“Beitdeath。”saidEdith，“andlayitallonme！”
Truly，asEndicotthadsaid，thepoorloversstoodinawofulcase。
Theirfoesweretriumphant，theirfriendscaptiveandabased，their
homedesolate，thebenightedwildernessaroundthem，andarigorous
destiny，intheshapeofthePuritanleader，theironlyguide。Yetthe
deepeningtwilightcouldnotaltogetherconcealthattheironman
wassoftened；hesmiledatthefairspectacleofearlylove；healmost
sighedfortheinevitableblightofearlyhopes。
“Thetroublesoflifehavecomehastilyonthisyoungcouple。”
observedEndicott。“Wewillseehowtheycomportthemselvesunder
theirpresenttrialsereweburdenthemwithgreater。If，amongthe
spoil，therebeanygarmentsofamoredecentfashion，letthembeput
uponthisMayLordandhisLady，insteadoftheirglisteningvanities。
Looktoit，someofyou。”
“Andshallnottheyouth’shairbecut？”askedPeterPalfrey，
lookingwithabhorrenceatthelove-lockandlongglossycurlsof
theyoungman。
“Cropitforthwith，andthatinthetruepumpkin-shellfashion。”
answeredthecaptain。“Thenbringthemalongwithus，butmore
gentlythantheirfellows。Therebequalitiesintheyouth，which
maymakehimvalianttofight，andsobertotoil，andpioustopray；
andinthemaiden，thatmayfithertobecomeamotherinour
Israel，bringingupbabesinbetternurturethanherownhathbeen。
Northinkye，youngones，thattheyarethehappiest，eveninour
lifetimeofamoment，whomis-spenditindancingroundaMaypole！”
AndEndicott，theseverestPuritanofallwholaidtherock
foundationofNewEngland，liftedthewreathofrosesfromtheruinof
theMaypole，andthrewit，withhisowngauntletedhand，overthe
headsoftheLordandLadyoftheMay。Itwasadeedofprophecy。As
themoralgloomoftheworldoverpowersallsystematicgayety，evenso
wastheirhomeofwildmirthmadedesolateamidthesadforest。They
returnedtoitnomore。Butastheirflowerygarlandwaswreathedof
thebrightestrosesthathadgrownthere，so，inthetiethatunited
them，wereintertwinedallthepurestandbestoftheirearlyjoys。
Theywentheavenward，supportingeachotheralongthedifficultpath
whichitwastheirlottotread，andneverwastedoneregretful
thoughtonthevanitiesofMerryMount。
NOTE。Thereisanadmirablefoundationforaphilosophicromancein
thecurioushistoryoftheearlysettlementofMountWollaston，or
MerryMount。Intheslightsketchhereattempted，thefacts，
recordedonthegravepagesofourNewEnglandannalists，havewrought
themselves，almostspontaneously，intoasortofallegory。The
masques，mummeries，andfestivecustoms，describedinthetext，arein
accordancewiththemannersoftheage。Authorityonthesepoints
maybefoundinStrutt’sBookofEnglishSportsandPastimes。
byNathanielHawthorne
THESEXTONstoodintheporchofMilfordmeeting-house，pulling
busilyatthebell-rope。Theoldpeopleofthevillagecamestooping
alongthestreet。Children，withbrightfaces，trippedmerrily
besidetheirparents，ormimickedagravergait，intheconscious
dignityoftheirSundayclothes。Sprucebachelorslookedsidelongat
theprettymaidens，andfanciedthattheSabbathsunshinemadethem
prettierthanonweekdays。Whenthethronghadmostlystreamedinto
theporch，thesextonbegantotollthebell，keepinghiseyeonthe
ReverendMr。Hooper’sdoor。Thefirstglimpseoftheclergyman’s
figurewasthesignalforthebelltoceaseitssummons。
“ButwhathasgoodParsonHoopergotuponhisface？”criedthe
sextoninastonishment。
Allwithinhearingimmediatelyturnedabout，andbeheldthe
semblanceofMr。Hooper，pacingslowlyhismeditativewaytowards
