The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-08-25
The Scarlet Letter.
BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.

One Of his clerical brethren-it was
the venerable John misunderstanding
the state in which Mr.. Dimmesdale was
left by the retiring wave Of intellect and
sensibility, stepped forward hastily to
offer his support. The minister tremu-
lousy but decidedly repealed the old
mans arm. He still walked onward, if
that movement could be so described,
which rather resembled the wavering
effort Of an infant with its mothers
arms in view outstretched to tempt him
forward. And now, almost impercepti-
BILE as were the latter steps of his prog
ress, he had come opposite the.well re-
membered and weather darkened scat
fold, where long since, with all that
dreary lapse of time between, Hester
Prynne had encountered the worlds ig-
nominous stare. There stood Hester
holding little Pearl by the hand! And
there was the scarlet letter on her
breasti The minister here made pause,
although the music still played the
stately and rejoicing march to which
the procession moved. 1t summoned
him onward-onward to the festival
but here he made q pause.
Bellingham for the last few moments
had kept an anxious eye upon him. He
now left his own place in the procession
and advanced to give assistance, Judging
from Mr.. Dimmesdale's aspect, that he
must otherwise inevitably fall. But
there was something in the latter's ex-
preston that warned back the magis-
trate, although man not readily obey
ing the vague intimations that pass from
l. VI,
while, looked on with awe and wonder.
This earthly faintness was, in their
view, only another phase of the minis
ter's celestial strength, nor would it
have seemed a miracle too high to be
wrought for one so holy, had he ascend d
before their eyes, waxing DINNER and
brighter, and fading at last into the
light of heaven.
He turned toward the scaffo1d and
stretched forth his arms.
Chester, said he, ''come hither! Come,
my little Pearlr
1t was CHASTITY look with which he
regarded them, but there was something
at once tender and strangely triumphant
in it. The child, with the birdlike mo-
ton which was one of her characteristics,
flew to him and clasped her arms about
his knees. Hester Prynne-slowly, as if
impelled by inevitable fate and against
her strongest will-likewise drew near,
but paused before she reached him. At
this instant old Roger Chillingworth
thrust himself through the crowd-or,
perhaps, so dark, disturbed and evil was
his look, he rose up out of some neither
region-to snatch back his victim from
what he sought to do! Be that as it
might, the old man rushed forward and
caught the minister by the arm.
"Madman, hold! what is your pur-
poser" whispered he. ''Wave back that
woman! Cast off this child! All shall
be welll Do not blacl1en your fame and
perish in dishonor! can yet save you!
Would you bring infamy on your sacred
profession?"
cha, tempter Methinks thou art too
late!" answered the minister, encoun-
tering his eye fearfully but firmly.
''Thy power is not what it was. With
Gods help l shall escape thee now"
He again extended his hand to the
woman Of the scarlet letter.
Chester Prynnef' cried he, with a
piercing earnestness, sin the name of
him so terrible and so merciful, who
gives me grace at this last moment to
do what-for my own heavy, sin and
miserable Agony withheld myself
from doing seven years ago, come
hither now and Irvine thy strength
about mel Thy strength, Hester, but
let it be guided by the will which God
hath granted me! This wretched and
wronged old man is opposing it with.all
his might-with all his own might and
the fend's. Come, Hester, come! Sup
port me up yonder scaffold!"
The crowd was in a tumult. The men
of rank and dignity who stood more i'm
mediately around the clergyman were
so taken by surprise and so perplexed as
to the purport of what they saw, unable
to receive the explanation which most
readily presented itself or to imagine
any other, that they remained silent and
inactive spectators of the judgment
which Providence seemed about to work.
They beheId the minister, leaning on
Testers shoulder and supported by her
arm around him, approach the scaffold
and ascend its steps, while still the little
hand of the sin born child was clasped
in his. Old Roger Chillingworth fol-
lowed as one intimately connected with
the drama of guilt and sorrow in which
they had all been actors, and well en-
titled, therefore, to be present at its
closing scene.
'sHadst thou sought the whole earth
over" said he, looking darkly at the
clergyman, There was no one place so