup
pose it?-guilty, as they may be, retain
ing nevertheless a zeal for Gods glory
and mans welfare, they shrink from
displaying themselves black and filthy
in the view of men, because thencefor-
ward no good can be achieved by them,
e 10 1Do4
ter service. So, to their own unutter-
able torment, they go about among their
fellow creatures looking pure as new
fallen snow while their hearts are all
speckled and spotted with iniquity of
which they cannot rid themselves.
"These men deceive themselves" said
Roger Chillingworth, with somewhat
more emphasis than usual, and making
slight gesture with his forefngeF. "They
fear to take up the shame that rightfully
belongs to them. Their love for man,
their zeal for Gods service-these holy
impulses may or may not coexist in their
hearts with the evil inmates to which
their guilt has unbarred the door and
which must needs propagate hellish
breed within them. But if they seek to
glorify God let them not lift heavenward
their unclean handsl If they would serve
their fellow men, let them do it by max
ing manifest the power and reality of
conscience in constraining them to pen
itential self abasement! Wouldst thou
have me to believe, o wise and pious
friend, that false show can be better
can be more for Gods glory and mans
welfare-than Gods own truth? Trust
me, such men deceive themselves"
''It may be So" said the young clergy
man indiferently, as waving discus
sion that he considered irrelevant or I'M
seasonable. He had ready faculty, in
deed, of escaping from any. topic that
agitated his too sensitive and nervous
temperament. ''But, now, would ask
Of my well skilled physician whether
in good sooth he deems me to have
profted by his kindly care of this weak
frame of miner"
Before Roger Chillingworth could
answer they heard the clear, wild
laughter of young child,s voice pro-
ceeding from the adjacent burial ground.
Looking instinctively from the open
window-for it was summer time-the
,n;y,iSfav babald Hester PrvDna and 1if-