The Scarlet Letter
1
Here is recorded a stark
episode in the lives
of a stern, unforgiving
people, a story of bigotry
uncurbed and its train
of sorrow, shame and
tragedy - -
2
Puritan Boston on a
Sabbath Day in
June - -
3
The Reverend Arthur
Dimmesdale, beloved
by his people.
4
"I pray that God will
help me to explain the
point which thou hast
disputed with the Elder
on Lecture Day."
5
"- - and make thee
again one with us in
spirit."
6
"A purse for thy
good works, Master
Dimmesdale."
7
"It comes as a gift from
our hearts. We thank
God every day for thy
ministry."
8
His Worship, the Governor
of the Colony.
9
"Hester Prynne's bird
singing on the Lord's
Day! What is Boston
coming to?"
10
"Must thou always be
a tabby-cat, Mistress
Hibbins?"
11
"'Tis against the law
to run and skip on the
Sabbath! The minister
must be told!"
12
"It distresses me to gossip,
Master Dimmesdale,
but - -"
13
"Hester Prynne must
be punished!"
14
"Control thy wanton
nose, Master Giles!"
15
"Hester Prynne, thou
hast profaned God's
holy day!"
16
"Take heed, therefore!
If ye sin, ye must
pay - - there is no
escape!"
17
"Behold what thy
gabbling tongue hath
done - - old crow!"
18
"I did not dream the
committee would mete
out further punishment
to thee - -"
19
"It matters not - since
the order came not
from thee."
20
"Wood-pussy!"
21
"Hester, I hope thou
hast learned a great
lesson!"
22
"Woman, whoever thou
art - stop!"
23
"Again thou hast been
doing wrong! What art
thou hiding?"
24
"It would be pleasant,
sir, to walk beside thee
and hear thee condemn
me for my sins."
25
"I have told thee my
thoughts - thou dost
say they are sinful -
but, why?"
26
"Why are we taught
to be ashamed - -
of love?"
27
"Hester, I have fought
against it - but I love
thee - -"
28
"Nine o'clock and all's
well! Go to your
homes!"
29
"Father! I will not be
wed to a man of such
unbridled passions!"
30
"The Governor is sending
me to England with a
message to the King!"
31
"Now thou canst refuse
me no longer. Thou art
going with me - as my
wife!"
32
"I cannot marry thee -"
33
"My wedding ring - -"
34
"Another man's wife -
and in my heart thou
hast been my wife -
my wife!"
35
"I loved thee so - -
I feared to tell thee
lest thou turn from me
entirely."
36
"On the day I left
England my father
forced me to marry a
wealthy surgeon -"
37
"When his estates were
settled he left England...
but these years have
brought no word of
him."
38
"I was never wife to
him - I loved him not
and told him so."
39
"I cannot live without
thy forgiveness!"
40
"Lights out! All's well!"
41
It was summer again -
42
"Cockroach!"
43
"Master Dimmesdale
hath returned!"
44
"The ship arrived at
Salem a week earlier
than we expected -"
45
"I bring good news! Our
petition was granted by
the King!"
46
"Hester Prynne is to
be punished on the
scaffold!"
47
"Hester Prynne? What
hath she done?"
48
"Truly a man of God!
He hath compassion
for the blackest sinner."
49
"Thou shalt not be
branded alone! To-
gether we must stand,
thou and I!"
50
"I - - I am the guilty
one, Hester! I must
share thy punishment."
51
"And make me suffer
doubly - - to know
that I have helped
destroy thee - -"
52
"Thou hast no right to
tear down the ideals of
thy followers who look
to thee for guidance."
53
"Atone! Atone for both
of us - with thy good
work -"
54
"We may never see each
other again, but I will
have comfort in behold-
ing thy life of devotion
and service."
55
"How our dear minister
suffers with the guilty
ones!"
56
"The charge of her soul
has been with thee.
Exhort her to name
her fellow sinner."
57
"Hester Prynne -
I charge thee
to speak out the name
of thy fellow sinner."
58
"Be not silent from
any mistaken pity or
tenderness for him!
Speak out his name!"
59
"It would be far better
for him to stand on
thy pedestal of shame
than hide a guilty heart
through life."
60
"I will never betray him.
I love him - and I will
always love him!"
61
"- - and would that
I might endure his
agony as well as mine!"
62
"Hester Prynne - I stand
before thee to mete out
thy punishment!"
