young goodman brown-第4节

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the　secret　guilt　of　others；　both　in　deed　and　thought；　than　they

could　now　be　of　their　own。　The　husband　cast　one　look　at　his　pale

wife；　and　Faith　at　him。　What　polluted　wretches　would　the　next

glance　show　them　to　each　other；　shuddering　alike　at　what　they

disclosed　and　what　they　saw！



〃Faith！　Faith！〃　cried　the　husband；　〃look　up　to　heaven；　and　resist

the　wicked　one。〃



Whether　Faith　obeyed　he　knew　not。　Hardly　had　he　spoken　when　he

found　himself　amid　calm　night　and　solitude；　listening　to　a　roar

of　the　wind　which　died　heavily　away　through　the　forest。　He

staggered　against　the　rock；　and　felt　it　chill　and　damp；　while　a

hanging　twig；　that　had　been　all　on　fire；　besprinkled　his　cheek

with　the　coldest　dew。



The　next　morning　young　Goodman　Brown　came　slowly　into　the　street

of　Salem　village；　staring　around　him　like　a　bewildered　man。　The

good　old　minister　was　taking　a　walk　along　the　graveyard　to　get　an

appetite　for　breakfast　and　meditate　his　sermon；　and　bestowed　a

blessing；　as　he　passed；　on　Goodman　Brown。　He　shrank　from　the

venerable　saint　as　if　to　avoid　an　anathema。　Old　Deacon　Gookin　was

at　domestic　worship；　and　the　holy　words　of　his　prayer　were　heard

through　the　open　window。　〃What　God　doth　the　wizard　pray　to？〃

quoth　Goodman　Brown。　Goody　Cloyse；　that　excellent　old　Christian；

stood　in　the　early　sunshine　at　her　own　lattice；　catechizing　a

little　girl　who　had　brought　her　a　pint　of　morning's　milk。　Goodman

Brown　snatched　away　the　child　as　from　the　grasp　of　the　fiend

himself。　Turning　the　corner　by　the　meeting…house；　he　spied　the

head　of　Faith；　with　the　pink　ribbons；　gazing　anxiously　forth；　and

bursting　into　such　joy　at　sight　of　him　that　she　skipped　along　the

street　and　almost　kissed　her　husband　before　the　whole　village。

But　Goodman　Brown　looked　sternly　and　sadly　into　her　face；　and

passed　on　without　a　greeting。



Had　Goodman　Brown　fallen　asleep　in　the　forest　and　only　dreamed　a

wild　dream　of　a　witch…meeting？



Be　it　so　if　you　will；　but；　alas！　it　was　a　dream　of　evil　omen　for

young　Goodman　Brown。　A　stern；　a　sad；　a　darkly　meditative；　a

distrustful；　if　not　a　desperate　man　did　he　become　from　the　night

of　that　fearful　dream。　On　the　Sabbath　day；　when　the　congregation

were　singing　a　holy　psalm；　he　could　not　listen　because　an　anthem

of　sin　rushed　loudly　upon　his　ear　and　drowned　all　the　blessed

strain。　When　the　minister　spoke　from　the　pulpit　with　power　and

fervid　eloquence；　and；　with　his　hand　on　the　open　Bible；　of　the

sacred　truths　of　our　religion；　and　of　saint…like　lives　and

triumphant　deaths；　and　of　future　bliss　or　misery　unutterable；

then　did　Goodman　Brown　turn　pale；　dreading　lest　the　roof　should

thunder　down　upon　the　gray　blasphemer　and　his　hearers。　Often；

waking　suddenly　at　midnight；　he　shrank　from　the　bosom　of　Faith；

and　at　morning　or　eventide；　when　the　family　knelt　down　at　prayer；

he　scowled　and　muttered　to　himself；　and　gazed　sternly　at　his

wife；　and　turned　away。　And　when　he　had　lived　long；　and　was　borne

to　his　grave　a　hoary　corpse；　followed　by　Faith；　an　aged　woman；

and　children　and　grandchildren；　a　goodly　procession；　besides

neighbors　not　a　few；　they　carved　no　hopeful　verse　upon　his

tombstone；　for　his　dying　hour　was　gloom。