As we see the snow and ice around us, we may wish for springtime, with its warmer weather and greener landscapes. We wish for life to begin anew and the seasons of cold and death to pass away. Yet death is a part of life, and should bring hope, not fear, into our lives.
Young Pilgrims
Two young lovers, Adam Forrester and Lilias Fay, set out to find a place to build a country home, that they will call a “temple.” This temple is where “all pure delights are to cluster like roses among the pillars of the edifice” and where they and their guests will read poetry, dance in daydreams, and bask in life’s joy.However, one of Lilias’s close relatives, Walter Gascoigne, seems to follow them in their search. A foreboding character, Walter is the epitome of bad news; his melancholy spirit is reflected in the black velvet cloak and dark hat he wears.
The lovers soon come to a spot that seems to embody their dream. They marvel at and praise the place. But doom and gloom clouds their dream as Gascoigne treads on the beautiful ground and exclaims: “Not here. [...] Here, long ago, other mortals built their temple of happiness” but it always ended badly. Such woeful tidings plant fear and doubt in the young couple’s hearts and, sadly, they continue on.
Followed by Gascoigne, they walk on, discovering place after beautiful place. Each time, Gascoigne ruins their choices with his stories of past evils, sorrows, or death. Horrid images flood Fay’s and Forrester’s minds, corrupting their vision of a happy life.
Eternal Joy
Yet, what luck. The spot where they stopped to rest beckons to them. A lily grows on the knoll and seemingly sends a message to the couple. They glance apprehensively at the miserable old man, yet he says nothing. So, it’s going to be here where they build their temple of happiness.
Their temple is soon completed with marble pillars, a dome, and pedestal. But joy does not abound in the temple, for tragedy soon befalls them.
In this bittersweet tale, Hawthorne contemplates the fine line between sorrow and joy, life and death. He shows how sorrows teach strength and a new appreciation for joy, while death leads to peace, joy, and love.
Hawthorne emphasizes, as J.R.R. Tolkien says in “The Return of the King”: “End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path. One that we all must take.” Just as sorrow is a new lens through which we view joy, so death is just another adventure, which leads us to glory, peace, and unimaginable joy.
As we wait for winter to end, let us embrace the hope that spring signifies. Let us hold onto the hope that, in death, there can be new life filled with immense happiness.
