《美国文学教学课件》theministersblackveildocx.docx

《美国文学教学课件》theministersblackveildocx.docx

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《美国文学教学课件》theministersblackveildocx

TheMinistersBlackVeil

AParable

THESEXTONstoodintheporchofMilfordmeeting-house,pullingbusilyatthebell-rope.Theoldpeopleofthevillagecamestoopingalongthestreet.Children,withbrightfaces,trippedmerrilybesidetheirparents,ormimickedagravergait,intheconsciousdignityoftheirSundayclothes.Sprucebachelorslookedsidelongattheprettymaidens,andfanciedthattheSabbathsunshinemadethemprettierthanonweekdays.Whenthethronghadmostlystreamedintotheporch,thesextonbegantotollthebell,keepinghiseyeontheReverendMr.Hooper'sdoor.Thefirstglimpseoftheclergyman'sfigurewasthesignalforthebelltoceaseitssummons.

"ButwhathasgoodParsonHoopergotuponhisface?

Hcriedthesextoninastonishment.

Allwithinhearingimmediatelyturnedabout,andbeheldthesemblanceofMr.Hooper,pacingslowlyhismeditativewaytowardsthemeeting-house.Withoneaccordtheystarted,expressingmorewonderthanifsomestrangeministerwerecomingtodustthecushionsofMr.Hooperfspulpit.

nAreyousureitisourparson?

11inquiredGoodmanGrayofthesexton.

"OfacertaintyitisgoodMrHooper/1repliedthesexton.HHewastohaveexchangedpulpitswithParsonShute,ofWestbury;butParsonShutesenttoexcusehimselfyesterday,beingtopreachafuneralsermon.n

Thecauseofsomuchamazementmayappearsufficientlyslight.Mr.Hooper,agentlemanlyperson,ofaboutthirty,thoughstillabachelor,wasdressedwithdueclericalneatness,asifacarefulwifehadstarchedhisband,andbrushedtheweeklydustfromhisSunday'sgarb.Therewasbutonethingremarkableinhisappearance.Swathedabouthisforehead,andhangingdownoverhisface,solowastobeshakenbyhisbreath,Mr.Hooperhadonablackveil.Onanearerviewitseemedtoconsistoftwofoldsofcrape,whichentirelyconcealedhisfeatures,exceptthemouthandchin,butprobablydidnotintercepthissight,furtherthantogiveadarkenedaspecttoalllivingandinanimatethings.Withthisgloomyshadebeforehim,goodMr.Hooperwalkedonward,ataslowandquietpace,stoopingsomewhat,andlookingontheground,asiscustomarywithabstractedmen,yetnoddingkindlytothoseofhisparishionerswhostillwaitedonthemeeting-housesteps.Butsowonder-struckweretheythathisgreetinghardlymetwithareturn.

r,IcanftreallyfeelasifgoodMr.Hooper'sfacewasbehindthatpieceofcrape/saidthesexton.

nIdon'tlikeit/mutteredanoldwoman,asshehobbledintothemeeting-house."Hehaschangedhimselfintosomethingawful,onlybyhidinghisface."

"Ourparsonhasgonemad!

”criedGoodmanGray,followinghimacrossthethreshold.

ArumorofsomeunaccountablephenomenonhadprecededMr.Hooperintothemeeting-house,andsetallthecongregationastir.Fewcouldrefrainfromtwistingtheirheadstowardsthedoor;manystoodupright,andturneddirectlyabout;whileseverallittleboysclamberedupontheseats,andcamedownagainwithaterribleracket.Therewasageneralbustle,arustlingofthewomenfsgownsandshufflingofthemenfsfeet,greatlyatvariancewiththathushedreposewhichshouldattendtheentranceoftheminister.ButMr.Hooperappearednottonoticetheperturbationofhispeople.Heenteredwithanalmostnoiselessstep,benthisheadmildlytothepewsoneachside,andbowedashepassedhisoldestparishioner,awhite-hairedgreat-grandsire,whooccupiedanarm-chairinthecentreoftheaisle.Itwasstrangetoobservehowslowlythisvenerablemanbecameconsciousofsomethingsingularintheappearanceofhispastor.Heseemednotfullytopartakeoftheprevailingwonder,tillMr.Hooperhadascendedthestairs,andshowedhimselfinthepulpit,facetofacewithhiscongregation,exceptfortheblackveil.Thatmysteriousemblemwasneveroncewithdrawn.Itshookwithhismeasuredbreath,ashegaveoutthepsalm;itthrewitsobscuritybetweenhimandtheholypage,ashereadtheScriptures;andwhileheprayed,theveillayheavilyonhisupliftedcountenance.DidheseektohideitfromthedreadBeingwhomhewasaddressing?

Suchwastheeffectofthissimplepieceofcrape,thatmorethanonewomanofdelicatenerveswasforcedtoleavethemeeting-house.Yetperhapsthepale-facedcongregationwasalmostasfearfulasighttotheminister,ashisblackveiltothem.

