ready　to　believe　that　this　must　needs　be　the　fact；　when　they　beheld
  the　splendid　edifice　that　rose；　as　if　by　enchantment；　on　the　site　of
  his　father's　old　weather…beaten　farm…house。　The　exterior　was　of
  marble；　so　dazzlingly　white　that　it　seemed　as　though　the　whole
  structure　might　melt　away　in　the　sunshine；　like　those　humbler　ones
  which　Mr。　Gathergold；　in　his　young　play…days；　before　his　fingers
  were　gifted　with　the　touch　of　transmutation；　had　been　accustomed　to
  build　of　snow。　It　had　a　richly　ornamented　portico；　supported　by　tall
  pillars；　beneath　which　was　a　lofty　door；　studded　with　silver　knobs；
  and　made　of　a　kind　of　variegated　wood　that　had　been　brought　from
  beyond　the　sea。　The　windows；　from　the　floor　to　the　ceiling　of　each
  stately　apartment；　were　composed；　respectively；　of　but　one　enormous
  pane　of　glass；　so　transparently　pure　that　it　was　said　to　be　a　finer
  medium　than　even　the　vacant　atmosphere。　Hardly　anybody　had　been
  permitted　to　see　the　interior　of　this　palace；　but　it　was　reported；　and
  with　good　semblance　of　truth；　to　be　far　more　gorgeous　than　the
  outside；　insomuch　that　whatever　was　iron　or　brass　in　other　houses；　was
  silver　or　gold　in　this；　and　Mr。　Gathergold's　bed…chamber；
  especially；　made　such　a　glittering　appearance　that　no　ordinary　man
  would　have　been　able　to　close　his　eyes　there。　But；　on　the　other
  hand；　Mr。　Gathergold　was　now　so　inured　to　wealth；　that　perhaps　he
  could　not　have　closed　his　eyes　unless　where　the　gleam　of　it　was
  certain　to　find　its　way　beneath　his　eyelids。
  In　due　time；　the　mansion　was　finished；　next　came　the
  upholsterers；　with　magnificent　furniture；　then；　a　whole　troop　of　black
  and　white　servants；　the　harbingers　of　Mr。　Gathergold；　who；　in　his
  own　majestic　person　was　expected　to　arrive　at　sunset。　Our　friend
  Ernest；　meanwhile；　had　been　deeply　stirred　by　the　idea　that　the
  great　man；　the　noble　man；　the　man　of　prophecy；　after　so　many　ages　of
  delay；　was　at　length　to　be　made　manifest　to　his　native　valley。　He
  knew；　boy　as　he　was；　that　there　were　a　thousand　ways　in　which　Mr。
  Gathergold；　with　his　vast　wealth；　might　transform　himself　into　an
  angel　of　beneficence；　and　assume　a　control　over　human　affairs　as
  wide　and　benignant　as　the　smile　of　the　Great　Stone　Face。　Full　of　faith
  and　hope；　Ernest　doubted　not　that　what　the　people　said　was　true；　and
  that　now　he　was　to　behold　the　living　likeness　of　those　wondrous
  features　on　the　mountain…side。　While　the　boy　was　still　gazing　up　the
  valley；　and　fancying；　as　he　always　did；　that　the　Great　Stone　Face
  returned　his　gaze　and　looked　kindly　at　him；　the　rumbling　of　wheels　was
  heard；　approaching　swiftly　along　the　winding　road。
  〃Here　he　comes！〃　cried　a　group　of　people　who　were　assembled　to
  witness　the　arrival。　〃Here　comes　the　great　Mr。　Gathergold！〃
  A　carriage；　drawn　by　four　horses；　dashed　round　the　turn　of　the
  road。　Within　it；　thrust　partly　out　of　the　window；　appeared　the
  physiognomy　of　a　little　old　man；　with　a　skin　as　yellow　as　if　his　own
  Midas…hand　had　transmuted　it。　He　had　a　low　forehead；　small；　sharp
