the great stone face-第4节

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people　left　their　business　and　gathered　along　the　wayside　to　see

him　pass。　Among　these　was　Ernest。　Though　more　than　once

disappointed；　as　we　have　seen；　he　had　such　a　hopeful　and

confiding　nature；　that　he　was　always　ready　to　believe　in　whatever

seemed　beautiful　and　good。　He　kept　his　heart　continually　open；

and　thus　was　sure　to　catch　the　blessing　from　on　high　when　it

should　come。　So　now　again；　as　buoyantly　as　ever；　he　went　forth　to

behold　the　likeness　of　the　Great　Stone　Face。



The　cavalcade　came　prancing　along　the　road；　with　a　great

clattering　of　hoofs　and　a　mighty　cloud　of　dust；　which　rose　up　so

dense　and　high　that　the　visage　of　the　mountain…side　was

completely　hidden　from　Ernest's　eyes。　All　the　great　men　of　the

neighborhood　were　there　on　horseback；　militia　officers；　in

uniform；　the　member　of　Congress；　the　sheriff　of　the　county；　the

editors　of　newspapers；　and　many　a　farmer；　too；　had　mounted　his

patient　steed；　with　his　Sunday　coat　upon　his　back。　It　really　was

a　very　brilliant　spectacle；　especially　as　there　were　numerous

banners　flaunting　over　the　cavalcade；　on　some　of　which　were

gorgeous　portraits　of　the　illustrious　statesman　and　the　Great

Stone　Face；　smiling　familiarly　at　one　another；　like　two　brothers。

If　the　pictures　were　to　be　trusted；　the　mutual　resemblance；　it

must　be　confessed；　was　marvellous。　We　must　not　forget　to　mention

that　there　was　a　band　of　music；　which　made　the　echoes　of　the

mountains　ring　and　reverberate　with　the　loud　triumph　of　its

strains；　so　that　airy　and　soul…thrilling　melodies　broke　out　among

all　the　heights　and　hollows；　as　if　every　nook　of　his　native

valley　had　found　a　voice；　to　welcome　the　distinguished　guest。　But

the　grandest　effect　was　when　the　far…off　mountain　precipice　flung

back　the　music；　for　then　the　Great　Stone　Face　itself　seemed　to　be

swelling　the　triumphant　chorus；　in　acknowledgment　that；　at

length；　the　man　of　prophecy　was　come。



All　this　while　the　people　were　throwing　up　their　hats　and

shouting　with　enthusiasm　so　contagious　that　the　heart　of　Ernest

kindled　up；　and　he　likewise　threw　up　his　hat；　and　shouted；　as

loudly　as　the　loudest；　〃Huzza　for　the　great　man！　Huzza　for　Old

Stony　Phiz！〃　But　as　yet　he　had　not　seen　him。



〃Here　he　is；　now！〃　cried　those　who　stood　near　Ernest。　〃There！

There！　Look　at　Old　Stony　Phiz　and　then　at　the　Old　Man　of　the

Mountain；　and　see　if　they　are　not　as　like　as　two　twin…brothers！〃



In　the　midst　of　all　this　gallant　array　came　an　open　barouche；

drawn　by　four　white　horses；　and　in　the　barouche；　with　his　massive

head　uncovered；　sat　the　illustrious　statesman；　Old　Stony　Phiz

himself。



〃Confess　it；〃　said　one　of　Ernest's　neighbors　to　him；　〃the　Great

Stone　Face　has　met　its　match　at　last！〃



Now；　it　must　be　owned　that；　at　his　first　glimpse　of　the

countenance　which　was　bowing　and　smiling　from　the　barouche；

Ernest　did　fancy　that　there　was　a　resemblance　between　it　and　the

old　familiar　face　upon　the　mountain…side。　The　brow；　with　its

massive　depth　and　loftiness；　and　all　the　other　features；　indeed；

were　boldly　and　strongly　hewn；　as　if　in　emulation　of　a　more　than

heroic；　of　a　Titanic　model。　But　the　sublimity　and　stateliness；

the　grand　expression　of　a　divine　sympathy；　that　illuminated　the

mountain　visage　and　etherealized　its　ponderous　granite　substance

into　spirit；　might　here　be　sought　in　vain。　Something　had　been

originally　left　out；　or　had　departed。　And　therefore　the

marvellously　gifted　statesman　had　always　a　weary　gloom　in　the

deep　caverns　of　his　eyes；　as　of　a　child　that　has　outgrown　its

playthings　or　a　man　of　mighty　faculties　and　little　aims；　whose

life；　with　all　its　high　performances；　was　vague　and　empty；

because　no　high　purpose　had　endowed　it　with　reality。



Still；　Ernest's　neighbor　was　thrusting　his　elbow　into　his　side；

and　pressing　him　for　an　answer。



〃Confess！　confess！　Is　not　he　the　very　picture　of　your　Old　Man　of

the　Mountain？〃



〃No！〃　said　Ernest　bluntly；　〃I　see　little　or　no　likeness。〃



〃Then　so　much　the　worse　for　the　Great　Stone　Face！〃　answered　his

neighbor；　and　again　he　set　up　a　shout　for　Old　Stony　Phiz。



But　Ernest　turned　away；　melancholy；　and　almost　despondent：　for

this　was　the　saddest　of　his　disappointments；　to　behold　a　man　who

might　have　fulfilled　the　prophecy；　and　had　not　willed　to　do　so。

Meantime；　the　cavalcade；　the　banners；　the　music；　and　the

barouches　swept　past　him；　with　the　vociferous　crowd　in　the　rear；

leaving　the　dust　to　settle　down；　and　the　Great　Stone　Face　to　be

