byNathanielHawthorne
ONEAFTERNOON，Whenthesunwasgoingdown，amotherandherlittle
boysatatthedooroftheircottage，talkingabouttheGreatStone
Face。Theyhadbuttolifttheireyes，andthereitwasplainlyto
beseen，thoughmilesaway，withthesunshinebrighteningallits
features。
AndwhatwastheGreatStoneFace？
Embosomedamongstafamilyofloftymountains，therewasavalley
sospaciousthatitcontainedmanythousandinhabitants。Someofthese
goodpeopledweltinloghuts，withtheblackforestallaround
them，onthesteepanddifficulthill-sides。Othershadtheirhomesin
comfortablefarm-houses，andcultivatedtherichsoilonthegentle
slopesorlevelsurfacesofthevalley。Others，again，were
congregatedintopopulousvillages，wheresomewild，highlandrivulet，
tumblingdownfromitsbirthplaceintheuppermountainregion，had
beencaughtandtamedbyhumancunning，andcompelledtoturnthe
machineryofcottonfactories。Theinhabitantsofthisvalley，in
short，werenumerous，andofmanymodesoflife。Butallofthem，
grownpeopleandchildren，hadakindoffamiliaritywiththeGreat
StoneFace，althoughsomepossessedthegiftofdistinguishingthis
grandnaturalphenomenonmoreperfectlythanmanyoftheirneighbors。
TheGreatStoneFace，then，wasaworkofNatureinhermoodof
majesticplayfulness，formedontheperpendicularsideofamountain
bysomeimmenserocks，whichhadbeenthrowntogetherinsucha
positionas，whenviewedataproperdistance，preciselytoresemble
thefeaturesofthehumancountenance。Itseemedasifanenormous
giant，oraTitan，hadsculpturedhisownlikenessontheprecipice。
Therewasthebroadarchoftheforehead，ahundredfeetinheight；
thenose，withitslongbridge；andthevastlips，which，ifthey
couldhavespoken，wouldhaverolledtheirthunderaccentsfromone
endofthevalleytotheother。Trueitis，thatifthespectator
approachedtoonear，helosttheoutlineofthegiganticvisage，and
coulddiscernonlyaheapofponderousandgiganticrocks，piledin
chaoticruinoneuponanother。Retracinghissteps，however，the
wondrousfeatureswouldagainbeseen；andthefurtherhewithdrew
fromthem，themorelikeahumanface，withallitsoriginal
divinityintact，didtheyappear；until，asitgrewdiminthe
distance，withthecloudsandglorifiedvaporofthemountains
clusteringaboutit，theGreatStoneFaceseemedpositivelytobe
alive。
Itwasahappylotforchildrentogrowuptomanhoodor
womanhoodwiththeGreatStoneFacebeforetheireyes，forallthe
featureswerenoble，andtheexpressionwasatoncegrandandsweet，
asifitweretheglowofavast，warmheart，thatembracedall
mankindinitsaffections，andhadroomformore。Itwasan
educationonlytolookatit。Accordingtothebeliefofmany
people，thevalleyowedmuchofitsfertilitytothisbenignaspect
thatwascontinuallybeamingoverit，illuminatingtheclouds，and
infusingitstendernessintothesunshine。
Aswebeganwithsaying，amotherandherlittleboysatattheir
cottagedoor，gazingattheGreatStoneFace，andtalkingaboutit。
Thechild’snamewasErnest。
“Mother，saidhe，whiletheTitanicvisagesmiledonhim，“Iwish
thatitcouldspeak，foritlookssoverykindlythatitsvoicemust
needsbepleasant。IfIweretoseeamanwithsuchaface，Ishould
lovehimdearly。”
“Ifanoldprophecyshouldcometopass。”answeredhismother，
“wemayseeaman，sometimeorother，withexactlysuchafaceas
that。”
“Whatprophecydoyoumean，dearmother？”eagerlyinquired
Ernest。“Praytellmeallaboutit！”
Sohismothertoldhimastorythatherownmotherhadtoldtoher，
whensheherselfwasyoungerthanlittleErnest；astory，notof
thingsthatwerepast，butofwhatwasyettocome；astory，
nevertheless，soveryold，thateventheIndians，whoformerly
inhabitedthisvalley，hadhearditfromtheirforefathers，towhom，
astheyaffirmed，ithadbeenmurmuredbythemountainstreams，and
whisperedbythewindamongthetree-tops。Thepurportwas，that，at
somefutureday，achildshouldbebornhereabouts，whowasdestined
tobecomethegreatestandnoblestpersonageofhistime，andwhose