  eyes；　puckered　about　with　innumerable　wrinkles；　and　very　thin　lips；
  which　he　made　still　thinner　by　pressing　them　forcibly　together。
  〃The　very　image　of　the　Great　Stone　Face！〃　shouted　the　people。　〃Sure
  enough；　the　old　prophecy　is　true；　and　here　we　have　the　great　man　come；
  at　last！〃
  And；　what　greatly　perplexed　Ernest；　they　seemed　actually　to　believe
  that　here　was　the　likeness　which　they　spoke　of。　By　the　roadside
  there　chanced　to　be　an　old　beggar…woman　and　two　little
  beggar…children；　stragglers　from　some　far…off　region；　who；　as　the
  carriage　rolled　onward；　held　out　their　hands　and　lifted　up　their
  doleful　voices；　most　piteously　beseeching　charity。　A　yellow　claw…
  the　very　same　that　had　clawed　together　so　much　wealth…　poked　itself
  out　of　the　coach…window；　and　dropt　some　copper　coins　upon　the
  ground；　so　that；　though　the　great　man's　name　seems　to　have　been
  Gathergold；　he　might　just　as　suitably　have　been　nicknamed
  Scattercopper。　Still；　nevertheless；　with　an　earnest　shout；　and
  evidently　with　as　much　good　faith　as　ever；　the　people　bellowed；　〃He　is
  the　very　image　of　the　Great　Stone　Face！〃
  But　Ernest　turned　sadly　from　the　wrinkled　shrewdness　of　that　sordid
  visage；　and　gazed　up　the　valley；　where；　amid　a　gathering　mist；
  gilded　by　the　last　sunbeams；　he　could　still　distinguish　those　glorious
  features　which　had　impressed　themselves　into　his　soul。　Their　aspect
  cheered　him。　What　did　the　benign　lips　seem　to　say？
  〃He　will　come！　Fear　not；　Ernest；　the　man　will　come！〃
  The　years　went　on；　and　Ernest　ceased　to　be　a　boy。　He　had　grown　to
  be　a　young　man　now。　He　attracted　little　notice　from　the　other
  inhabitants　of　the　valley；　for　they　saw　nothing　remarkable　in　his
  way　of　life；　save　that；　when　the　labor　of　the　day　was　over；　he　still
  loved　to　go　apart　and　gaze　and　meditate　upon　the　Great　Stone　Face。
  According　to　their　idea　of　the　matter；　it　was　a　folly；　indeed；　but
  pardonable；　inasmuch　as　Ernest　was　industrious；　kind；　and
  neighborly；　and　neglected　no　duty　for　the　sake　of　indulging　this
  idle　habit。　They　knew　not　that　the　Great　Stone　Face　had　become　a
  teacher　to　him；　and　that　the　sentiment　which　was　expressed　in　it　would
  enlarge　the　young　man's　heart；　and　fill　it　with　wider　and　deeper
  sympathies　than　other　hearts。　They　knew　not　that　thence　would　come　a
  better　wisdom　than　could　be　learned　from　books；　and　a　better　life　than
  could　be　moulded　on　the　defaced　example　of　other　human　lives。
  Neither　did　Ernest　know　that　the　thoughts　and　affections　which　came　to
  him　so　naturally；　in　the　fields　and　at　the　fireside；　and　wherever　he
  communed　with　himself；　were　of　a　higher　tone　than　those　which　all
  men　shared　with　him。　A　simple　soul…　simple　as　when　his　mother　first
  taught　him　the　old　prophecy…　he　beheld　the　marvellous　features　beaming
  adown　the　valley；　and　still　wondered　that　their　human　counterpart
  was　so　long　in　making　his　appearance。
  By　this　time　poor　Mr。　Gathergold　was　dead　and　buried；　and　the
  oddest　part　of　the　matter　was；　that　his　wealth；　which　was　the　body　and
  spirit　of　his　existence；　had　disappeared　before　his　death；　leaving
