太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the great stone face >

第1节

the great stone face-第1节

小说: the great stone face 字数: 每页4000字

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!








THE GREAT STONE FACE



One afternoon; when the sun was going down; a mother and her

little boy sat at the door of their cottage; talking about the

Great Stone Face。 They had but to lift their eyes; and there it

was plainly to be seen; though miles away; with the sunshine

brightening all its features。



And what was the Great Stone Face?



Embosomed amongst a family of lofty mountains; there was a valley

so spacious that it contained many thousand inhabitants。 Some of

these good people dwelt in log…huts; with the black forest all

around them; on the steep and difficult hill…sides。 Others had

their homes in comfortable farm…houses; and cultivated the rich

soil on the gentle slopes or level surfaces of the valley。

Others; again; were congregated into populous villages; where

some wild; highland rivulet; tumbling down from its birthplace in

the upper mountain region; had been caught and tamed by human

cunning; and compelled to turn the machinery of cotton…factories。

The inhabitants of this valley; in short; were numerous; and of

many modes of life。 But all of them; grown people and children;

had a kind of familiarity with the Great Stone Face; although

some possessed the gift of distinguishing this grand natural

phenomenon more perfectly than many of their neighbors。



The Great Stone Face; then; was a work of Nature in her mood of

majestic playfulness; formed on the perpendicular side of a

mountain by some immense rocks; which had been thrown together in

such a position as; when viewed at a proper distance; precisely

to resemble the features of the human countenance。 It seemed as

if an enormous giant; or a Titan; had sculptured his own likeness

on the precipice。 There was the broad arch of the forehead; a

hundred feet in height; the nose; with its long bridge; and the

vast lips; which; if they could have spoken; would have rolled

their thunder accents from one end of the valley to the other。

True it is; that if the spectator approached too near; he lost

the outline of the gigantic visage; and could discern only a heap

of ponderous and gigantic rocks; piled in chaotic ruin one upon

another。 Retracing his steps; however; the wondrous features

would again be seen; and the farther he withdrew from them; the

more like a human face; with all its original divinity intact;

did they appear; until; as it grew dim in the distance; with the

clouds and glorified vapor of the mountains clustering about it;

the Great Stone Face seemed positively to be alive。



It was a happy lot for children to grow up to manhood or

womanhood with the Great Stone Face before their eyes; for all

the features were noble; and the expression was at once grand and

sweet; as if it were the glow of a vast; warm heart; that

embraced all mankind in its affections; and had room for more。 It

was an education only to look at it。 According to the belief of

many people; the valley owed much of its fertility to this benign

aspect that was continually beaming over it; illuminating the

clouds; and infusing its tenderness into the sunshine。



As we began with saying; a mother and her little boy sat at their

cottage…door; gazing at the Great Stone Face; and talking about

it。 The child's name was Ernest。



〃Mother;〃 said he; while the Titanic visage smiled on him; 〃I

wish that it could speak; for it looks so very kindly that its

voice must needs be pleasant。 If I were to see a man with such a

face; I should love him dearly。〃



〃If an old prophecy should come to pass;〃 answered his mother;

〃we may see a man; some time or other; with exactly such a face

as that。〃



〃What prophecy do you mean; dear mother?〃 eagerly inquired

Ernest。 〃Pray tell me about it!〃



So his mother told him a story that her own mother had told to

her; when she herself was younger than little Ernest; a story;

not of things that were past; but of what was yet to come; a

story; nevertheless; so very old; that even the Indians; who

formerly inhabited this valley; had heard it from their

forefathers; to whom; as they affirmed; it had been murmured by

the mountain streams; and whispered by the wind among the

tree…tops。 The purport was; that; at some future day; a child

should be born hereabouts; who was destined to become the

greatest and noblest personage of his time; and whose

countenance; in manhood; should bear an exact resemblance to the

Great Stone Face。 Not a few old…fashioned people; and young ones

likewise; in the ardor of their hopes; still cherished an

enduring faith in this old prophecy。 But others; who had seen

more of the world; had watched and waited till they were weary;

