Червона літера
The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter
Hissubject,itappeared,hadbeentherelationbetweentheDeityandthecommunitiesofmankind,withaspecialreferencetotheNewEnglandwhichtheywerehereplantinginthewilderness.And,ashedrewtowardstheclose,aspiritasofprophecyhadcomeuponhim,constraininghimtoitspurposeasmightilyastheoldprophetsofIsraelwereconstrained,onlywiththisdifference,that,whereastheJewishseershaddenouncedjudgmentsandruinontheircountry,itwashismissiontoforetellahighandgloriousdestinyforthenewlygatheredpeopleoftheLord.But,throughoutitall,andthroughthewholediscourse,therehadbeenacertaindeep,sadundertoneofpathos,whichcouldnotbeinterpretedotherwisethanasthenaturalregretofonesoontopassaway.Yes;theirministerwhomtheysoloved—andwhosolovedthemall,thathecouldnotdepartheavenwardwithoutasigh—hadtheforebodingofuntimelydeathuponhim,andwouldsoonleavethemintheirtears.Thisideaofhistransitorystayonearthgavethelastemphasistotheeffectwhichthepreacherhadproduced;itwasifanangel,inhispassagetotheskies,hadshakenhisbrightwingsoverthepeopleforaninstant—atonceashadowandasplendour—andhadsheddownashowerofgoldentruthsuponthem.
Thus,therehadcometotheReverendMr.Dimmesdale—astomostmen,intheirvariousspheres,thoughseldomrecogniseduntiltheyseeitfarbehindthem—anepochoflifemorebrilliantandfulloftriumphthananypreviousone,orthananywhichcouldhereafterbe.
