r Dimmesdale
as John Cotton.

The glorified letter that stands out of the pages of that book had its
faithful and painful prototype in real life in all the colonies; humbler
in its fashioning, worn less nobly, endured more despairingly, it shone
a scarlet brand on the breast of those real Hesters.

[Illustration: The Scarlet Letter.]

It was characteristic of the times--every little Puritan community
sought to know by every fireside, to hate in every heart, any offence,
great or small, which could hinder the growth and prosperity of the new
abiding-place, which was to all a true home, and which they loved with a
fervor that would be incomprehensible did we not know their spiritual
exaltation in their new-found freedom to worship God. Since they were
human, they sinned. But the sinners were never spared, either in
publicity or punishment. Keen justice made the magistrates rigid and
exact in the exposition and publication of crime, hence the labelling of
an offender.

From the Colony Records of "New Plymouth," dated June, 1671, we find
that Pilgrim Hester Prynnes were thus enjoined by those stern moralists
the magistrates:

"To wear two Capitall Letters, A. D. cut in cloth and sewed on their
uppermost garment on the Arm and Back; and if any time they shall be
founde without the letters so worne while in this government, they shall
be forthwith taken and publickly whipt."

Many examples could be gathered from early court records of the wearing
of significant letters by criminals. In 1656 a woman was sentenced to be
"whipt at Taunton and Plymouth on market day." She was also to be fined
and forever in the future "to have a Roman B cutt out of ridd cloth &
sewed to her vper garment on her right arm in sight." This was for
blasphemous words. In 1638 John Davis of Boston was ordered to wear a
red V "on his vpermost garment"--which signified, I fancy, viciousness.
In 1636 William Bacon was sentenced to stand an hour in the pillory
wearing "in publique vew" a great D--for his habitual drunkenness. Other
drunkards suffered similar punishment. On September 3, 1633, in Boston:

"Robert Coles was fyned ten shillings and enjoyned to stand with a white
sheet of paper on his back whereon Drunkard shalbe written in great lres
& to stand therewith soe longe as the Court finde meete, for abuseing
himself shamefully with drinke."

The following year Robert Coles, still misbehaving, was again sentenced,
and more severely, for