Алая буква
Hester at Her Needle
Thedaysofthefar-offfuturewouldtoilonward,stillwiththesameburdenforhertotakeup,andbearalongwithher,butnevertoflingdown;fortheaccumulatingdaysandaddedyearswouldpileuptheirmiseryupontheheapofshame.Throughoutthemall,givingupherindividuality,shewouldbecomethegeneralsymbolatwhichthepreacherandmoralistmightpoint,andinwhichtheymightvivifyandembodytheirimagesofwoman’sfrailtyandsinfulpassion.Thustheyoungandpurewouldbetaughttolookather,withthescarletletterflamingonherbreast—ather,thechildofhonourableparents—ather,themotherofababethatwouldhereafterbeawoman—ather,whohadoncebeeninnocent—asthefigure,thebody,therealityofsin.Andoverhergrave,theinfamythatshemustcarrythitherwouldbeheronlymonument.
Itmayseemmarvellousthat,withtheworldbeforeher—keptbynorestrictiveclauseofhercondemnationwithinthelimitsofthePuritansettlement,soremoteandsoobscure—freetoreturntoherbirth-place,ortoanyotherEuropeanland,andtherehidehercharacterandidentityunderanewexterior,ascompletelyasifemergingintoanotherstateofbeing—andhavingalsothepassesofthedark,inscrutableforestopentoher,wherethewildnessofhernaturemightassimilateitselfwithapeoplewhosecustomsandlifewerealienfromthelawthathadcondemnedher—itmayseemmarvellousthatthiswomanshouldstillcallthatplaceherhome,where,andwhereonly,shemustneedsbethetypeofshame.