  nothing　of　him　but　a　living　skeleton；　covered　over　with　a　wrinkled；
  yellow　skin。　Since　the　melting　away　of　his　gold；　it　had　been　very
  generally　conceded　that　there　was　no　such　striking　resemblance；
  after　all；　betwixt　the　ignoble　features　of　the　ruined　merchant　and
  that　majestic　face　upon　the　mountain…side。　So　the　people　ceased　to
  honor　him　during　his　lifetime；　and　quietly　consigned　him　to
  forgetfulness　after　his　decease。　Once　in　a　while；　it　is　true；　his
  memory　was　brought　up　in　connection　with　the　magnificent　palace
  which　he　had　built；　and　which　had　long　ago　been　turned　into　a　hotel
  for　the　accommodation　of　strangers；　multitudes　of　whom　came；　every
  summer；　to　visit　that　famous　natural　curiosity；　the　Great　Stone
  Face。　Thus；　Mr。　Gathergold　being　discredited　and　thrown　into　the
  shade；　the　man　of　prophecy　was　yet　to　come。
  It　so　happened　that　a　native…born　son　of　the　valley；　many　years
  before；　had　enlisted　as　a　soldier；　and；　after　a　great　deal　of　hard
  fighting；　had　now　become　an　illustrious　commander。　Whatever　he　may
  be　called　in　history；　he　was　known　in　camps　and　on　the　battle…field
  under　the　nickname　of　Old　Blood…and…Thunder。　This　war…worn　veteran；
  being　now　infirm　with　age　and　wounds；　and　weary　of　the　turmoil　of　a
  military　life；　and　of　the　roll　of　the　drum　and　the　clangor　of　the
  trumpet；　that　had　so　long　been　ringing　in　his　ears；　had　lately
  signified　a　purpose　of　returning　to　his　native　valley；　hoping　to
  find　repose　where　he　remembered　to　have　left　it。　The　inhabitants；
  his　old　neighbors　and　their　grown…up　children；　were　resolved　to
  welcome　the　renowned　warrior　with　a　salute　of　cannon　and　a　public
  dinner；　and　all　the　more　enthusiastically；　it　being　affirmed　that　now；
  at　last；　the　likeness　of　the　Great　Stone　Face　had　actually　appeared。
  An　aid…de…camp　of　Old　Blood…and…Thunder；　travelling　through　the
  valley；　was　said　to　have　been　struck　with　the　resemblance。　Moreover；
  the　schoolmates　and　early　acquaintances　of　the　general　were　ready　to
  testify；　on　oath；　that；　to　the　best　of　their　recollection；　the
  aforesaid　general　had　been　exceedingly　like　the　majestic　image；　even
  when　a　boy；　only　that　the　idea　had　never　occurred　to　them　at　that
  period。　Great；　therefore；　was　the　excitement　throughout　the　valley；
  and　many　people；　who　had　never　once　thought　of　glancing　at　the　Great
  Stone　Face　for　years　before；　now　spent　their　time　in　gazing　at　it；　for
  the　sake　of　knowing　exactly　how　General　Blood…and…Thunder　looked。
  On　the　day　of　the　great　festival；　Ernest；　with　all　the　other　people
  of　the　valley；　left　their　work；　and　proceeded　to　the　spot　where　the
  sylvan　banquet　was　prepared。　As　he　approached；　the　loud　voice　of　the
  Reverend　Doctor　Battleblast　was　heard；　beseeching　a　blessing　on　the
  good　things　set　before　them；　and　on　the　distinguished　friend　of
  peace　in　whose　honor　they　were　assembled。　The　tables　were　arranged
  in　a　cleared　space　of　the　woods；　shut　in　by　the　surrounding　trees；
  except　where　a　vista　opened　eastward；　and　afforded　a　distant　vie