The Scarlet Letter Page #2

Come on! Come on!

May God be with you.

l'm sure he already is.

But aren't you coming to...

Good Sabbath to ye all.

Friends,

and fellow voyagers,

in the greatest of all dreams.

We've been singled out,

like lsrael of old,

to serve as a model.

But if we are to succeed

in building our new Jerusalem,

our ''City on a Hill'',

then the power of love,

yea, His Divine Love,

we must bind our hearts as one!

English and lndian,

gentry and indentured,

free man and slaves,

and make of us

an example for all the world,

to marvel at and proclaim:

''Here...

is the measure of perfection!

Here,

lives God's own!''

But we are not succeeding

in that test.

We are failing!

And why?

Because we covet,

nay,

we lust after

what is not ours.

Be it for the rich land

of our lndian brothers,

be it for glory,

for profits or for revenge.

Need l read the secret

of every heart?

l will if you want.

Yea, l will if you want.

l will lay open the secrets

before the eyes of God!

What thou lusteth after is my enemy,

sayeth the Lord God.

For only l shall consume thee,

only l shall fill thee up.

lf thou failest to heed

my commandments,

then my fist

shall descend on thee

like a stone!

And thy sword shall cut thee

into bloody parts,

and even thy memories

shall be sacrificed

to the winds

for all time!

May God bless you,

each and every one of you.

Amn.

Amn.

Allow me to present a newcomer

to our congregation,

Mistress Roger Prynne.

Mistress Roger?

Aye, her husband, a renowned

physician will join her before...

Reverednd Dimmesdale and l

have already...

l helped when her cart

got stuck in the woods.

l greatly enjoyed your sermon.

lt's rare for a man so young

to speak with such passion.

For some reason,

l felt most inspired today.

We welcome you and your husband

to our congregation.

Mother! Mother!

There you are, Hester.

Meet my friend, Running Moose.

He's our schoolmaster.

And l'm sure you'd like

some refreshment.

Do you teach the English children

as well Mr Running Moose?

They call me John or Johnny here.

We try our best, but the English

are a bit slow-witted.

Slow-witted?

Johnny's a bit of a jester,

but he was our first praying lndian.

My best friend in the colony.

Arthur,

-this is Mistress...

-We've already met.

Excuse me.

So like home.

Yet beyond those trees

l suspect a savagery,

of savage passions,

dark and untamed.

Reverend Dimmesdale,

have you met our young friend?

Yes, we've met.

Mistress Prynne and l

traveled out on the same ship.

l'm going to marry him one day.

No you're not, l'm going to

aren't l Mistress Prynne?

-Marry whom?

-Reverend Dimmesdale, of course!

''A Short Description of the

Great and Last Judgement''.

Well, ''Platform for

Church Discipline''.

They're all tracts!

''The Goodwife's Manual...''

for Animal Husbandry''

l believe we've already met.

Oh, yes, l...

l'm sorry, l didn't realize.

l should have

announced my presence.

What are you reading?

-''Comus'', it's by John

-John Milton.

l know it. l've read it.

Have you?

l'm not all counterpanes

and coverlets.

Every spare moment, l read.

l'm the same.

l've read every book in this room.

Some of them several times.

Even ''Manual for Animal Husbandry?''

A most exhiliarating read.

So, did you truly

enjoy my sermon?

Yes, it was most skilful.

Clearly your congregation

reverences you.

You liked it not. We don't

come up to London standards.

To the contrary.

l was moved by your passion.

And?

Well,

when your fist struck your hand,

and sliced through the air

like a sword,

l found myself wondering

what manner of pain lay

beneath such forceful oratory.

Your tongue knows no rules,

Mistress Prynne.

And if it did, Reverend,

what purpose would it serve?

And here l thought

comprehending God

was to be my greatest challenge.

Yes, Reverend?

This morning in the forest,

why did you not say

you were married?

Why did you not say

you were a minister?

Good day, Mistress Prynne.

Good morrow, Mistress Prynne.

Good morrow.

You care for a cup of cider?

We are your neighbours, it seems.

Did you like the sermon

this morning?

From where l sat it

seemed it did please thee.

l liked it very much.

l thought the

young minister very...

Handsome?

Harriet Hibbons.

Ruth?

How do you do?

Come and meet some of

the others who were not invited

to the Governer's shindig.

Sally Short, Mistress Prynne.

How do you do?

l was on the dock

when you arrived.

Mary Rollins.

Mary don't like to speak much.

She's only been free from

the savages this half year.

And Matona don't trust

the English, do you dear?

Mistress Prynne?

Thank you, no.

l never imbibe.

You've gathered some fine

Balm of Gilead,

Shepherd's Purse, yarrow.

You know your plants?

l do. l recite ''Culpepper''

by heart.

Really?

Then what would you use to

heal a bad burn?

l've seen sweet fern work miracles,

but Culpepper suggests blackberry

and red cedar.

Well, you hear that.

My husband has

a very large library

and l was able to school myself.

How do you like our new

Jerusalem?

Sober enough for you?

Aye,

sober enough.

What l miss is the dancing.

Dancing?

When first we came,

they'd be dancing round

the maypole.

Feast days we'd sing

bawdy songs.

People weren't afraid

to play the fool.

We'd teach

the bears to dance.

Now days, everybody getting more

and more sourfaced and ponderous.

And a whipping post stands

where the mayppole used to be.

But there's a few of us who

haven't forgotten to laugh.

lt's been a pleasure

meeting you all.

l'm sorry l must take my leave,

but l don't want to be stuck

in the wilds at night.

There are things that sound to me,

the wilds at night are

my natural territory.

Particulary when there's

a full moon.

Do you try to frighten me

with this witch talk?

Not so, Mistress Prynne.

But l can see

what others cannot.

Be a curse, to be sure,

but l know the hearts of men.

And what does my heart tell you?

You're a most comely woman.

Let a man tremble

who wins the hand of a maid,

but possesses not the

full passion of her heart.

My husband has nothing to fear.

Good day Mistress Hibbons.

Good day, Mistress Prynne.

Good day, Goody Gotwick.

l brought these for

Reverend Dimmesdale.

The Reverend be occupied

with his work, Missus.

Leave them books on the table

and l'll be sure he gets them.

Good morrow, Reverend.

Good morrow, Mistress Prynne.

Knowing you hunger for new reading,

l brought you some books.

How courteous of you.

Please.

l must apologize for my

forthrightness on Sabbath last.

l've earned a few reprimands

for speaking too bluntly.

l owe an apology, too.

l can't understand why

l took such offence

to such a simple comment.

But l have wondered

how you were able

to see so deeply

into my nature.

Perhaps l'm a witch.

l must be keeping you

from your chores.

Thank you for the books.

Good day.

l'm sorry. My hands

are covered in ink.

l've been

hovered over

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