The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-17
THE SCARLET LETTER
NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
Condensation BY George S: Barton. Winchester. Mass


turtles ago the grass plot before the
Jail in Prison Lane was occupied by
many of the inhabitants of Boston.
The door opened and the town-beadle
appeared followed by a young woman
carrying a baby about three months
old. On the breast of her gown, in
red cloth, appeared the letter A, and
it was that scarlet letter which drew
all eyes toward her
The place appointed for her pun
ishment was not far from the prison
door, and in spite of the agony of her
heart, Hester Prynne passed with al
most a serene department to the scat
fold where the pillory was set up, and
under the weight of a thousand I'M
relenting eyes. the unhappy prisoner
sustained herself as best woman
might.
A small, intelligent-appearing man,
on the outskirts of the crowd, at
tracted Hester's attention, and he in
his turn eyed her until, seeing that
she seemed to recognize him, he laid
his finger on his lips.
Then speaking to a townsman, he
said, Il pray YOU good sir, who is
this woman, and wherefore is she set
up to pubic shame?'
You must needs be stranger,
friend" said the tOwnsman, "else you
would have heard Of Mistress Hester
Pyrnne. She hath raised a great
scandal in godly Master Dinners
dale's church. The penalty. thereof is
death, but the1 magistracy, in their
mercy, have doomed her to stand a
space of three hours on the platform
of the pillory, and for the remainder
of her life to wear a mark of shame
on her bosom
"a wise sentence" remarked the
stranger. at inks me, nevertheless,
that the partner of her iniquity should
not at least stand by her side. But
he will be known-he will be Known
The Rev Mr.. Dimmersdale, young
minister of high native gifts, who had
already wide eminence in his profess
sion, was urged to eXhort Hester to
repentance and confession. Address
ing her he advised her. that she name
her fellow sinner, if he had to step
from a high position to stand beside
her, for it was better so than to hide
a guilty heart through life.
Hester shook her head, keeping her
place upon the pedestal with an air
of weary Indifference.
That night her child writhed in
commissions, and a physician, Mr.. Rog-
er ChillingWOrth, none other than the
stranger Hester had noticed in the
crowd, was called. Having eased the
baby's pain, he turned and said:
Chester, I ask not wherefore thou has
fallen into the pit. 1t was my folly
and thy weakness. What had L
a man of thought-to do with youth
and beauty like thine. might have
known that in my long absence this
would happen"
Il have greatly wronged thee" muir
INJURED Hester.
1--WE have wronged each other" he
answered. But l shall seek this man
| whose name thou wilt not reveal, and
| sooner or later he must be mine.
/ shall contrive nothing against his life
Let him live. One thing, thou that
! vast my wife, ask. Thou has kept
| his name secret. Keep likewise mine
Let thy husband be to the world as
| one already dead, and breathe not the
! secret. above all to the man thou
wottest Of
Il will keep thy secret, as I have
his,
Freed from prison, Hester did not
! flee, but established herself in small
| cottage just outside the town, incur
ring no risk Of want, for she possessed
the art of needlework which provided
food for herself and child. She had
named the little one Pearl" as be
ing of great price, and little Pear
grew up a lovely child. People wished
to take her away and the matter was
discussed in the mothers presence by
~ 7 oI1; o,,1 III tC-
Rev. John Wilson, Mr.. Dimmersdale
and DR.. Chillingworth.
God gave me the child" cried
Hester, and turning to the young
clergyman, Mr. Dimmesdale, she eX
claimed, Speak thou for me. Thou
vast my pastor. Thou knowest what
is in my heart and what are a moth
er's rights, and how much the stronger
they are when that mother has bu
her child and the scarlet letter.
will not lose the child. Look to it
There is truth in what she says,
began the minister There is a quail
ity of awful sacredness between thi:
mother and this child. 1t is good fol
this poor sinful woman that she haiti
| an infant confided to her care-to be
trained by her to righteousness. LIE
US leave them as providence hath seer
fit to place them!'
You speak, my friend, with (
strange earnestness," said Roger Chill
lingworth smiling at him.
He hath adduced such argument:
that we will leave the matter as i
now stands" said the governor. Thu
affair being so satisfactorily conclud
ed, Hester and Pearl departed.
Reverend Mr.. Dimmesdale's health
failing, he consulted DR.. Chillingworth
Taking him as a patient, the docto
decided to know the mans Utmost ma
ture before trying to heal him. Ar
rangements were made for the twl
men to lodge together SO that h
might be constantly under the DOCTOR
observation.
AS Doctor Chillingworth proceeded
with his investigation, begun as h.
imagined with the integrity of judg,
DESTROYS only of truth a terrible fasci
nation seized him and insisted that h