What do the townspeople say about the veil in The Minister's Black Veil?

The
townspeople definitely do not like the
black veil that hangs in front of Hooper's face.  Some
think it is a gimmick
or a way to protect his eyes from the sun.

Others said there was no mystery at all, but only that the ministers eyes were
weak and
needed to be shaded from the light.

But on the whole, the
townspeople find it gives the minister a
creepy and sinister vibe.  Some of the people even get
the feeling that the
veil gives the minister some kind of supernatural ability to see each of

their hidden sins.  

Every listener, even the
most
innocent, felt that the preacher had crept up on them and discovered
their hidden
sins.

The best quote that
shows the general feeling about
the veil from the congregation comes very
early in the story.  Paragraph three specifically.
 

I dont like it, muttered an old woman. He has

changed himself into something awful by hiding his face.

The rest of the townspeople agree with that
statement and feel that the mask has
somehow turned their beloved minister
into something dark.  A great detail left by Hawthorne
about the effects of
the veil comes a few paragraphs later.  He tells readers that the veil so

upset some people during the church service that they had to leave.  That is something
that was
practically unheard of during that time.  Everybody went to church,
and people simply did not
walk out during the
service.