YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN.docx

YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN.docx

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YOUNGGOODMANBROWN

YOUNGGOODMANBROWN

YoungGoodmanBrowncameforthatsunsetintothestreetatSalem

village;butputhisheadback,aftercrossingthethreshold,to

exchangeapartingkisswithhisyoungwife.AndFaith,asthe

wifewasaptlynamed,thrustherownprettyheadintothestreet,

lettingthewindplaywiththepinkribbonsofhercapwhileshe

calledtoGoodmanBrown.

"Dearestheart,"whisperedshe,softlyandrathersadly,whenher

lipswereclosetohisear,"pritheeputoffyourjourneyuntil

sunriseandsleepinyourownbedto-night.Alonewomanis

troubledwithsuchdreamsandsuchthoughtsthatshe'safeardof

herselfsometimes.Praytarrywithmethisnight,dearhusband,

ofallnightsintheyear."

"MyloveandmyFaith,"repliedyoungGoodmanBrown,"ofall

nightsintheyear,thisonenightmustItarryawayfromthee.

Myjourney,asthoucallestit,forthandbackagain,mustneeds

bedone'twixtnowandsunrise.What,mysweet,prettywife,dost

thoudoubtmealready,andwebutthreemonthsmarried?

"

"ThenGodblessyoue!

"saidFaith,withthepinkribbons;"and

may

youfindallwellwhnyoucomeback."

"Amen!

"criedGoodmanBrown."Saythyprayers,dearFaith,andgo

tobedatdusk,andnoharmwillcometothee."

Sotheyparted;andtheyoungmanpursuedhiswayuntil,being

abouttoturnthecornerbythemeeting-house,helookedbackand

sawtheheadofFaithstillpeepingafterhimwithamelancholy

air,inspiteofherpinkribbons.

"PoorlittleFaith!

"thoughthe,forhisheartsmotehim."Whata

wretchamItoleaveheronsuchanerrand!

Shetalksofdreams,

too.Methoughtasshespoketherewastroubleinherface,asif

adreamhadwarnedherwhatworkistobedonetonight.Butno,

no;'twouldkillhertothinkit.Well,she'sablessedangelon

earth;andafterthisonenightI'llclingtoherskirtsand

followhertoheaven."

Withthisexcellentresolveforthefuture,GoodmanBrownfelt

himselfjustifiedinmakingmorehasteonhispresentevil

purpose.Hehadtakenadrearyroad,darkenedbyallthe

gloomiesttreesoftheforest,whichbarelystoodasidetolet

thenarrowpathcreepthrough,andclosedimmediatelybehind.It

wasallaslonelyascouldbe;andthereisthispeculiarityin

suchasolitude,thatthetravellerknowsnotwhomaybe

concealedbytheinnumerabletrunksandthethickboughs

overhead;sothatwithlonelyfootstepshemayyetbepassing

throughanunseenmultitude.

"TheremaybeadevilishIndianbehindeverytree,"saidGoodman

Browntohimself;andheglancedfearfullybehindhimashe

added,"Whatifthedevilhimselfshouldbeatmyveryelbow!

"

Hisheadbeingturnedback,hepassedacrookoftheroad,and,

lookingforwardagain,beheldthefigureofaman,ingraveand

decentattire,seatedatthefootofanoldtree.Hearoseat

GoodmanBrown'sapproachandwalkedonwardsidebysidewithhim.

"Youarelate,GoodmanBrown,"saidhe."TheclockoftheOld

SouthwasstrikingasIcamethroughBoston,andthatisfull

fifteenminutesagone."

"Faithkeptmebackawhile,"repliedtheyoungman,witha

tremorinhisvoice,causedbythesuddenappearanceofhis

companion,thoughnotwhollyunexpected.

Itwasnowdeepduskintheforest,anddeepestinthatpartof

itwherethesetwowerejourneying.Asnearlyascouldbe

discerned,thesecondtravellerwasaboutfiftyyearsold,

apparentlyinthesamerankoflifeasGoodmanBrown,andbearing

aconsiderableresemblancetohim,thoughperhapsmorein

expressionthanfeatures.Stilltheymighthavebeentakenfor

fatherandson.Andyet,thoughtheelderpersonwasassimply

cladastheyounger,andassimpleinmannertoo,hehadan

indescribableairofonewhoknewtheworld,andwhowouldnot

havefeltabashedatthegovernor'sdinnertableorinKing

William'scourt,wereitpossiblethathisaffairsshouldcall

himthither.Buttheonlythingabouthimthatcouldbefixed

uponasremarkablewashisstaff,whichborethelikenessofa

greatblacksnake,socuriouslywroughtthatitmightalmostbe

seentotwistandwriggleitselflikealivingserpent.This,of

course,musthavebeenanoculardeception,assistedbythe

uncertainlight.

"Come,GoodmanBrown,"criedhisfellow-traveller,"thisisa

dullpaceforthebeginningofajourney.Takemystaff,ifyou

aresosoonweary."

"Friend,"saidtheother,exchanginghisslowpaceforafull

stop,"havingkeptcovenantbymeetingtheehere,itismy

purposenowtoreturnwhenceIcame.Ihavescruplestouchingthe

matterthouwot'stof."

"Sayestthouso?