and had beheld no man with such a face; nor any man that proved

to be much greater or nobler than his neighbors; concluded it to

be nothing but an idle tale。 At all events; the great man of the

prophecy had not yet appeared。



〃O mother; dear mother!〃 cried Ernest; clapping his hands above

his head; 〃I do hope that I shall live to see him!〃



His mother was an affectionate and thoughtful woman; and felt

that it was wisest not to discourage the generous hopes of her

little boy。 So she only said to him; 〃Perhaps you may。〃



And Ernest never forgot the story that his mother told him。 It

was always in his mind; whenever he looked upon the Great Stone

Face。 He spent his childhood in the log…cottage where he was

born; and was dutiful to his mother; and helpful to her in many

things; assisting her much with his little hands; and more with

his loving heart。 In this manner; from a happy yet often pensive

child; he grew up to be a mild; quiet; unobtrusive boy; and

sun…browned with labor in the fields; but with more intelligence

brightening his aspect than is seen in many lads who have been

taught at famous schools。 Yet Ernest had had no teacher; save

only that the Great Stone Face became one to him。 When the toil

of the day was over; he would gaze at it for hours; until he

began to imagine that those vast features recognized him; and

gave him a smile of kindness and encouragement; responsive to his

own look of veneration。 We must not take upon us to affirm that

this was a mistake; although the Face may have looked no more

kindly at Ernest than at all the world besides。 But the secret

was that the boy's tender and confiding simplicity discerned what

other people could not see; and thus the love; which was meant

for all; became his peculiar portion。



About this time there went a rumor throughout the valley; that

the great man; foretold from ages long ago; who was to bear a

resemblance to the Great Stone Face; had appeared at last。 It

seems that; many years before; a young man had migrated from the

valley and settled at a distant seaport; where; after getting

together a little money; he had set up as a shopkeeper。 His

namebut I could never learn whether it was his real one; or a

nickname that had grown out of his habits and success in

lifewas Gathergold。 Being shrewd and active; and endowed by

Providence with that inscrutable faculty which develops itself in

what the world calls luck; he became an exceedingly rich

merchant; and owner of a whole fleet of bulky…bottomed ships。 All

the countries of the globe appeared to join hands for the mere

purpose of adding heap after heap to the mountainous accumulation

of this one man's wealth。 The cold regions of the north; almost

within the gloom and shadow of the Arctic Circle; sent him their

tribute in the shape of furs; hot Africa sifted for him the

golden sands of her rivers; and gathered up the ivory tusks of

her great elephants out of the forests; the East came bringing

him the rich shawls; and spices; and teas; and the effulgence of

diamonds; and the gleaming purity of large pearls。 The ocean; not

to be behindhand with the earth; yielded up her mighty whales;

that Mr。 Gathergold might sell their oil; and make a profit of

it。 Be the original commodity what it might; it was gold within

his grasp。 It might be said of him; as of Midas in the fable;

that whatever he touched with his finger immediately glistened;

and grew yellow; and was changed at once into sterling metal; or;

which suited him still better; into piles of coin。 And; when Mr。

Gathergold had become so very rich that it would have taken him a

hundred years only to count his wealth; he bethought himself of

his native valley; and resolved to go back thither; and end his

days where he was born。 With this purpose in view; he sent a

skilful architect to build him such a palace as should be fit for

a man of his vast wealth to live in。



As I have said above; it had already been rumored in the valley

that Mr。 Gathergold had turned out to be the prophetic personage

so long and vainly looked for; and that his visage was the

perfect and undeniable similitude of the Great Stone Face。 People

were the more ready to believe that this must needs be the fact;

when they beheld the splendid edifice that ro

返回目录 下一页 回到顶部 0 1

你可能喜欢的