covers only our pastor's face,throws its influence over his whole person,and makes him ghostlike from head to foot.Do you not feel it so?" 15 "Truly do I,"replied the lady;"and I would not be alone with him for the world.I wonder he is not afraid to be alone with himself!" 16 "Men sometimes are so,"said her husband. 17 The afternoon service was attended with similar circumstances.At its conclusion, the bell tolled for the funeral of a young lady.The relatives and friends were assembled in the house,and the more distant acquaintances stood about the door, speaking of the good qualities of the deceased,when their talk was interrupted by the appearance of Mr.Hooper,still covered with his black veil.It was now an appropriate emblem.The clergyman stepped into the room where the corpse was laid,and bent over the coffin,to take a last farewell of his deceased parishioner.As he stooped,the veil hung straight down from his forehead,so that,if her eyelids had not been dosed forever,the dead maiden might have seen his face.Could Mr.Hooper be fearful of her glance,that he so hastily caught back the black veil?A person who watched the interview between the dead and the living scrupled not to affirm,that,at the instant when the clergyman's features were disclosed,the corpse had slightly shuddered, rustling the shroud and muslin cap,though the countenance retained the composure of death.A superstitious old woman was the only witness of this prodigy.From the coffin Mr.Hooper passed into the chamber of the mourners,and thence to the head of the staircase,to make the funeral prayer.It was a tender and heart-dissolving prayer, full of sorrow,yet so imbued with celestial hopes,that the music of a heavenly harp, swept by the fingers of the dead,seemed faintly to be heard among the saddest accents of the minister.The people trembled,though they but darkly understood him when he prayed that they,and himself,and all of mortal race,might be ready,as he trusted this young maiden had been,for the dreadful hour that should snatch the veil from their faces.The bearers went heavily forth,and the mourners followed, saddening all the street,with the dead before them,and Mr.Hooper in his black veil behind.covers only our pastor's face, throws its influence over his whole person, and makes him ghostlike from head to foot. Do you not feel it so?" 15 "Truly do I," replied the lady; "and I would not be alone with him for the world. I wonder he is not afraid to be alone with himself!" 16 "Men sometimes are so," said her husband. 17 The afternoon service was attended with similar circumstances. At its conclusion, the bell tolled for the funeral of a young lady. The relatives and friends were assembled in the house, and the more distant acquaintances stood about the door, speaking of the good qualities of the deceased, when their talk was interrupted by the appearance of Mr. Hooper, still covered with his black veil. It was now an appropriate emblem. The clergyman stepped into the room where the corpse was laid, and bent over the coffin, to take a last farewell of his deceased parishioner. As he stooped, the veil hung straight down from his forehead, so that, if her eyelids had not been dosed forever, the dead maiden might have seen his face. Could Mr. Hooper be fearful of her glance, that he so hastily caught back the black veil? A person who watched the interview between the dead and the living scrupled not to affirm, that, at the instant when the clergyman's features were disclosed, the corpse had slightly shuddered, rustling the shroud and muslin cap, though the countenance retained the composure of death. A superstitious old woman was the only witness of this prodigy. From the coffin Mr. Hooper passed into the chamber of the mourners, and thence to the head of the staircase, to make the funeral prayer. It was a tender and heart-dissolving prayer, full of sorrow, yet so imbued with celestial hopes, that the music of a heavenly harp, swept by the fingers of the dead, seemed faintly to be heard among the saddest accents of the minister. The people trembled, though they but darkly understood him when he prayed that they, and himself, and all of mortal race, might be ready, as he trusted this young maiden had been, for the dreadful hour that should snatch the veil from their faces. The bearers went heavily forth, and the mourners followed, saddening all the street, with the dead before them, and Mr. Hooper in his black veil behind