The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-07-14

| Nothing was more common in those
days than to interpret all meteoric ap-
| pearances and other natural phenomena
that occurred with less regularity than
the rise and set of sun and moon as so
many revelations from a supernatural
source. Thus a blazing spear, a sword
of flame, bow or sheaf of arrows
seen in the midnight sky prefgured In
! dian warfare. Pestilence was known to
have been foreboded by a shower Of
crimson light. We doubt whether any
marked event for good or evil ever be-
| fell New England from its settlement
down to Revolutionary times of which
the inhabitants had not been previously
warned by some spectacle of this nature.
| Not seldom it had been seen by multi
| tudes.
Oftener, however, ITS credibility rested
on the faith of some lonely eyewitness,
who beheld the wonder through the col
ored, magnifying and distorting medium
of his imagination, and shaped it more
distinctly in his afterthought. It was
indeed a majestic idea, that the destiny
of nations should be revealed in these
awful hieroglyphics on the cope of
heaven. A scroll so wide might not be
| SNOOAAACO wv poAASANO 4OE ION1OGuC0 10
write a peoples doom upon. The belief
was favorite one with our forefathers,
as betokening that their infant common
wealth was under celestial guardian
| ship OF peculiar intimacy and strictness.
But what shall we say when an individ-
ual discovers revelation, addressed to
himself alone, on the same vast sheet of
record? In such case it could only be
the symptom of a highly disordered men
tai state, when man, rendered morbid
ly self contemplative by long, intense
and secret pain, had extended his ego
tism over the whole expanse of nature,
until the armament itself should appear
no more than fitting page for his souls
history and fate!
We impute it therefore solely to the
disease in his own eye and heart, that
the minister, looking upward to the re-
NTH, beheld there the appearance of an
immense letter-the letter A-marked
out in lines of dull red light. Not but
the meteor may have shown itself at
that point, burning duskily through a
veil of cloud, but with no such shape
as his guilty imagination gave it, or, at
least, with so little de6niteness that an
others guilt might have seen another
symbol in it.
There was q singular circumstance
that characterized Mr.. Dimmesdale's
psychological state at this moment All
the time that he gazed upward to the
zenith he was nevertheless perfectly
aware that little Pearl was pointing her
finger toward old Roger Chil1ingworth,
who stood at no great distance from the
scatfold. The minister appeared to see
him with the same glance that discerned
the miraculous letter.
To his features, as to all other objects,
the meteoric light impaired new ex-
preston; or it might well be that the
physician was not careful then, as at all
other times, to hide the malevolence
with which he looked upon his victim.
Certainly, if the meteor kindled up the
sky and disclosed the earth with an
awfulness that admonished Hester
Prynne and the clergyman of the day OF
judgment, then might Roger Chilling
worth have passed with them for the
arch fend, standing there with smile
and scowl to claim his own. So vivid
was the expression, or so intense the
minister's perception of it, that it
seemed still to remain painted on the
darkness after the meteor had vanished
with an effect as if the street and all
things else were at once annihilated.
"Who is that man, Hester" gasped
Mr.. Dimmesdale, overcome with terror.
81 shiver at him! Dost thou know the
man? hate him, HesterI'
She remembered her oath and was
silent.
81 tell thee my soul shivers at hi1ny'
muttered the minister again. ''Who is
he? Who is her Canst thou do nothing
Tor me? have nameIess horror OF the
manr
Minister" said little Pearl, 81 can
tell thee who he isy'
Quickly, then, child" said the min
lister, bending his ear close to her lips.
"Quicklyl and as low as thou canst
whisper"
Pearl mumbled something into his ear
that sounded, indeed, like human Ian
guage, but was only such gibberish as
children may be heard amusing them
selves with, by the hour together. at
all events, if it involved any secret in
formation in regard to old Roger Chill
hngworth, it was in a tongue unknown
to the erudite clergyman, and did but
increase the bewilderment of his mind.
The elfish child then laughed aloud.
''Dost thou mock me nowY' said the
minister.
"Thou vast not boldi Thou vast not
trueI" answered the child. ''Thou
wouldst not promise to take my hand
and mothers hand tomorrow noontide!"
Worthy sir, answered the physician,
who had now advanced to the foot of the
platform. 'Pious Master Dimmesdale,
can this be you? Well, well, indeedi
We men of study, whose heads are in our
books, have need to be straightly looked
afterl We dream in our waking mo-
ments and walk in our sleep. Come,
good sir, and my dear friend, pray you,
let me lead you homeI"
GLOW NEWEST thou that was here?"
asked the minister fearfully.
Verify, and in good faith" answered
Roger Chillingworth, 81 knew nothing
of the matter. / had spent the better
part of the night at the bedside of the
worshipful Governor Winthrop, doing
what my poor skill might to give him
ease. He going home to better world,
likewise was on my way homeWard
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