Алая буква
The New England Holiday
Allsuchprofessorsoftheseveralbranchesofjocularitywouldhavebeensternlyrepressed,notonlybytherigiddisciplineoflaw,butbythegeneralsentimentwhichgivelawitsvitality.Nottheless,however,thegreat,honestfaceofthepeoplesmiled—grimly,perhaps,butwidelytoo.Norweresportswanting,suchasthecolonistshadwitnessed,andsharedin,longago,atthecountryfairsandonthevillage-greensofEngland;andwhichitwasthoughtwelltokeepaliveonthisnewsoil,forthesakeofthecourageandmanlinessthatwereessentialinthem.Wrestlingmatches,inthedifferentfashionsofCornwallandDevonshire,wereseenhereandthereaboutthemarket-place;inonecorner,therewasafriendlyboutatquarterstaff;and—whatattractedmostinterestofall—ontheplatformofthepillory,alreadysonotedinourpages,twomastersofdefencewerecommencinganexhibitionwiththebucklerandbroadsword.But,muchtothedisappointmentofthecrowd,thislatterbusinesswasbrokenoffbytheinterpositionofthetownbeadle,whohadnoideaofpermittingthemajestyofthelawtobeviolatedbysuchanabuseofoneofitsconsecratedplaces.
Itmaynotbetoomuchtoaffirm,onthewhole,(thepeoplebeingtheninthefirststagesofjoylessdeportment,andtheoffspringofsireswhohadknownhowtobemerry,intheirday),thattheywouldcomparefavourably,inpointofholidaykeeping,withtheirdescendants,evenatsolonganintervalasourselves.