countenance，inmanhood，shouldbearanexactresemblancetotheGreat
StoneFace。Notafewold-fashionedpeople，andyoungoneslikewise，
intheardoroftheirhopes，stillcherishedanenduringfaithinthis
oldprophecy。Butothers，whohadseenmoreoftheworld，had
watchedandwaitedtilltheywereweary，andhadbeheldnomanwith
suchaface，noranymanthatprovedtobemuchgreaterornoblerthan
hisneighbors，concludedittobenothingbutanidletale。Atall
events，thegreatmanoftheprophecyhadnotyetappeared。
“O，mother，dearmother！”criedErnest，clappinghishandsabove
hishead，IdohopethatIshalllivetoseehim！”
Hismotherwasanaffectionateandthoughtfulwoman，andfelt
thatitwaswisestnottodiscouragethegeneroushopesofher
littleboy。Sosheonlysaidtohim，“Perhapsyoumay。”
AndErnestneverforgotthestorythathismothertoldhim。It
wasalwaysinhismind，wheneverhelookedupontheGreatStone
Face。Hespenthischildhoodinthelog-cottagewherehewasborn，and
wasdutifultohismother，andhelpfultoherinmanythings，
assistinghermuchwithhislittlehands，andmorewithhisloving
heart。Inthismanner，fromahappyyetoftenpensivechild，hegrew
uptobeamild，quiet，unobtrusiveboy，andsun-brownedwithlaborin
thefields，butwithmoreintelligencebrighteninghisaspectthan
isseeninmanyladswhohavebeentaughtatfamousschools。Yet
Ernesthadhadnoteacher，saveonlythattheGreatStoneFace
becameonetohim。Whenthetoilofthedaywasover，hewouldgazeat
itforhours，untilhebegantoimaginethatthosevastfeatures
recognizedhim，andgavehimasmileofkindnessandencouragement，
responsivetohisownlookofveneration。Wemustnottakeuponus
toaffirmthatthiswasamistake，althoughtheFacemayhavelooked
nomorekindlyatErnestthanatalltheworldbesides。Butthesecret
was，thattheboy’stenderandconfidingsimplicitydiscernedwhat
otherpeoplecouldnotsee；andthusthelove，whichwasmeantfor
all，becamehispeculiarportion。
Aboutthistime，therewentarumorthroughoutthevalley，thatthe
greatman，foretoldfromageslongago，whowastobeara
resemblancetotheGreatStoneFace，hadappearedatlast。Itseems
that，manyyearsbefore，ayoungmanhadmigratedfromthevalley
andsettledatadistantseaport，where，aftergettingtogethera
littlemoney，hehadsetupasashopkeeper。Hisname-butIcould
neverlearnwhetheritwashisrealone，oranicknamethathad
grownoutofhishabitsandsuccessinlife-wasGathergold。Being
shrewdandactive，andendowedbyProvidencewiththatinscrutable
facultywhichdevelopsitselfinwhattheworldcallsluck，he
becameanexceedinglyrichmerchant，andownerofawholefleetof
bulky-bottomedships。Allthecountriesoftheglobeappearedto
joinhandsforthemerepurposeofaddingheapafterheaptothe
mountainousaccumulationofthisoneman’swealth。Thecoldregionsof
thenorth，almostwithinthegloomandshadowoftheArcticCircle，
senthimtheirtributeintheshapeoffurs；hotAfricasiftedforhim
thegoldensandsofherrivers，andgathereduptheivorytusksofher
greatelephantsoutoftheforests；theEastcamebringinghimthe
richshawls，andspices，andteas，andtheeffulgenceofdiamonds，and
thegleamingpurityoflargepearls。Theocean，nottobebehindhand
withtheearth，yieldeduphermightywhales，thatMr。Gathergold
mightselltheiroil，andmakeaprofitonit。Betheoriginal
commoditywhatitmight，itwasgoldwithinhisgrasp。Itmightbe
saidofhim，asofMidasinthefable，thatwhateverhetouchedwith
hisfingerimmediatelyglistened，andgrewyellow，andwaschanged
atonceintosterlingmetal，or，whichsuitedhimstillbetter，into
pilesofcoin。And，whenMr。Gathergoldhadbecomesoveryrichthat
itwouldhavetakenhimahundredyearsonlytocounthiswealth，he
bethoughthimselfofhisnativevalley，andresolvedtogoback
thither，andendhisdayswherehewasborn。Withthispurposein
view，hesentaskilfularchitecttobuildhimsuchapalaceasshould
befitforamanofhisvastwealthtolivein。
AsIhavesaidabove，ithadalreadybeenrumoredinthevalley
thatMr。Gathergoldhadturnedouttobethepropheticpersonageso
