The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-08-04
Scarlet Letter.
BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.


to trace whose child she is. But how
strangely beautiful she looks, with those
wild flowers In her hairl 1t is as if one
Of the fairies, whom we left in our dear
old England, had decked her out to
meet u.s."
1t was with feeling which neither of
them had ever before experienced that
they sat and watched PEARLS slow adj
vance. In her was visible the tie that
united them. She had been offered to
the world these seven years past as the
living hieroglyphic, III which was re-
vealed the secret they so darkly sought
to hide-au written in this symbol-all
plainly manifest-had there been a
prophet or magician skilled to read the
character of flannel And Pearl was the
oneness of their being. Be the foregone'
evil what it might, how could they
doubt that their earthly lives and future
destinies were conjoined, when they be-.
held at once the material union and the
spiritual idea in whom they met and
were to dwell Immortality together?
Thoughts like these-and perhaps other
thoughts, which they did not acknowl-I
edge or defne-threw an awe about the
child as she came onward.
"Let her see nothing strange-no pas
sion nor eagerness-in thy way Of &C
costing her." whispered Hester. "Our
Pearl is dtful and fantastic little elf
sometimes. Especially, she is seldom
tolerant of emotion, when she does not
fully comprehend the why and where
fore. But the child hath strong affec-
tionsl She loves me and will love theel"
"Thou canst not think" said the min
lister. glancing aside at Hester Prynne,
show my heart breads this interview
and yearns for It'll But in truth, as l al
ready told thee, children are not readily
won to be familiar with me. They will
not climb my knee, nor prattle in my
ear, nor answer to my smile; but stand
apart and eye me strangely. Even lit
tie babes, when take them in my arms,
weep bitterly. Yet Pearl twice in her
little lifetime hath been kind to mel
The first time-thou knowest it WE'LL
The last was when thou ledst her with
thee to the house of yonder stern old
governor"
"And thou didst plead so bravely in
her behalf and mineI" answered the
mother. 81 remember it, and so shall
little Pearl. Fear nothingI She may
be strange and shy at first, but will soon
learn to love theel"
By this time Pearl had reached the
margin of the brook, and stood on the
farther side, gazing silently at Hester
and the clergyman, who still sat to-
gether on the messy tree trunk, waiting
to receive her. Just where she had
paused the brook CHANGED to form
pool, so smooth and quiet that it re-
fected perfect image of her little fig
ure, with all the brilliant picturesque
ness of her beauty, in its adornment of
flowers and wreathed foliage, but more
refined and spiritualized than the real
ity.
This image, so nearly identical with
the living Pearl, seemed to communicate
somewhat of it's own shadowy and in
tangible quality to the child herself 1t
was strange, the way in which Pearl
stood, looking so steadfastly at them
through the dim medium of the forest
gloom; herself, meanwhile, all glorifed
with ray of sunshine that was attract
ed thitherward as by certain sympathy
In the brook beneath stood another
chi1d-another and the same-with like
wise its ray of golden light. Hester felt
herself, in some indistinct and tantaliz-
ing manner, estranged from Pearl; as if
the child, in her lonely ramble through
the forest, had S aged out of the sphere
in which she and her mother dwelt to
gether, and was now vainly seeking to
return to it.
There was both truth and error in the
impression; the child and mother were
estranged, but through Hester's fault,
80 1,AA IL.
from her side another inmate had been
admitted within the circle of the moth
er's feelings, and so modified the aspect
of them all that Pearl, the returning
wanderer, could not find her wonted
place, and hardly knew where she was.
"I have strange fancy" observed the
sensitive minister, 'that this brook is
the boundary between two worlds, and
thou canst never meet thy Pearl again
Or is she an elfish spirit, who, as the
legends of our childhood taught US, is
forbidden to cross a running stream?
Pray hasten her, for this delay has al
ready impaired a tremor to my nerves"
"Come, dearest child" said Hester en-
couragingly, and stretching out both
her arms. GLOW slow thou artl When
hast thou been so sluggish before now?
Here is friend of mine, who must be
thy friend also. Thou wilt have twice
as much love henceforward as thy
mother alone could give theeI Leap
across the brook and come to US. Thou
canst leap like a young deer!'
Pearl, without responding in any man
ner to these honey sweet expressions, re-
manned on the other side of the brook
Now she fixed her bright, wild eyes on
her mother, now on the minister, and
now included them both in the same
glance, as if to detect and explain to
herself the relation which they bore to
one another. For some unaccountable
reason, as Arthur Dimmesdale felt the
child's eyes upon himself, his hand
with that gesture so habitual as to have
become involuntary-stole over his
heart. At length, assuming a singular
air of authority, Pearl stretched out her
hand, with the small forefnger extend
ed and pointing evidently toward her
mothers breast. And beneath, in the
mirror of the brook, there was the flower
girdled and sunny image of little Pearl
pointing her small forefnger too.
''Thou strange child. why dost thou
not come to meY exclaimed Hester.
Pearl still pointed with her forefnger,