themeeting-house。Withoneaccordtheystarted，expressingmore
wonderthanifsomestrangeministerwerecomingtodustthe
cushionsofMr。Hooper’spulpit。
“Areyousureitisourparson？”inquiredGoodmanGrayofthe
sexton。
“OfacertaintyitisgoodMr。Hooper。”repliedthesexton。“Hewas
tohaveexchangedpulpitswithParsonShute，ofWestbury；butParson
Shutesenttoexcusehimselfyesterday，beingtopreachafuneral
sermon。”
Thecauseofsomuchamazementmayappearsufficientlyslight。
Mr。Hooper，agentlemanlyperson，ofaboutthirty，thoughstilla
bachelor，wasdressedwithdueclericalneatness，asifacarefulwife
hadstarchedhisband，andbrushedtheweeklydustfromhisSunday’s
garb。Therewasbutonethingremarkableinhisappearance。Swathed
abouthisforehead，andhangingdownoverhisface，solowastobe
shakenbyhisbreath，Mr。Hooperhadonablackveil。Onanearerview
itseemedtoconsistoftwofoldsofcrape，whichentirelyconcealed
hisfeatures，exceptthemouthandchin，butprobablydidnot
intercepthissight，furtherthantogiveadarkenedaspecttoall
livingandinanimatethings。Withthisgloomyshadebeforehim，good
Mr。Hooperwalkedonward，ataslowandquietpace，stoopingsomewhat，
andlookingontheground，asiscustomarywithabstractedmen，yet
noddingkindlytothoseofhisparishionerswhostillwaitedonthe
meeting-housesteps。Butsowonder-struckweretheythathis
greetinghardlymetwithareturn。
“Ican’treallyfeelasifgoodMr。Hooper’sfacewasbehindthat
pieceofcrape。”saidthesexton。
“Idon’tlikeit。”mutteredanoldwoman，asshehobbledintothe
meeting-house。“Hehaschangedhimselfintosomethingawful，onlyby
hidinghisface。”
“Ourparsonhasgonemad！”criedGoodmanGray，followinghimacross
thethreshold。
ArumorofsomeunaccountablephenomenonhadprecededMr。Hooper
intothemeeting-house，andsetallthecongregationastir。Few
couldrefrainfromtwistingtheirheadstowardsthedoor；manystood
upright，andturneddirectlyabout；whileseverallittleboys
clamberedupontheseats，andcamedownagainwithaterrible
racket。Therewasageneralbustle，arustlingofthewomen’sgowns
andshufflingofthemen’sfeet，greatlyatvariancewiththat
hushedreposewhichshouldattendtheentranceoftheminister。But
Mr。Hooperappearednottonoticetheperturbationofhispeople。He
enteredwithanalmostnoiselessstep，benthisheadmildlytothe
pewsoneachside，andbowedashepassedhisoldestparishioner，a
white-hairedgreat-grandsire，whooccupiedanarm-chairinthe
centreoftheaisle。Itwasstrangetoobservehowslowlythis
venerablemanbecameconsciousofsomethingsingularintheappearance
ofhispastor。Heseemednotfullytopartakeoftheprevailing
wonder，tillMr。Hooperhadascendedthestairs，andshowedhimselfin
thepulpit，facetofacewithhiscongregation，exceptfortheblack
veil。Thatmysteriousemblemwasneveroncewithdrawn。Itshookwith
hismeasuredbreath，ashegaveoutthepsalm；itthrewits
obscuritybetweenhimandtheholypage，ashereadtheScriptures；
andwhileheprayed，theveillayheavilyonhisupliftedcountenance。
DidheseektohideitfromthedreadBeingwhomhewasaddressing？
Suchwastheeffectofthissimplepieceofcrape，thatmorethan
onewomanofdelicatenerveswasforcedtoleavethemeeting-house。
Yetperhapsthepale-facedcongregationwasalmostasfearfula
sighttotheminister，ashisblackveiltothem。
Mr。Hooperhadthereputationofagoodpreacher，butnotan
energeticone：hestrovetowinhispeopleheavenwardbymild，
persuasiveinfluences，ratherthantodrivethemthitherbythe
thundersoftheWord。Thesermonwhichhenowdeliveredwasmarked