longandvainlylookedfor，andthathisvisagewastheperfectand
undeniablesimilitudeoftheGreatStoneFace。Peoplewerethemore
readytobelievethatthismustneedsbethefact，whentheybeheld
thesplendidedificethatrose，asifbyenchantment，onthesiteof
hisfather’soldweather-beatenfarm-house。Theexteriorwasof
marble，sodazzlinglywhitethatitseemedasthoughthewhole
structuremightmeltawayinthesunshine，likethosehumblerones
whichMr。Gathergold，inhisyoungplay-days，beforehisfingers
weregiftedwiththetouchoftransmutation，hadbeenaccustomedto
buildofsnow。Ithadarichlyornamentedportico，supportedbytall
pillars，beneathwhichwasaloftydoor，studdedwithsilverknobs，
andmadeofakindofvariegatedwoodthathadbeenbroughtfrom
beyondthesea。Thewindows，fromthefloortotheceilingofeach
statelyapartment，werecomposed，respectively，ofbutoneenormous
paneofglass，sotransparentlypurethatitwassaidtobeafiner
mediumthaneventhevacantatmosphere。Hardlyanybodyhadbeen
permittedtoseetheinteriorofthispalace；butitwasreported，and
withgoodsemblanceoftruth，tobefarmoregorgeousthanthe
outside，insomuchthatwhateverwasironorbrassinotherhouses，was
silverorgoldinthis；andMr。Gathergold’sbed-chamber，
especially，madesuchaglitteringappearancethatnoordinaryman
wouldhavebeenabletoclosehiseyesthere。But，ontheother
hand，Mr。Gathergoldwasnowsoinuredtowealth，thatperhapshe
couldnothaveclosedhiseyesunlesswherethegleamofitwas
certaintofinditswaybeneathhiseyelids。
Induetime，themansionwasfinished；nextcamethe
upholsterers，withmagnificentfurniture；then，awholetroopofblack
andwhiteservants，theharbingersofMr。Gathergold，who，inhis
ownmajesticpersonwasexpectedtoarriveatsunset。Ourfriend
Ernest，meanwhile，hadbeendeeplystirredbytheideathatthe
greatman，thenobleman，themanofprophecy，aftersomanyagesof
delay，wasatlengthtobemademanifesttohisnativevalley。He
knew，boyashewas，thattherewereathousandwaysinwhichMr。
Gathergold，withhisvastwealth，mighttransformhimselfintoan
angelofbeneficence，andassumeacontroloverhumanaffairsas
wideandbenignantasthesmileoftheGreatStoneFace。Fulloffaith
andhope，Ernestdoubtednotthatwhatthepeoplesaidwastrue，and
thatnowhewastobeholdthelivinglikenessofthosewondrous
featuresonthemountain-side。Whiletheboywasstillgazingupthe
valley，andfancying，ashealwaysdid，thattheGreatStoneFace
returnedhisgazeandlookedkindlyathim，therumblingofwheelswas
heard，approachingswiftlyalongthewindingroad。
“Herehecomes！”criedagroupofpeoplewhowereassembledto
witnessthearrival。“HerecomesthegreatMr。Gathergold！”
Acarriage，drawnbyfourhorses，dashedroundtheturnofthe
road。Withinit，thrustpartlyoutofthewindow，appearedthe
physiognomyofalittleoldman，withaskinasyellowasifhisown
Midas-handhadtransmutedit。Hehadalowforehead，small，sharp
eyes，puckeredaboutwithinnumerablewrinkles，andverythinlips，
whichhemadestillthinnerbypressingthemforciblytogether。
“TheveryimageoftheGreatStoneFace！”shoutedthepeople。“Sure
enough，theoldprophecyistrue；andherewehavethegreatmancome，
atlast！”
And，whatgreatlyperplexedErnest，theyseemedactuallytobelieve
thatherewasthelikenesswhichtheyspokeof。Bytheroadside
therechancedtobeanoldbeggar-womanandtwolittle
beggar-children，stragglersfromsomefar-offregion，who，asthe
carriagerolledonward，heldouttheirhandsandlifteduptheir
dolefulvoices，mostpiteouslybeseechingcharity。Ayellowclaw-
theverysamethathadclawedtogethersomuchwealth-pokeditself
outofthecoach-window，anddroptsomecoppercoinsuponthe
ground；sothat，thoughthegreatman’snameseemstohavebeen
Gathergold，hemightjustassuitablyhavebeennicknamed
Scattercopper。Still，nevertheless，withanearnestshout，and
evidentlywithasmuchgoodfaithasever，thepeoplebellowed，“Heis
theveryimageoftheGreatStoneFace！”