revealed　again；　with　the　grandeur　that　it　had　worn　for　untold

centuries。



〃Lo；　here　I　am；　Ernest！〃　the　benign　lips　seemed　to　say。　〃I　have

waited　longer　than　thou；　and　am　not　yet　weary。　Fear　not；　the　man

will　come。〃



The　years　hurried　onward；　treading　in　their　haste　on　one

another's　heels。　And　now　they　began　to　bring　white　hairs；　and

scatter　them　over　the　head　of　Ernest；　they　made　reverend　wrinkles

across　his　forehead；　and　furrows　in　his　cheeks。　He　was　an　aged

man。　But　not　in　vain　had　he　grown　old：　more　than　the　white　hairs

on　his　head　were　the　sage　thoughts　in　his　mind；　his　wrinkles　and

furrows　were　inscriptions　that　Time　had　graved；　and　in　which　he

had　written　legends　of　wisdom　that　had　been　tested　by　the　tenor

of　a　life。　And　Ernest　had　ceased　to　be　obscure。　Unsought　for；

undesired；　had　come　the　fame　which　so　many　seek；　and　made　him

known　in　the　great　world；　beyond　the　limits　of　the　valley　in

which　he　had　dwelt　so　quietly。　College　professors；　and　even　the

active　men　of　cities；　came　from　far　to　see　and　converse　with

Ernest；　for　the　report　had　gone　abroad　that　this　simple

husbandman　had　ideas　unlike　those　of　other　men；　not　gained　from

books；　but　of　a　higher　tone；a　tranquil　and　familiar　majesty；　as

if　he　had　been　talking　with　the　angels　as　his　daily　friends。

Whether　it　were　sage；　statesman；　or　philanthropist；　Ernest

received　these　visitors　with　the　gentle　sincerity　that　had

characterized　him　from　boyhood；　and　spoke　freely　with　them　of

whatever　came　uppermost；　or　lay　deepest　in　his　heart　or　their

own。　While　they　talked　together；　his　face　would　kindle；　unawares；

and　shine　upon　them；　as　with　a　mild　evening　light。　Pensive　with

the　fulness　of　such　discourse；　his　guests　took　leave　and　went

their　way；　and　passing　up　the　valley；　paused　to　look　at　the　Great

Stone　Face；　imagining　that　they　had　seen　its　likeness　in　a　human

countenance；　but　could　not　remember　where。



While　Ernest　had　been　growing　up　and　growing　old；　a　bountiful

Providence　had　granted　a　new　poet　to　this　earth。　He　likewise；　was

a　native　of　the　valley；　but　had　spent　the　greater　part　of　his

life　at　a　distance　from　that　romantic　region；　pouring　out　his

sweet　music　amid　the　bustle　and　din　of　cities。　Often；　however；

did　the　mountains　which　had　been　familiar　to　him　in　his　childhood

lift　their　snowy　peaks　into　the　clear　atmosphere　of　his　poetry。

Neither　was　the　Great　Stone　Face　forgotten；　for　the　poet　had

celebrated　it　in　an　ode；　which　was　grand　enough　to　have　been

uttered　by　its　own　majestic　lips。　This　man　of　genius；　we　may　say；

had　come　down　from　heaven　with　wonderful　endowments。　If　he　sang

of　a　mountain；　the　eyes　of　all　mankind　beheld　a　mightier　grandeur

reposing　on　its　breast；　or　soaring　to　its　summit；　than　had　before

been　seen　there。　If　his　theme　were　a　lovely　lake；　a　celestial

smile　had　now　been　thrown　over　it；　to　gleam　forever　on　its

surface。　If　it　were　the　vast　old　sea；　even　the　deep　immensity　of

its　dread　bosom　seemed　to　swell　the　higher；　as　if　moved　by　the

emotions　of　the　song。　Thus　the　world　assumed　another　and　a　better

aspect　from　the　hour　that　the　poet　blessed　it　with　his　happy

eyes。　The　Creator　had　bestowed　him；　as　the　last　best　touch　to　his

own　handiwork。　Creation　was　not　finished　till　the　poet　came　to

interpret；　and　so　complete　it。



The　effect　was　no　less　high　and　beautiful；　when　his　human

brethren　were　the　subject　of　his　verse。　The　man　or　woman；　sordid

with　the　common　dust　of　life；　who　crossed　his　daily　path；　and　the

little　child　who　played　in　it；　were　glorified　if　he　beheld　them

in　his　mood　of　poetic　faith。　He　showed　the　golden　links　of　the

great　chain　that　intertwined　them　with　an　angelic　kindred；　he

brought　out　the　hidden　traits　of　a　celestial　birth　that　made　them

worthy　of　such　kin。　Some；　indeed；　there　were；　who　thought　to　show

the　soundness　of　their　judgment　by　affirming　that　all　the　beauty

and　dignity　of　the　natural　world　existed　only　in　the　poet's

fancy。　Let　such　men　speak　for　themselves；　who　undoubtedly　appear

to　have　been　spawned　forth　by　Nature　with　a　contemptuous

bitterness；　she　having　plastered　them　up　out　of　her　refuse　stuff；

after　all　the　swine　were　made。　As　respects　all　things　else；　the

poet's　ideal　was　the　truest　truth。



The　songs　of　this　poet　found　their　way　to　Ernest。　He　read　them

after　his　customary　toil；　seated　on　the　bench　before　his

cottage…door；　where　for　such　a　length　of　time　he　had　filled　his

repose　with　thought；　by　gazing　at　the　Great　Stone　Face。　And　now

as