twice-told tales- the great stone face-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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　he　read　stanzas

that　caused　the　soul　to　thrill　within　him；　he　lifted　his　eyes　to　the

vast　countenance　beaming　on　him　so　benignantly。

　　　〃O；　majestic　friend；〃　he　murmured；　addressing　the　Great　Stone　Face；

〃is　not　this　man　worthy　to　resemble　thee？〃

　　　The　Face　seemed　to　smile；　but　answered　not　a　word。

　　　Now　it　happened　that　the　poet；　though　he　dwelt　so　far　away；　had　not

only　heard　of　Ernest；　but　had　meditated　much　upon　his　character；　until

he　deemed　nothin