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in truth she seemed absolutely hidden behind it |
pearl accordingly ran to the bow window at the further end of the hall and looked along the vista of a garden walk carpeted with closely shaven grass and bordered with some rude and immature attempt at shrubbery |
but the proprietor appeared already to have relinquished as hopeless the effort to perpetuate on this side of the atlantic in a hard soil and amid the close struggle for subsistence the native english taste for ornamental gardening |
there were a few rose bushes however and a number of apple trees probably the descendants of those planted by the reverend mister blackstone the first settler of the peninsula that half mythological personage who rides through our early annals seated on the back of a bull |
pearl seeing the rose bushes began to cry for a red rose and would not be pacified |
how strange it seemed to the sad woman as she watched the growth and the beauty that became every day more brilliant and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child |
god as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished had given her a lovely child whose place was on that same dishonoured bosom to connect her parent for ever with the race and descent of mortals and to be finally a blessed soul in heaven |
yet these thoughts affected hester prynne less with hope than apprehension |
the child had a native grace which does not invariably co exist with faultless beauty its attire however simple always impressed the beholder as if it were the very garb that precisely became it best |
this outward mutability indicated and did not more than fairly express the various properties of her inner life |
hester could only account for the child's character and even then most vaguely and imperfectly by recalling what she herself had been during that momentous period while pearl was imbibing her soul from the spiritual world and her bodily frame from its material of earth |
they were now illuminated by the morning radiance of a young child's disposition but later in the day of earthly existence might be prolific of the storm and whirlwind |
hester prynne nevertheless the loving mother of this one child ran little risk of erring on the side of undue severity |
mindful however of her own errors and misfortunes she early sought to impose a tender but strict control over the infant immortality that was committed to her charge |
as to any other kind of discipline whether addressed to her mind or heart little pearl might or might not be within its reach in accordance with the caprice that ruled the moment |
it was a look so intelligent yet inexplicable perverse sometimes so malicious but generally accompanied by a wild flow of spirits that hester could not help questioning at such moments whether pearl was a human child |
beholding it hester was constrained to rush towards the child to pursue the little elf in the flight which she invariably began to snatch her to her bosom with a close pressure and earnest kisses not so much from overflowing love as to assure herself that pearl was flesh and blood and not utterly delusive |
brooding over all these matters the mother felt like one who has evoked a spirit but by some irregularity in the process of conjuration has failed to win the master word that should control this new and incomprehensible intelligence |
pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world |
pearl saw and gazed intently but never sought to make acquaintance |
if spoken to she would not speak again |
to fade away like morning beauty from her mortal day down by the river of adona her soft voice is heard and thus her gentle lamentation falls like morning dew |
o life of this our spring |
why fades the lotus of the water |
why fade these children of the spring |
thel is like a watry bow and like a parting cloud like a reflection in a glass like shadows in the water like dreams of infants like a smile upon an infants face |
like the doves voice like transient day like music in the air ah |
and gentle sleep the sleep of death and gently hear the voice of him that walketh in the garden in the evening time |
the lilly of the valley breathing in the humble grass answerd the lovely maid and said i am a watry weed and i am very small and love to dwell in lowly vales so weak the gilded butterfly scarce perches on my head yet i am visited from heaven and he that smiles on all walks in the valley and each morn over me spreads hi... |
thou gentle maid of silent valleys and of modest brooks for thou shall be clothed in light and fed with morning manna till summers heat melts thee beside the fountains and the springs to flourish in eternal vales they why should thel complain |
why should the mistress of the vales of har utter a sigh |
she ceasd and smild in tears then sat down in her silver shrine |
which thou dost scatter on every little blade of grass that springs revives the milked cow and tames the fire breathing steed |
but thel is like a faint cloud kindled at the rising sun i vanish from my pearly throne and who shall find my place |
and why it scatters its bright beauty thro the humid air |
descend o little cloud and hover before the eyes of thel |
o little cloud the virgin said i charge thee to tell me why thou complainest now when in one hour thou fade away then we shall seek thee but not find ah thel is like to thee |
i pass away yet i complain and no one hears my voice |
the cloud then shewd his golden head and his bright form emerg'd |
and fearest thou because i vanish and am seen no more |
it is to tenfold life to love to peace and raptures holy unseen descending weigh my light wings upon balmy flowers and court the fair eyed dew to take me to her shining tent the weeping virgin trembling kneels before the risen sun |
