The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-07-28
Scarlet Letter.
BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.

'Thou must dwell no longer with this
man." said Hester slowly and firmly.
THY heart must be no longer under his
evil eyeT"
SIT were far worse than deathi" re-
piled the minister. 'But how to avoid
jt2 What choice remains to me? Shall
lie down again on these withered
leaves, where cast myself when thou
didst tell me what he VAST Must sink
down there and die at once5'
"A1as, what a ruin has befallen theeg'
said Hester with the tears gushing into
her eyes. "Wilt thou die for very weak
ness2 There Is no other causer'
''The Judgment Of God is on me-" an
swered the conscience stricken priest.
'It is too mighty fog me to struggle
withr'
Heaven would show mercy" re-
Joined Hester, ''hadst thou but the
strength to take advantage of IT."
"Be thou strong for meF' answered he.
Advise me what to do"
"Is the world, then, SO narrow e1-
claimed Hester Prynne, fixing her deep
eyes on the minister's and instinctively
exercising magnetic power over a spirit
hardly hold itself erect. 'Doth the uni
verse lie within the compass of yonder
town, which only little time ago was
but leaf strewn desert, as lonely as this
around us? Whittier leads yonder forest
track Backward to the settlement, thou
ssyesti Yes, but onward TOO. Deeper
It goes and deeper into the wilderness
less plainly to be seen at every step, I'M
til some few miles hence the yellow
leaves Will show no vestige Of the white
mans tread. There thou art freei So
brief journey would bring thee from q
a world where thou hast been most
wretched to one where thou mayest still
be happyl Is there not shade enough in
all this boundless forest to hide thy
heart from the gaze of Roger Chilling
WORTH
ayes, Hester; but only under the
fallen leavesr replied the minister, with
q sad smile.
''Then there Is the broad pathway of
the seat" continued Hester. sit brought
thee hither. IF thou so choose, it will
bear thee back again. In our native
land, whether in some remote rural vii
l8ge or in vast London-or surely in
Germany, in France, in pleasant Italy
thou wouldst be beyond his power and
knowledge! And what hast thou to do
with all these iron men and their opin-
ions1 They have kept thy better part in
bondage too long alreadyF
'It cannot be!' answered the minis
ter, listening as if he were called upon
to realize dream. 81 am powerless to
goi Wretched and sinful as / am, /
have had no other thought than to drag
on my earthly existence in the sphere
where Providence hath placed me. Lost
as my soul is, would still do what !
may for other human soulsi dare not
quit my post, though an unfaithful SEN
tinel, whose sure reward is death and
dishonOr, when his dresry watch shall
come to an end!''
''Thou art crushed under this seven
years weight Of misery, replied Hester,
fervently resolved to buoy him up with
her own energy. t'But thou shalt leave
it all behind thee! It shall not cumber
thy steps, as thou tresdest along the
forest path; neither shalt thou freight
the ship with it, if thou prefer to cross
the sea. Leave this wreck and ruin here
where it hath happened. NEEDLE no
more with It'll Begin all anewi Hast
thou exhausted possibility in the failure
Of this one trial? Not sol The future
is yet full Of trial and success. There is
happiness to be enjoyedl There is good
to be donel Exchange this false life Of
thine for true one. Be, if the spirit
summon thee to such a mission, the
teacher and apostle of the red men. Or
as is more thy nature-be q scholar
and q sage among the wisest and most
renowned of the cultivated world.
Preachi Writel Actl Do anything,
save to lie down and die! Give up this
name Of Arthur Dimmesdale and make
thyself another, and high one, such as
thou canst wear without fear or shame.
Why shOuldst thou tarry so much as
one other day In the tOrments that have
30 gnawed into thy hfe!-that have made
thee feeble to will and to do!-that will
leave thee pOwerless even to repentl Up
and awayp
go Hester!'' cried Arthur Dimmes-
dale, in whose eyes fitful light, kindled
by her enthusiasm, flashed up and died
away, ''thou teIlest Of running race to
. man whose knees are lettering be
meath himI I must die herei There is
not the strength or courage left me to
venture into the wide, strange, difficult
world a1one."
It was the last expression of the de-
spondency of broken spirit. He lacked
energy to grasp the better fortune that
seemed within his reach.
he repeated the word.
'eAlone, Hester!"
"Thou shalt not go aloner' answered
she in deep whisper.