New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-17
,POWER OF CONSCIENCE.
THE REV. DIR. HILLS LECTURES ON
THE SCARLET LETTER"
HAwrHoRNE's ROMANCE THE suBJE0T OF Az
EARNEST APPEAL FOR A REVIVAL OF
LAW. JUSTICE AND THE
..1n.r rkfpyp ATTNr


LAW. JUSTICE AND THE
MORAL IMPERATIVE
~ p.r mr. Newell Dwight Hills in his lecture
a, Plymouth Church last night on ma" 'nor..
~. sc.r,st rettcr'-A Study OF the Retriou'Ne
Yra-,,nr. q, conscience: An Outlook Upon the
Ss,nra Necessity and Nobility OF Repentance
..d ,ha, American works OF literature wouId heeu
/, modes, corner II ever exhibit OF genius vac
held lie said In part:
oneedins presm.nensy in morals , emo the hr.t
place IN law and philosophy 70 the Latin ans ind
German lei us also confess ' ne ,,terstvre
In the history Of literature the names iSs critics
irious are names OF English of ar1, orderHomer.
Dante and shskespeare-the greatest OF rromp
BARD 81 AyDn virgil Milton and Goethe the Eng
lsh poet seems 10 head the list II SeIair hiinso
phy IL was Francis Bacon who developed the pr'n-
cipes OF the inductive system 49, 49,. o. ,,r,s
exhibit their tools arts and industries Should an
ere ever come when tse great races Of
their poets. essayists and scientists. the Engnsn
exhibit es T ASK eSnrb srfe 'V viii need modest
corner In this future court OF honor Emerson In
Mo.ley The historian and Hawthorne the novelist.
will doubtless OBTAIN recosnon ana h'gn p,a'S, Tho
author Of THE asO Scarlet Letter is the first Of
American authors and takes high rank aon aI ise
ter great noveists. Renowned as literary aruS,;
ne is also unique teacher OF morals sn %,e
theme never forgotten and always INSISTED uP POI
IS conscience and the retributive workings OF Jus
tice In The House OF the Seven Gables Hd rs,
are seeds whose harvests OF plenty are sarnel he
b genera lions that follow after In Inc Mai h
child less child than animal. who seems a youth youth
buoyant and mirhfu as uneonscopns as ,Sro1sh
sin and crime. at last arouses the youth INTO sell
IN lis 'septimus FELTON, Hawthorne suggests
that sins may have CONSEQUENCES that reacn ior
his irienS. Influenced in part by he re,
turns TO the spot 20 find upon the grave pa1h'
distilled an elixir OF immortal life only to find him
Ike m% mnds Of TSe rs order Of
s0I Ps .C1 fmS V EXHIBITS E 6c SHINING
Agamemnon as pursued by f'lries, and Virgil mace
his hero TO be pursued ry tste hawthorne MAKES
our generation has journeyed far from the Puritan
tis. but Hawthorne dwelt beneath the dark
shadow OF the iron age His lntelecl p ana s dsa
Of justice Grim men and stern those Pnritans
ss smSe no o non, NOR ot in human ndrmtes and
insersible alike pleasure and pain Generations
INTO and .siowiy fl,ered through Hawthorne, and
The precious drops fell into that vessel nam ,,s
s,udv Of conscience differs from the Sentimental
wres,ier s =.
morals docs well to ponder Hawthorne's pages 10
TIE end that us youth may have more Iron in the
,ustIoe in ethics and politics. more Judgment I'D
our theoogV' The revival of art and letters seems
10 have fully come Society now needs 10 add re-
rival ~ law justice and the moral imperative
Mr. Hills then traced the familiar story Of The
Scarlet Letter" showing how every detail bore on
the moral that confession and repentance could
elcne cure sin and that peace was found when this
atonement had been made Tie continued as fol-
lows:
The centuries have come and gone. the scanold
nov is dust. the scarlet letter is legend. Eet
through the silent air there falls stiil small voice.
whispering 'Behod. thou art the man!
Thou child OF strength and youth Hast thou de-
frsuded thine employers? Think not by night 70
escape the demons VINO pursue thee; tiee not out
a 20 thine employer making full restitution; in los
Ing his regard recover thine own respect ana Goa
approval Thou prodigal SON far hast thou wan
dwell in Ciroe's palace! Deeply hast thou drunk Of
Guns OF namel Know that the path OF repentance
alone will lead thee back 10 thy fathers house Sc
There 10 welcome mercy, healing ana recovery TOT
thy wrecked and ruined life. 90
f7ou daughter of beauty. whose crown IL lowell
ness thou Of the dishevelled locks. with the lights
and shadows still upon thy mantiing mar, time me
snemones beneath thy feet were not so sweet as my
pure heart. But know that there is one heart that
aches for thee, a Divine one Who knows an uhueI.
Thou who hast gone through the thunder OF HE $
nattles and vho dost sit upon thy western piazza
waiting for life's sun TO set even thy wounds may
r. healad thy hurts helped. for thou mayest re-
furr 10 the DAYS when the heart was young For
man high and man low for man on the throne, N
Needing broken hearts there is welcome meaning
One place in the universe there Is where thou
y,eyss, escape thy sn-the place called calvary
cWnhinv that nillory fling thine arms about the
cross Behold the Lamb OF God. who taketh away
the sins OF the world!