Mr.Hooperhadthereputationofagoodpreacher,butnotanenergeticone:

hestrovetowinhispeopleheavenwardbymild,persuasiveinfluences,ratherthantodrivethemthitherbythethundersoftheWord.Thesermonwhichhenowdeliveredwasmarkedbythesamecharacteristicsofstyleandmannerasthegeneralseriesofhispulpitoratory.Buttherewassomething,eitherinthesentimentofthediscourseitself,orintheimaginationoftheauditors,whichmadeitgreatlythemostpowerfuleffortthattheyhadeverheardfromtheirpastor'slips.Itwastinged,rathermoredarklythanusual,withthegentlegloomofMr.Hooper'stemperament.Thesubjecthadreferencetosecretsin,andthosesadmysterieswhichwehidefromournearestanddearest,andwouldfainconcealfromourownconsciousness,evenforgettingthattheOmniscientcandetectthem.Asubtlepowerwasbreathedintohiswords.Eachmemberofthecongregation,themostinnocentgirl,andthemanofhardenedbreast,feltasifthepreacherhadcreptuponthem,behindhisawfulveil,anddiscoveredtheirhoardediniquityofdeedorthought.Manyspreadtheirclaspedhandsontheirbosoms.TherewasnothingterribleinwhatMr.Hoopersaid,atleast,noviolence;andyet,witheverytremorofhismelancholyvoice,thehearersquaked.Anunsoughtpathoscamehandinhandwithawe.Sosensibleweretheaudienceofsomeunwontedattributeintheirminister,thattheylongedforabreathofwindtoblowasidetheveil,almostbelievingthatastrangersvisagewouldbediscovered,thoughtheform,gesture,andvoicewerethoseofMr.Hooper.

Atthecloseoftheservices,thepeoplehurriedoutwithindecorousconfusion,eagertocommunicatetheirpent-upamazement,andconsciousoflighterspiritsthemomenttheylostsightoftheblackveiLSomegatheredinlittlecircles,huddledcloselytogether,withtheirmouthsallwhisperinginthecentre;somewenthomewardalone,wraptinsilentmeditation;sometalkedloudly,andprofanedtheSabbathdaywithostentatiouslaughter.Afewshooktheirsagaciousheads,intimatingthattheycouldpenetratethemystery;whileoneortwoaffirmedthattherewasnomysteryatall,butonlythatMr.Hoopefseyesweresoweakenedbythemidnightlamp,astorequireashade.Afterabriefinterval,forthcamegoodMr.Hooperalso,intherearofhisflock.Turninghisveiledfacefromonegrouptoanother,hepaidduereverencetothehoaryheads,salutedthemiddleagedwithkinddignityastheirfriendandspiritualguide,greetedtheyoungwithmingledauthorityandlove,andlaidhishandsonthelittlechildren'sheadstoblessthem.SuchwasalwayshiscustomontheSabbathday.Strangeandbewilderedlooksrepaidhimforhiscourtesy.None,asonformeroccasions,aspiredtothehonorofwalkingbytheirpastor'sside.OldSquireSaunders,doubtlessbyanaccidentallapseofmemory,neglectedtoinviteMr.Hoopertohistable,wherethegoodclergymanhadbeenwonttoblessthefood,almosteverySundaysincehissettlement.Hereturned,therefore,totheparsonage,and,atthemomentofclosingthedoor,wasobservedtolookbackuponthepeople,allofwhomhadtheireyesfixedupontheminister.Asadsmilegleamedfaintlyfrombeneaththeblackveil,andflickeredabouthismouth,glimmeringashedisappeared.

nHowstrange/1saidalady,Hthatasimpleblackveil,suchasanywomanmightwearonherbonnet,shouldbecomesuchaterriblethingonMr.Hooper'sface!

”

"SomethingmustsurelybeamisswithMr.Hooper'sintellects/observedherhusband,thephysicianofthevillage.HButthestrangestpartoftheaffairistheeffectofthisvagary,evenonasober-mindedmanlikemyself.Theblackveil,thoughitcoversonlyourpastorsface,throwsitsinfluenceoverhiswholeperson,andmakeshimghostlikefromheadtofoot.Doyounotfeelitso?

”

"TrulydoI/1repliedthelady;MandIwouldnotbealonewithhimfortheworld.Iwonderheisnotafraidtobealonewithhimself!

H

"Mensometimesareso,”saidherhusband.

Theafternoonservicewasattendedwithsimilarcircumstances.Atitsconclusion,thebelltolledforthefuneralofayounglady.Therelativesandfriendswereassembledinthehouse,andthemoredistantacquaintancesstoodaboutthedoor,speakingofthegoodqualitiesofthedeceased,whentheirtalkwasinterruptedbytheappearanceofMr.Hooper,stillcoveredwithhisblackveil.Itwasnowanappropriateemblem.Theclergymansteppedintotheroomwherethecorpsewaslaid,andbentoverthecoffin,totakealastfarewellofhisdeceasedparishioner.Ashestooped,theveilhungstraightdownfromhisforehead,sothat,ifhereyelidshadnotbeenclosedforever,thedeadmaidenmighthaveseenhisface.CouldMr.Hooperbefearfulofherglance,thathesohastilycaughtbacktheblackveil?

Apersonwhowatchedtheinterviewbetweenthedeadandliving,scruplednottoaffirm,that,attheinstantwhentheclergyman'sfeaturesweredisclosed,thecorpsehadslightlyshuddered,rustlingtheshroudandmuslincap,thoughthecountenanceretainedthecomposureofdeath.Asuperstitiousoldwomanwastheonlywitnessofthisprodigy.FromthecoffinMr.Hooperpassedintothechamberofthemourners,andthencetotheheadofthestaircase,tomakethefuneralprayer.Itwasatenderandheart-dissolvingprayer,fullofsorrow,yetsoimbuedwithcelestialhopes,thatth