bythesamecharacteristicsofstyleandmannerasthegeneral
seriesofhispulpitoratory。Buttherewassomething，eitherinthe
sentimentofthediscourseitself，orintheimaginationofthe
auditors，whichmadeitgreatlythemostpowerfuleffortthattheyhad
everheardfromtheirpastor’slips。Itwastinged，rathermoredarkly
thanusual，withthegentlegloomofMr。Hooper’stemperament。The
subjecthadreferencetosecretsin，andthosesadmysterieswhich
wehidefromournearestanddearest，andwouldfainconcealfrom
ourownconsciousness，evenforgettingthattheOmniscientcan
detectthem。Asubtlepowerwasbreathedintohiswords。Eachmember
ofthecongregation，themostinnocentgirl，andthemanofhardened
breast，feltasifthepreacherhadcreptuponthem，behindhis
awfulveil，anddiscoveredtheirhoardediniquityofdeedor
thought。Manyspreadtheirclaspedhandsontheirbosoms。Therewas
nothingterribleinwhatMr。Hoopersaid，atleast，noviolence；and
yet，witheverytremorofhismelancholyvoice，thehearersquaked。An
unsoughtpathoscamehandinhandwithawe。Sosensiblewerethe
audienceofsomeunwontedattributeintheirminister，thatthey
longedforabreathofwindtoblowasidetheveil，almostbelieving
thatastranger’svisagewouldbediscovered，thoughtheform，
gesture，andvoicewerethoseofMr。Hooper。
Atthecloseoftheservices，thepeoplehurriedoutwith
indecorousconfusion，eagertocommunicatetheirpent-upamazement，
andconsciousoflighterspiritsthemomenttheylostsightofthe
blackveil。Somegatheredinlittlecircles，huddledcloselytogether，
withtheirmouthsallwhisperinginthecentre；somewenthomeward
alone，wraptinsilentmeditation；sometalkedloudly，andprofaned
theSabbathdaywithostentatiouslaughter。Afewshooktheir
sagaciousheads，intimatingthattheycouldpenetratethemystery；
whileoneortwoaffirmedthattherewasnomysteryatall，butonly
thatMr。Hooper’seyesweresoweakenedbythemidnightlamp，asto
requireashade。Afterabriefinterval，forthcamegoodMr。Hooper
also，intherearofhisflock。Turninghisveiledfacefromonegroup
toanother，hepaidduereverencetothehoaryheads，salutedthe
middleagedwithkinddignityastheirfriendandspiritualguide，
greetedtheyoungwithmingledauthorityandlove，andlaidhis
handsonthelittlechildren’sheadstoblessthem。Suchwasalways
hiscustomontheSabbathday。Strangeandbewilderedlooksrepaidhim
forhiscourtesy。None，asonformeroccasions，aspiredtothehonor
ofwalkingbytheirpastor’sside。OldSquireSaunders，doubtlessby
anaccidentallapseofmemory，neglectedtoinviteMr。Hoopertohis
table，wherethegoodclergymanhadbeenwonttoblessthefood，
almosteverySundaysincehissettlement。Hereturned，therefore，to
theparsonage，and，atthemomentofclosingthedoor，wasobservedto
lookbackuponthepeople，allofwhomhadtheireyesfixeduponthe
minister。Asadsmilegleamedfaintlyfrombeneaththeblackveil，and
flickeredabouthismouth，glimmeringashedisappeared。
“Howstrange。”saidalady，“thatasimpleblackveil，suchas
anywomanmightwearonherbonnet，shouldbecomesuchaterrible
thingonMr。Hooper’sface！”
“SomethingmustsurelybeamisswithMr。Hooper’sintellects。”
observedherhusband，thephysicianofthevillage。“Butthestrangest
partoftheaffairistheeffectofthisvagary，evenona
sober-mindedmanlikemyself。Theblackveil，thoughitcoversonly
ourpastor’sface，throwsitsinfluenceoverhiswholeperson，and
makeshimghostlikefromheadtofoot。Doyounotfeelitso？”
“TrulydoI。”repliedthelady；“andIwouldnotbealonewith
himfortheworld。Iwonderheisnotafraidtobealonewith
himself！”