"repliedheoftheserpent,smilingapart."Let

uswalkon,nevertheless,reasoningaswego;andifIconvince

theenotthoushaltturnback.Wearebutalittlewayinthe

forestyet."

"Toofar!

toofar!

"exclaimedthegoodman,unconsciouslyresuming

hiswalk."Myfatherneverwentintothewoodsonsuchanerrand,

norhisfatherbeforehim.Wehavebeenaraceofhonestmenand

goodChristianssincethedaysofthemartyrs;andshallIbethe

firstofthenameofBrownthatevertookthispathand

kept"

"Suchcompany,thouwouldstsay,"observedtheelderperson,

interpretinghispause."Wellsaid,GoodmanBrown!

Ihavebeenas

wellacquaintedwithyourfamilyaswitheveraoneamongthe

Puritans;andthat'snotrifletosay.Ihelpedyourgrandfather,

theconstable,whenhelashedtheQuakerwomansosmartlythrough

thestreetsofSalem;anditwasIthatbroughtyourfathera

pitch-pineknot,kindledatmyownhearth,tosetfiretoan

Indianvillage,inKingPhilip'swar.Theyweremygoodfriends,

both;andmanyapleasantwalkhavewehadalongthispath,and

returnedmerrilyaftermidnight.Iwouldfainbefriendswithyou

fortheirsake."

"Ifitbeasthousayest,"repliedGoodmanBrown,"Imarvelthey

neverspokeofthesematters;or,verily,Imarvelnot,seeing

thattheleastrumorofthesortwouldhavedriventhemfromNew

England.Weareapeopleofprayer,andgoodworkstoboot,and

abidenosuchwickedness."

"Wickednessornot,"saidthetravellerwiththetwistedstaff,

"IhaveaverygeneralacquaintancehereinNewEngland.The

deaconsofmanyachurchhavedrunkthecommunionwinewithme;

theselectmenofdiverstownsmakemetheirchairman;anda

majorityoftheGreatandGeneralCourtarefirmsupportersofmy

interest.ThegovernorandI,too--Butthesearestatesecrets."

"Canthisbeso?

"criedGoodmanBrown,withastareofamazement

athisundisturbedcompanion."Howbeit,Ihavenothingtodowith

thegovernorandcouncil;theyhavetheirownways,andareno

ruleforasimplehusbandmanlikeme.But,wereItogoonwith

thee,howshouldImeettheeyeofthatgoodoldman,our

minister,atSalemvillage?

Oh,hisvoicewouldmakemetremble

bothSabbathdayandlectureday."

Thusfartheeldertravellerhadlistenedwithduegravity;but

nowburstintoafitofirrepressiblemirth,shakinghimselfso

violentlythathissnake-likestaffactuallyseemedtowrigglein

sympathy.

"Ha!

ha!

ha!

"shoutedheagainandagain;thencomposinghimself,

"Well,goon,GoodmanBrown,goon;but,prithee,don'tkillme

withlaughing."

"Well,then,toendthematteratonce,"saidGoodmanBrown,

considerablynettled,"thereismywife,Faith.Itwouldbreak

herdearlittleheart;andI'dratherbreakmyown."

"Nay,ifthatbethecase,"answeredtheother,"e'engothy

ways,GoodmanBrown.Iwouldnotfortwentyoldwomenlikethe

onehobblingbeforeusthatFaithshouldcometoanyharm."

Ashespokehepointedhisstaffatafemalefigureonthepath,

inwhomGoodmanBrownrecognizedaverypiousandexemplarydame,

whohadtaughthimhiscatechisminyouth,andwasstillhis

moralandspiritualadviser,jointlywiththeministerandDeacon

Gookin.

"Amarvel,truly,thatGoodyCloyseshouldbesofarinthe

wildernessatnightfall,"saidhe."Butwithyourleave,friend,

Ishalltakeacutthroughthewoodsuntilwehaveleftthis

Christianwomanbehind.Beingastrangertoyou,shemightask

whomIwasconsortingwithandwhitherIwasgoing."

"Beitso,"saidhisfellow-traveller."Betakeyoutothewoods,

andletmekeepthepath."

Accordinglytheyoungmanturnedaside,buttookcaretowatch

hiscompanion,whoadvancedsoftlyalongtheroaduntilhehad

comewithinastaff'slengthoftheolddame.She,meanwhile,was

makingthebestofherway,withsingularspeedforsoageda

woman,andmumblingsomeindistinctwords--aprayer,

doubtless--asshewent.Thetravellerputforthhisstaffand

touchedherwitheredneckwithwhatseemedtheserpent'stail.

"Thedevil!

"screamedthepiousoldlady.

"ThenGoodyCloyseknowsheroldfriend?

"observedthetraveller,

confrontingherandleaningonhiswrithingstick.

"Ah,forsooth,andisityourworshipindeed?

"criedthegood

dame."Yea,trulyisit,andintheveryimageofmyoldgossip,

GoodmanBrown,thegrandfatherofthesillyfellowthatnowis.

But--wouldyourworshipbelieveit?

--mybroomstickhathstrangely

disappeared,stolen,asIsuspect,bythatunhangedwitch,Goody

Cory,andthat,too,whenIwasallanointedwiththejuiceof

smallage,andcinquefoil,andwolf'sbane"

"Mingledwithfinewheatandthefatofanew-bornbabe,"said

theshapeofoldGoodmanBrown.

"Ah,yourw