The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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of_his mysterious emblem--for there_was no other apparent cause--he became aman of awful power over souls that were in agony for sin .His converts always regarded him with adread peculiar to themselves, affirming, though but figuratively, that, before he brought them to celestial light, they had_been with_him behind the black veil .Its gloom, indeed, enabled him to sympathize with all dark affections .Dying sinners cried aloud for_Mr Hooper, and would_not yield their breath till he appeared; though ever, as he stooped to whisper consolation, they shuddered at_the veiled face so near their own .Such were the terrors of_the black veil, even when Death had bared his visage ! Strangers came long distances to attend service at his church, with_the mere idle purpose of gazing at his figure, because it_was forbidden them to behold his face .But many were made to quake ere they departed ! Once, during Governor Belcher's administration, Mr Hooper was appointed to preach the election sermon .Covered with_his black veil, he stood before_the chief magistrate, the council, and_the representatives, and wrought so deep an impression, that_the legislative measures of_that year were characterized by all the gloom and piety of_our earliest ancestral sway .

in_this manner Mr Hooper spent along life, irreproachable in outward act, yet shrouded in dismal suspicions; kind and loving, though unloved, and dimly feared; aman apart from men, shunned in their health and joy, but ever summoned to_their aid in mortal anguish .As years wore on, shedding their snows above his sable veil, he acquired aname throughout_the New England churches, and_they called him Father Hooper .Nearly all his parishioners, who were of mature age when he_was settled, had_been borne away by many afuneral: he had one congregation in_the church, and amore crowded one in_the churchyard; and having wrought so late into_the evening, and done his work so_well, it_was now good Father Hooper's turn to rest .

Several persons were visible by_the shaded candlelight, in_the death chamber of_the old clergyman .Natural connections he had none .But there_was the decorously grave, though unmoved physician, seeking only to mitigate the last pangs of_the patient whom he_could_not save .There were the deacons, and other eminently pious members of_his church .There, also, was_the Reverend Mr Clark, of Westbury, ayoung and zealous divine, who had ridden in haste to pray by_the bedside of_the expiring minister . there_was the nurse, no hired handmaiden of death, but one whose calm affection had endured thus long in secrecy, in solitude, amid the chill of age, and would_not perish, even at_the dying hour .Who, but Elizabeth ! And there lay the hoary head of good Father Hooper upon_the death pillow, with_the black veil still swathed about his brow, and reaching down over his face, so_that each more difficult gasp of_his faint breath caused it to stir .All through life that piece of crape had hung between him and_the world: it had separated him from cheerful brotherhood and woman's love, and kept him in_that saddest of all prisons, his own heart; and still it lay upon his face, as_if to deepen the gloom of_his darksome chamber, and shade him from_the sunshine of eternity .

For some_time previous, his mind had_been confused, wavering doubtfully between_the past and_the present, and hovering forward, as it were, at intervals, into_the indistinctness of_the world to_come .There had_been feverish turns, which tossed him from side to side, and wore away what little strength he had .But in_his most convulsive struggles, and in_the wildest vagaries of_his intellect, when no other thought retained its sober influence, he still showed an awful solicitude lest the black veil should slip aside .Even if his bewildered soul could_have forgotten, there_was afaithful woman at_this pillow, who, with averted eyes, would_have covered that aged face, which she had last beheld in_the comeliness of manhood . at_length the death-stricken old man lay quietly in_the torpor of mental and bodily exhaustion, with an imperceptible pulse, and breath that grew fainter and fainter, except when along, deep, and irregular inspiration seemed to prelude the flight of_his spirit .

The minister of Westbury approached the bedside .

"Venerable Father Hooper," said he, "the moment of your release is at hand . are_you ready for_the lifting of_the veil that shuts in_time from eternity ? "

Father Hooper at first replied merely by afeeble motion of_his head; then, apprehensive, perhaps, that his meaning might_be doubted, he exerted himself to_speak .

"Yea," said he, in faint accents, "my soul hath apatient weariness until that veil be lifted ."

" and_is it fitting," resumed the Reverend Mr Clark, "that aman so given to prayer, of_such ablameless example, holy in deed and thought, so_far as mortal judgment may pronounce; is_it fitting that afather in_the church should leave ashadow on_his memory, that_may seem to blacken alife so pure ? I pray you, my venerable brother, let not this thing be ! Suffer us to_be gladdened by your triumphant aspect as_you go to your reward . before_the veil of eternity be lifted, let me cast aside this black veil from your face ! "

And thus speaking, the Reverend Mr Clark bent forward to reveal the mystery of so_many years .But, exerting asudden energy, that made all the beholders stand aghast, Father Hooper snatched both his hands from beneath the bedclothes, and pressed them strongly on_the black veil, resolute to struggle, if_the minister of Westbury would contend with adying man .

"Never ! " cried the veiled clergyman ."On earth, never ! "

"Dark old man ! " exclaimed the affrighted minister, "with what horrible crime upon your soul are_you now passing to_the judgment ? "

Father Hooper's breath heaved; it rattled in_his throat; but, with amighty effort, grasping forward with_his hands, he caught hold of life, and held it back till he_should speak .He even raised himself in bed; and there he sat, shivering with_the arms of death around him, while the black veil hung down, awful, at_that last moment, in_the gathered terrors of alifetime .And yet the faint, sad smile, so often there, now seemed to glimmer from its obscurity, and linger on Father Hooper's lips .

"Why do_you tremble at me alone ? " cried he, turning his veiled face round the circle of pale spectators ."Tremble also at each_other ! Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for_my black veil ? What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has_made this piece of crape so awful ? when_the friend shows his inmost heart to_his friend; the lover to_his best beloved; when man does_not vainly shrink from_the eye of_his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of_his sin; then deem me amonster, for_the symbol beneath which I_have lived, and die ! I look around me, and, lo ! on every visage aBlack Veil ! "

While his auditors shrank from one another, in mutual affright, Father Hooper fell back upon his pillow, aveiled corpse, with afaint smile lingering on_the lips .Still veiled, they laid him in_his coffin, and aveiled corpse they bore him to_the grave .The grass of many years has sprung up and withered on_that grave, the burial stone is moss-grown, and good Mr Hooper's face is dust; but awful is still the thought that_it mouldered beneath the Black Veil !

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