Алая буква
The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter
Withinthechurch,ithadhardlybeenkeptdown;beneaththeskyitpealedupwardtothezenith.Therewerehumanbeingsenough,andenoughofhighlywroughtandsymphoniousfeelingtoproducethatmoreimpressivesoundthantheorgantonesoftheblast,orthethunder,ortheroarofthesea;eventhatmightyswellofmanyvoices,blendedintoonegreatvoicebytheuniversalimpulsewhichmakeslikewiseonevastheartoutofthemany.Never,fromthesoilofNewEnglandhadgoneupsuchashout!Never,onNewEnglandsoilhadstoodthemansohonouredbyhismortalbrethrenasthepreacher!
Howfareditwithhim,then?Weretherenotthebrilliantparticlesofahalointheairabouthishead?Soetherealisedbyspiritashewas,andsoapotheosisedbyworshippingadmirers,didhisfootsteps,intheprocession,reallytreaduponthedustofearth?
Astheranksofmilitarymenandcivilfathersmovedonward,alleyeswereturnedtowardsthepointwheretheministerwasseentoapproachamongthem.Theshoutdiedintoamurmur,asoneportionofthecrowdafteranotherobtainedaglimpseofhim.Howfeebleandpalehelooked,amidallhistriumph!Theenergy—orsay,rather,theinspirationwhichhadheldhimup,untilheshouldhavedeliveredthesacredmessagethathadbroughtitsownstrengthalongwithitfromheaven—waswithdrawn,nowthatithadsofaithfullyperformeditsoffice.Theglow,whichtheyhadjustbeforebeheldburningonhischeek,wasextinguished,likeaflamethatsinksdownhopelesslyamongthelatedecayingembers.