till we arise link'd in a golden band and never part but walk united bearing food to all our tender flowers |
lives not alone nor or itself fear not and i will call the weak worm from its lowly bed and thou shalt hear its voice |
come forth worm and the silent valley to thy pensive queen |
the helpless worm arose and sat upon the lillys leaf and the bright cloud saild on to find his partner in the vale |
image of weakness art thou but a worm |
i see they lay helpless and naked weeping and none to answer none to cherish thee with mothers smiles |
and says thou mother of my children i have loved thee and i have given thee a crown that none can take away |
and lay me down in thy cold bed and leave my shining lot |
or an eye of gifts and graces showring fruits and coined gold |
why a tongue impress'd with honey from every wind |
why an ear a whirlpool fierce to draw creations in |
all is said without a word |
i sit beneath thy looks as children do in the noon sun with souls that tremble through their happy eyelids from an unaverred yet prodigal inward joy |
i did not wrong myself so but i placed a wrong on thee |
when called before i told how hastily i dropped my flowers or brake off from a game |
shall i never miss home talk and blessing and the common kiss that comes to each in turn nor count it strange when i look up to drop on a new range of walls and floors another home than this |
alas i have grieved so i am hard to love |
open thy heart wide and fold within the wet wings of thy dove |
could it mean to last a love set pendulous between sorrow and sorrow |
nay i rather thrilled distrusting every light that seemed to gild the onward path and feared to overlean a finger even |
and though i have grown serene and strong since then i think that god has willed a still renewable fear |
o love o troth |
and love be false |
if he to keep one oath must lose one joy by his life's star foretold |
slow to world greetings quick with its o list when the angels speak |
a ring of amethyst i could not wear here plainer to my sight than that first kiss |
that was the chrism of love which love's own crown with sanctifying sweetness did precede the third upon my lips was folded down in perfect purple state since when indeed i have been proud and said my love my own |
dearest teach me so to pour out gratitude as thou dost good |
mussulmans and giaours throw kerchiefs at a smile and have no ruth for any weeping |
but thou art not such a lover my beloved |
thou canst wait through sorrow and sickness to bring souls to touch and think it soon when others cry too late |
i thank all who have loved me in their hearts with thanks and love from mine |
oh to shoot my soul's full meaning into future years that they should lend it utterance and salute love that endures from life that disappears |
then i long tried by natural ills received the comfort fast while budding at thy sight my pilgrim's staff gave out green leaves with morning dews impearled |
i love thee freely as men strive for right i love thee purely as they turn from praise |
i love thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs and with my childhood's faith |
i love thee with a love i seemed to lose with my lost saints i love thee with the breath smiles tears of all my life and if god choose i shall but love thee better after death |
nature of the effect produced by early impressions |
that is comparatively nothing |
they are chiefly formed from combinations of the impressions made in childhood |
vast importance and influence of this mental furnishing |
without going to any such extreme as this we can easily see on reflection how vast an influence on the ideas and conceptions as well as on the principles of action in mature years must be exerted by the nature and character of the images which the period of infancy and childhood impresses upon the mind |
the pain produced by an act of hasty and angry violence to which a father subjects his son may soon pass away but the memory of it does not pass away with the pain |
to such persons these indirect modes of training children in habits of subordination to their will or rather of yielding to their influence are specially useful |
della had a young sister named maria and a cousin whose name was jane |
now delia contrived to obtain a great influence and ascendency over the minds of the children by means of these dolls |
to give an idea of these conversations i will report one of them in full |
you have come andella andella was the name of jane's doll to make rosalie a visit |
i am very glad |
i expect you have been a very good girl andella since you were here last |
then turning to jane she asked in a somewhat altered tone has she been a good girl jane |
for instance one day the children had been playing upon the piazza with blocks and other playthings and finally had gone into the house leaving all the things on the floor of the piazza instead of putting them away in their places as they ought to have done |
they were now playing with their dolls in the parlor |
delia came to the parlor and with an air of great mystery beckoned the children aside and said to them in a whisper leave andella and rosalie here and don't say a word to them |
so saying she led the way on tiptoe followed by the children out of the room and round by a circuitous route to the piazza there |
said she pointing to the playthings see |
put these playthings all away quick and carefully and we will not let them know any thing about your leaving them out |
and this method of treating the case was much more effectual in making them disposed to avoid committing a similar fault another time than any direct rebukes or expressions of displeasure addressed personally to them would have been |
the three modes of management |
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