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ShortStory:TheBirthmarkbyNathanielHawthorneNow,theVOASpecialEnglishprogram,AMERICANSTORIES.(MUSIC)OurstorytodayiscalledTheBirthmark.ItwaswrittenbyNathanielHawthorne.HereisBarbaraKleinwiththestory.(MUSIC)STORYTELLER:NathanielHawthorneAlongtimeago,therelivedaskillfulscientistwhohadexperiencedaspiritualreactionmorestrikingthananychemicalone.Hehadlefthislaboratoryinthecareofhisassistant,washedthechemicalsfromhishandsandaskedabeautifulwomantobecomehiswife.Inthosedaysnewscientificdiscoveriessuchaselectricityseemedtoopenpathsintotheareaofmiracles.Itwasnotunusualfortheloveofsciencetocompetewiththeloveofawoman.Thescientist'snamewasAylmer.Hehadsototallygivenhimselftoscientificstudiesthathecouldnotbeweakenedbyasecondlove.Hisloveforhisyoungwifecouldonlybethestrongerofthetwoifitcouldlinkitselfwithhisloveofscience.Suchauniondidtakeplacewithtrulyremarkableresults.Butoneday,verysoonaftertheirmarriage,Aylmerlookedathiswifewithatroubledexpression.Georgiana,hesaid,haveyoueverconsideredthatthemarkuponyourcheekmightberemoved?No,shesaidsmiling.Butseeingtheseriousnessofhisquestion,shesaid,ThemarkhassooftenbeencalledacharmthatIwassimpleenoughtoimagineitmightbeso.Onanotherfaceitmight,answeredherhusband,butnotonyours.Nodear,Naturemadeyousoperfectlythatthissmalldefectshocksmeasbeingasignofearthlyimperfection.Shocksyou!criedGeorgiana,deeplyhurt.Herfacereddenedandsheburstintotears.Thenwhydidyoumarryme?Youcannotlovewhatshocksyou!WemustexplainthatinthecenterofGeorgiana'sleftcheektherewasamark,deepinherskin.Themarkwasusuallyadeepredcolor.WhenGeorgianablushed,themarkbecamelessvisible.Butwhensheturnedpale,therewasthemark,likearedstainuponsnow.Thebirthmarkwouldcomeandgowiththeemotionsinherheart.Themarkwasshapedlikeaverysmallhumanhand.Georgiana'spastloversusedtosaythatthehandofamagicalfairyhadtouchedherfacewhenshewasborn.Manyagentlemanwouldhaveriskedhislifeforthehonorofkissingthatmysterioushand.Butotherpeoplehaddifferentopinions.SomewomensaidtheredhandquitedestroyedtheeffectofGeorgiana'sbeauty.Maleobserverswhodidnotpraisethemarksimplywisheditawaysothattheydidnotseeit.Afterhismarriage,Aylmerdiscoveredthatthiswasthecasewithhimself.HadGeorgianabeenlessbeautiful,hemighthavefelthisloveincreasedbytheprettinessofthatlittlehand.Butbecauseshewasotherwisesoperfect,hefoundthemarkhadbecomeunbearable.(MUSIC)Aylmersawthemarkasasignofhiswife'seventualsadness,sicknessanddeath.Soon,thebirthmarkcausedhimmorepainthanGeorgiana'sbeautyhadevergivenhimpleasure.Duringaperiodthatshouldhavebeentheirhappiest,Aylmercouldonlythinkofthisdisastroussubject.Withthemorninglight,Aylmeropenedhiseyesuponhiswife'sfaceandrecognizedthesignofimperfection.Whentheysattogetherintheeveningnearthefire,hewouldlookatthemark.Georgianasoonbegantofearhislook.Hisexpressionwouldmakeherfacegopale.Andthebirthmarkwouldstandoutlikearedjewelonwhitestone.Doyouremember,dearAylmer,aboutthedreamyouhadlastnightaboutthishatefulmark?sheaskedwithaweaksmile.None!Nonewhatever!answeredAylmer,surprised.Themindisinasadstatewhensleepcannotcontrolitsghostsandallowsthemtobreakfreewiththeirsecrets.Aylmernowrememberedhisdream.HehadimaginedhimselfwithhisassistantAminadabtryingtoremovethebirthmarkwithanoperation.Butthedeeperhisknifewent,thedeeperthesmallhandsankuntilithadcaughtholdofGeorgiana'sheart.Aylmerfeltguiltyrememberingthedream.Aylmer,saidGeorgiana,Idonotknowwhatthecostwouldbetobothofustoremovethisbirthmark.Removingitcoulddeformmyfaceordamagemyhealth.DearestGeorgiana,Ihavespentmuchthoughtonthesubject,saidAylmer.Iamsureitcanberemoved.Thenlettheattemptbemadeatanyrisk,saidGeorgiana.Lifeisnotworthlivingwhilethishatefulmarkmakesmetheobjectofyourhorror.Youhavedeepscienceandhavemadegreatdiscoveries.Removethislittlemarkforthesakeofyourpeaceandmyown.Dearestwife,criedAylmer.Donotdoubtmypower.Iamreadytomakethischeekasperfectasitspair.Herhusbandgentlykissedherrightcheek,theonewithouttheredhand.(MUSIC)ThenextdaythecouplewenttoAylmer'slaboratorywherehehadmadeallhisfamousdiscoveries.Georgianawouldliveinabeautifulroomhehadpreparednearby,whileheworkedtirelesslyinhislab.Onebyone,Aylmertriedaseriesofpowerfulexperimentsonhiswife.Butthemarkremained.Georgianawaitedinherroom.Shereadthroughhisnotebooksofscientificobservations.Shecouldnothelpseethatmanyofhisexperimentshadendedinfailure.Shedecidedtoseeforherselfthescientistatwork.ThefirstthingthatstruckGeorgianawhenenteringthelaboratorywasthehotfurnace.Fromtheamountofsootaboveit,itseemedtohavebeenburningforages.Shesawmachines,tubes,cylindersandothercontainersforchemicalexperiments.WhatmostdrewherattentionwasAylmerhimself.Hewasnervousandpaleasdeathasheworkedonpreparingaliquid.Georgianarealizedthatherhusbandhadbeenhidinghistensionandfear.Thinknotsolittleofmethatyoucannotbehonestabouttheriskswearetaking,shesaid.Iwilldrinkwhateveryoumakeforme,evenifitisapoison.Mydear,nothingshallbehidden,Aylmersaid.Ihavealreadygivenyouchemicalspowerfulenoughtochangeyourentirephysicalsystem.Onlyonethingremainstobetriedandifthatfails,weareruined!Heledherbacktoherroomwhereshewaitedoncemore,alonewithherthoughts.