Short Story Of Mr. Hopper's Black Veil

While I was reading the short story, I thought the minister wore the black veil that covered his face except from his mouth and his chin to hide from his parishioners as he did something to be embarrassed of. But after I finished reading I got various hints indicating that he wore the black veil to hide from his sin and secret. However, when Mr. Hopper’s wife asked him to take the veil away, he told her that he wore the veil as a symbol for his commitment to his religion.
When parishioners saw Mr. Hopper wearing the veil, they were shocked and amazed that they didn’t recognize him. “I can’t really feel as if good Mr. Hopper’s face was behind that piece of crape”. They judged him as he has gone mad. In my opinion, the parishioners’ understanding about his veil indicates that they don’t believe their preacher.
Hopper got a lot of criticism from his parishioners that made him to look back and give up his devotion. “It was said that ghost and fiend consorted with him there. Even the lawless wind, it was believed, respected his dreadful secret, and never blew aside the veil”. Although there were many disapprovals from his parishioners and also from his wife, Mr. Hopper kept saying that the veil is mortal not for eternity and it must be on earth so that after there shall not be a veil covering his face, no darkness on his soul. His devotion of wearing veil on earth for the eternal life he would have after death is creditable as he even refused to lift the veil once and look his wife in her face. When he suggests that we all wear a black veil, he explains that we all have secret sin to be hide