Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-25
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
THE WHITE OLD MAID.
BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.

SNathaniel Hawthorne. 1904 lss!: was an
stories, author of The Scarlet Letter
'Tansltwood Tales" etc.
A lonely woman had passed from
youth to extreme age, and was known
by all the town as the "Old Maid in
the Winding A faint of in
sanity had affected her whole life, but
so quiet sad and gentle, so utterly free
from violence, that she was permitted
to pursue her fantasies. dnmolested by
the world, with whose business or
pleasure she had nougflt to do. She
dwelt alone, and never came into the
daylight except to follow funerals.
Whenever corpse was borne along the
street. in sunshine, rain or snow,
whether a pompous train of the rich
and proud thronged after It, or few and
humble were the mourners, behind
them came the lonely woman, in long
white garment, which the people called
her shroud.
She took no place among the kindred
or the friends, but stood at the door
to hear the funeral prayer. and walked
in the rear of the procession, as one
whose earthly charge it was to haunt
the house Of mourning, and be the
shadow Of afhiction, and see that the
dead were duly buried. So long had
this been her custom that the in
habitantS Of the town deemed her a
part of every funeral, as much as the
cofin-pall, or the very corpse itself, and
augured Ill of the sinners destiny I'M
less the odd Maid in the Winding
sheet" came gliding like ghost behind.
One afternoon the great street of the
town was all alive with business and
hn oh nj M
animated The life of the town seemed
to have its very center not far from an
old mansion that stood somewhat back
from the pavement, surrounded by
neglected grass, with strange air of
loneliness, rather deepened than dis
PEELED by the throng so near 1t. Owing
to some dispute about the right of in
heritance, the mansion had been long
without a tenant, decaying from year
to year, and throwing the stately gloom
of It's shadow over the busiest part Of
the town.
Such was the scene and such the
time when a figure OF a woman In a
long white garment came down the
street. There were no signs Of death
at any door-ror was there any token
of a funeral, except the apparition of
the odd Maid in the Winding sheet. "
What might this portend? What a
comet is to the earth was that sad
woman to the town.
The wonder was increased when the
old maid passed beneath the porch OF
the deserted mansion, assembled the
moss-covered steps, lifted the iron
knccker and gave three raps. The PEG.
pie could only conjecture that some old
remembrance, troubling her bewildered
brain, had impelled the poor woman
hitler to visit the friends of her youth
Again she lifted the hammer. and this
tire gave single rap. Gould II be
that footStep was now heard coming
dc vn the staircase of the old mansion
which all conceived to have been Sc
&c untenanted?
The bar fell on the inside the door
was opened. One upward glance, to-
ward the church spire, whence the set
ing sunshine had just faded, was the
last that the people saw of the "Olo
Maid In the Winding-shee Who un-
di6 the door? No one could Satistac-
10; :iy answer that question. Some
thought 1t was Negro servant in the
lr-eress Of old Caesar, formerly slave
in the house.
Twilight came. The throng was
vending its way homeward, when
ooach--i1o common spectacle In those
tieys-drove slowly into the street. Il
7r,1s OF some high lord on the panels
the coach rolled down the street, till
'oming to the gateway of the deserted
mansion, it drew up. and the footmar
'rrang to the ground. An ancient lady
l1-ust forth her head from the coach
nd descended.
The people saw that her dress wal
magnificent, and her dignified figure
Il spite of age and inf1rrnity-a stated!
:uin, but with look at once OF pride
nd wretchedness. Her strong and rigit
eatures had an awe about them unlike
hat of the White Old Maid, but as o.
.ornething evil.
She passed up the steps, leaning on ;
Tcld-headed cane; the door swung oper
she assembled, and the light of {
o-ch glittered on the embroidery of he
ress and cleaned on the pillars of thu
orch. After mcmentary pause.
lance backward and then a desperate
dort-she went in. The coach hat
''ileeled round; now it rumbled up tn
rect and disappeared.
The people began to question whethe
Il coach and attendants, the ancien
'dy, the specter of old Caesar and tn
N Maid herself, were not all
rangely combined delusion, with som
ark purport in its mystery. The Who'll
>wn was astir. Instead of dispensing
Il crowd continually increased, an
1nod gazing at the windows Of tn
lansion, now silvered by the brighten
lg moon.
The elders. glad to indulge the mar
alive propensity of age, told OF the lon
Aed splendor Of the family, the enter
-Nnnaents <hey had given. and tn