A/N: A letter I had to write for school in which a Crucible character writes a letter to a Scarlet Letter character.
Dear Reverend Dimmesdale:
Hello, Brother. It's been quite a long time since we spoke in person or through letter so I was quite astonished when I received a letter from you which the mail carrier deemed as one of utmost urgency. Even though I was busy studying my books concerning witchcraft, I decided to open your note immediately, and I am glad I did.
You sound very disturbed, Brother. From what you described in your letter, your life seems to have taken a turn for the worst. The last time I saw you, it was said that you would soon become one of the greats, your heart was consumed with the Heavenly Father and you were to move to Boston to fulfill the path that our Heavenly Father had bestowed to you. I remember your ecstasy and contentment with your life at the time. How horrible it is to fall from such greatness!
In your letter, brother, you wrote to me about an impending death soon to strike you, and how certain you were that our Heavenly Father would rebuke your entrance to New Jerusalem. You, like many others, have questions about religion that cannot be answered. In truth, I do not know how to restore your faith for I fear I have lost my own. Just like Thomas, I have become a doubter. No longer are my beliefs strong and vibrant like they used to be in the time we were well acquainted with one another.
As you may recall, my specialties always lay in the ability to detect Satan's followers. For that reason, I am currently residing in Salem where a numerous amount of witches have been reported.
In this chaos, I must identify the witches and sentence them, but all too late, I have understood the deceit that shrouded this epidemic. Lies surround this place. The good people are hanging from the trees while the bad people steal their land and property. How could our Heavenly Father let such events occur? I feel as if I have lost all faith in Him.
By reading your letter, I could sense that you feel or are beginning to feel the same way. You told me that you do not comprehend how people can be so good, but let our Heavenly Father chooses to punish them for the one mistake they made in their lifetimes. Your confusion traces familiar lines for me.
I believe you also questioned me about the sin of adultery, brother. This sin, like all others mentioned in the Holy Book, is highly punishable and should be avoided at all costs. However, I do not believe that if someone commits adultery, they are a bad person. One of the most admirable men in this village committed adultery, and I do not believe that he should be sentenced to the fiery chasm of Hell.
Therefore, my advice to you is simple, try to redeem as many souls as possible for not all deserve to be in Hell, and if we do not save them now, they will end up there. Not all people who sin are bad people so if we can put as many as we can in Heaven, our lives will not be wasted.
I wish for your swift recovery and quick reply. God bless you, Brother.
Reverend John Hale