"Beloved of my youth," said he, "I have been wild. The despair ofmy whole lifetime had returned at once, and maddened me. Forgive;and be forgiven. Yes; it is evening with us now; and we haverealized none of our morning dreams of happiness. But let us joinour hands before the altar, as lovers whom adverse circumstanceshave separated through life, yet who meet again as they are leavingit, and find their earthly affection changed into something holy asreligion. And what is Time, to the married of Eternity?"Amid the tears of many, and a swell of exalted sentiment, inthose who felt aright, was solemnized the union of two immortal souls.
The train of withered mourners, the hoary bridegroom in his shroud,the pale features of the aged bride, and the death-bell tollingthrough the whole, till its deep voice overpowered the marriage words,all marked the funeral of earthly hopes. But as the ceremonyproceeded, the organ, as if stirred by the sympathies of thisimpressive scene, poured forth an anthem, first mingling with thedismal knell, then rising to a loftier strain, till the soul lookeddown upon its wo. And when the awful rite was finished, and withcold hand in cold hand, the Married of Eternity withdrew, theorgan's peal of solemn triumph drowned the Wedding Knell.
THE END
.
1835
TWICE-TOLD TALES
YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN came forth at sunset, into the street ofSalem village, but put his head back, after crossing the threshold, toexchange a parting kiss with his young wife. And Faith, as the wifewas aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, lettingthe wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap, while she called toGoodman Brown.
"Dearest heart," whispered she, softly and rather sadly, when herlips were close to his ear, "pr'ythee, put off your journey untilsunrise, and sleep in your own bed tonight. A lone woman is troubledwith such dreams and such thoughts, that she's afeard of herself,sometimes. Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nightsin the year!""My love and my Faith," replied young Goodman Brown, "of all nightsin the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee. My journey,as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done 'twixtnow and sunrise. What, my sweet, pretty wife, dost thou doubt mealready, and we but three months married!""Then God bless you!" said Faith, with the pink ribbons, "and mayyou find all well, when you come back.""Amen!" cried Goodman Brown. "Say thy prayers, dear Faith, and goto bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee."So they parted; and the young man pursued his way, until, beingabout to turn the corner by the meeting-house, he looked back andsaw the head of Faith still peeping after him, with a melancholyair, in spite of her pink ribbons.
"Poor little Faith!" thought he, for his heart smote him. "What awretch am I, to leave her on such an errand! She talks of dreams, too.
Methought, as she spoke, there was trouble in her face, as if adream had warned her what work is to be done tonight. But, no, no!
'twould kill her to think it. Well; she's a blessed angel on earth;and after this one night, I'll cling to her skirts and follow her toHeaven."With this excellent resolve for the future, Goodman Brown felthimself justified in making more haste on his present evil purpose. Hehad taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of theforest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through,and closed immediately behind. It was all as lonely as could be; andthere is this peculiarity in such a solitude, that the traveller knowsnot who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thickboughs overhead; so that, with lonely footsteps, he may yet be passingthrough an unseen multitude.
"There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree," said GoodmanBrown to himself; and he glanced fearfully behind him, as he added,"What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!"His head being turned back, he passed a crook of the road, andlooking forward again, beheld the figure of a man, in grave and decentattire, seated at the foot of an old tree. He arose, at GoodmanBrown's approach, and walked onward, side by side with him.
"You are late, Goodman Brown," said he. "The clock of the OldSouth was striking, as I came through Boston; and that is full fifteenminutes agone.""Faith kept me back awhile," replied the young man, with a tremorin his voice, caused by the sudden appearance of his companion, thoughnot wholly unexpected.
It was now deep dusk in the forest, and deepest in that part ofit where these two were journeying. As nearly as could be discerned,the second traveller was about fifty years old, apparently in the samerank of life as Goodman Brown, and bearing a considerableresemblance to him, though perhaps more in expression than features.
Still, they might have been taken for father and son. And yet,though the elder person was as simply clad as the younger, and assimple in manner too, he had an indescribable air of one who knewthe world, and would not have felt abashed at the governor'sdinner-table, or in King William's court, were it possible that hisaffairs should call him thither. But the only thing about him, thatcould be fixed upon as remarkable, was his staff, which bore thelikeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought, that it mightalmost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent.
This, of course, must have been an ocular deception, assisted by theuncertain light.
"Come, Goodman Brown!" cried his fellow-traveller, "this is adull pace for the beginning of a journey. Take my staff, if you are sosoon weary.