63
"Reveal the brand of
shame - to be worn
until thy death!"
64
"Adulteress!"
65
"We have decided thy
child shall be taken
from thee and brought
up by a Christian
woman!"
66
"I pray thee - - any
punishment but that!
I cannot give thee my
child!"
67
"Wouldst thou protect
a brat of the Devil -
unbaptized and damned?"
68
"Before God thy child
shall have a name -
and I will baptize her!"
69
"What wilt thou name her?"
70
"Pearl ... for she is indeed
a pearl of great price."
71
"I baptize thee Pearl
in the name
of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Ghost."
72
Outcasts - - shunned
and despised! But
Hester's happy child
reflected the hope that
still lay in her mother's
heart.
73
"Mother, why does the
minister put his hand
over his heart?"
74
"Stay! I would question
the brat - - as to her
soul."
75
"My mother picked me
from a rosebush."
76
"Heard ye ever such
blasphemy! She is
possessed of the Devil."
77
"Thou art ill, reverend
sir. We are frightened
by thy weakness - -"
78
"Spare thyself, Master
Dimmesdale. We could
ill afford to lose thee."
79
"Every time I pass the
house I put a curse
upon that child of sin!"
80
The tortured heart -
doubly tortured by
the love and veneration
of his people.
81
And Hester - never in
all the bitter, lonely
years had she felt so
helpless - -
82
"Our boat was wrecked
on the coast, and I was
held prisoner by the
Indians for seven years."
83
"If your colony will ransom
me, my skill will repay you.
In England I was a physician
of some renown."
84
"Come with me, Giles!
My child! My child -"
85
"Go for the minister!
Tell him my child is
dying!"
86
"Thou hast come back -
from the dead!"
87
"Better that such a child
should die!"
88
"Wouldst thou avenge
thyself on an innocent
child?"
89
"Dost think a vengeance
so shallow would satisfy
me?"
90
"Calm thy fears. She
will live."
91
"Hester Prynne! Who's
the father of this child?"
92
"Hester! Our child - -"
93
"Who is that man?"
94
"I am - her husband!"
95
"Thou art the man! I
had not thought to find
thee so soon - -"
96
"I will not betray thy
guilty secret - -"
97
"- my revenge will be
infinite!"
98
"Do not lose heart -
the world is wide -
leave this place of
suffering - -"
99
Days of indecision and
wretchedness .... At
last a way seemed
open - -
100
"A Spanish ship sails
tomorrow after the
election festival. I have
seen the captain and
secured passage."
101
"Across the seas -
there is happiness to
be enjoyed - good to
be done - -"
102
"I am too ill - - too
broken - - I lack the
courage to venture
alone."
103
"We shall be with
thee - -"
104
"With this symbol I undo
the past and make it
as if it had never been!"
105
"Breathe it not to a
soul - the Governor is
an old nincompoop!"
106
"- and the Beadle is
a parrot in petticoats!"
107
"I'll punish Mistress
Hibbins for this! She
shall be ducked by
Giles!"
108
On the morrow - -
Election Day - -
the one day in the
Puritans' year when
gaiety was not an
offense.
109
"I am wrongly accused!
Never hath my tongue
been given to gossip!"
110
"Falsehood! Her tongue
hath wagged like the
tail of a dog! Duck her
again!"
111
"We sail tonight on the
flood tide - - the wind
is favorable."
112
"Purge yourselves of in-
tolerance! Judge not -
for only the eyes of God
may see into the heart
of a sinner!"
113
"An inspired sermon!
Never hath he spoken
so eloquently!"
114
"When are we going on
the ship, mother?"
115
"The ship that takes
thee and Hester away
takes me!"
116
"Yes, everything is ready.
Come on board at sunset."
117
"Dost think thou shalt
ever have happiness?
I shall always follow thee!"
118
"People of New England!
At last! - - At last!
I stand where I should
have stood five years
since - - with Hester
Prynne!"
119
"Believe him not! His
mind is unbalanced by
his illness. He accuses
himself falsely!"
120
"Hear me! Ye have
shuddered at Hester's
scarlet letter while my
brand of sin and infamy
lay hidden! Behold it!"
121
"I love thee so - -
I cannot face life
without thee - -"
122
"That is as God wills -
and God is merciful."
123
"Is not this a better
freedom than any we
have dreamed of?"
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