potentates-afterithadmadehimknownallovertheworld，evenas
avoicecryingfromshoretoshore-itfinallypersuadedhis
countrymentoselecthimforthepresidency。Beforethistime-indeed，
assoonashebegantogrowcelebrated-hisadmirershadfoundoutthe
resemblancebetweenhimandtheGreatStoneFace；andsomuchwere
theystruckbyit，thatthroughoutthecountrythisdistinguished
gentlemanwasknownbythenameofOldStonyPhiz。Thephrasewas
consideredasgivingahighlyfavorableaspecttohispolitical
prospects；for，asislikewisethecasewiththePopedom，nobody
everbecomespresidentwithouttakinganameotherthanhisown。
Whilehisfriendsweredoingtheirbesttomakehimpresident，
OldStonyPhiz，ashewascalled，setoutonavisittothevalley
wherehewasborn。Ofcourse，hehadnootherobjectthantoshake
handswithhisfellow-citizens，andneitherthoughtnorcaredabout
anyeffectwhichhisprogressthroughthecountrymighthaveupon
theelection。Magnificentpreparationsweremadetoreceivethe
illustriousstatesman；acavalcadeofhorsemensetforthtomeethim
attheboundarylineofthestate，andallthepeoplelefttheir
businessandgatheredalongthewaysidetoseehimpass。Amongthese
wasErnest。Thoughmorethanoncedisappointed，aswehaveseen，he
hadsuchahopefulandconfidingnature，thathewasalwaysreadyto
believeinwhateverseemedbeautifulandgood。Hekepthisheart
continuallyopen，andthuswassuretocatchtheblessingfromon
high，whenitshouldcome。Sonowagain，asbuoyantlyasever，hewent
forthtobeholdthelikenessoftheGreatStoneFace。
Thecavalcadecameprancingalongtheroad，withagreatclattering
ofhoofsandamightycloudofdust，whichroseupsodenseandhigh
thatthevisageofthemountain-sidewascompletelyhiddenfrom
Ernest’seyes。Allthegreatmenoftheneighborhoodwerethereon
horseback：militiaofficers，inuniform；thememberofCongress；the
sheriffofthecounty；theeditorsofnewspapers；andmanyafarmer，
too，hadmountedhispatientsteed，withhisSundaycoatuponhis
back。Itreallywasaverybrilliantspectacle，especiallyasthere
werenumerousbannersflauntingoverthecavalcade，onsomeofwhich
weregorgeousportraitsoftheillustriousstatesmanandtheGreat
StoneFace，smilingfamiliarlyatoneanother，liketwobrothers。If
thepicturesweretobetrusted，themutualresemblance，itmustbe
confessed，wasmarvellous。Wemustnotforgettomentionthatthere
wasabandofmusic，whichmadetheechoesofthemountainsringand
reverberatewiththeloudtriumphofitsstrains；sothatairyand
soul-thrillingmelodiesbrokeoutamongalltheheightsandhollowsas
ifeverynookofhisnativevalleyhadfoundavoicetowelcomethe
distinguishedguest。Butthegrandesteffectwaswhenthefar-off
mountain-precipiceflungbackthemusic；forthentheGreatStoneFace
itselfseemedtobeswellingthetriumphantchorus，in
acknowledgmentthat，atlength，themanofprophecywascome。
Allthiswhilethepeoplewerethrowinguptheirhatsandshouting，
withenthusiasmsocontagiousthattheheartofErnestkindledup，and
helikewisethrewuphishat，andshouted，asloudlyastheloudest，
“Huzzaforthegreatman！HuzzaforOldStonyPhiz！”Butasyethehad
notseenhim。
“Hereheis，now！”criedthosewhostoodnearErnest。“There！
There！LookatOldStonyPhizandthenattheOldManoftheMountain，
andseeiftheyarenotaslikeastwotwin-brothers！”
Inthemidstofallthisgallantarray，cameanopenbarouche，
drawnbyfourwhitehorses；andinthebarouche，withhismassivehead
uncovered，sattheillustriousstatesman，OldStonyPhizhimself。
“Confessit。”saidoneofErnest’sneighborstohim，“theGreat
StoneFacehasmetitsmatchatlast！”
Now，itmustbeownedthat，athisfirstglimpseofthecountenance
whichwasbowingandsmilingfromthebarouche，Ernestdidfancy
thattherewasaresemblancebetweenitandtheoldfamiliarfaceupon
themountain-side。Thebrow，withitsmassivedepthandloftiness，and
alltheotherfeatures，indeed，wereboldlyandstronglyhewn，asif
inemulationofamorethanheroic，ofaTitanicmodel。Butthe
sublimityandstateliness，thegrandexpressionofadivine
sympathy，thatilluminatedthemountain-visage，andetherealizedits
ponderousgranitesubstanceintospirit，mightherebesoughtinvain。
Somethinghadbeenoriginallyleftout，orhaddeparted。Andtherefore
themarvellouslygiftedstatesmanhadalwaysawearygloominthedeep
cavernsofhiseyes，asofachildthathasoutgrownitsplaythings，
oramanofmightyfacultiesandlittleaims，whoselife，withallits
highperformances，wasvagueandempty，becausenohighpurposehad
endoweditwithreality。
Still，Ernest’sneighborwasthrustinghiselbowintohisside，and
pressinghimforananswer。
“Confess！confess！IsnothetheverypictureofyourOldManof
theMountain？”
“No！”saidErnest，bluntly，“Iseelittleornolikeness。”
“ThensomuchtheworsefortheGreatStoneFace！”answeredhis
neighbor；andagainhesetupashoutforOldStonyPhiz。
ButErnestturnedaway。melancholy，andalmostdespondent；forthis
wasthesaddestofhisdisappointments，tobeholdamanwhomighthave
fulfilledtheprophecy，andhadnotwilledtodoso。Meantime，the
cavalcade，thebanners，themusic，andthebarouches，sweptpast
him，withthevociferouscrowdintherear，leavingthedusttosettle
down，andtheGreatStoneFacetoberevealedagain，withthegrandeur
thatithadwornforuntoldcenturies。
“Lo，hereIam，Ernest！”thebenignlipsseemedtosay。“Ihave
waitedlongerthanthou，andamnotyetweary。Fearnot；theman
willcome。”
Theyearshurriedonward，treadingintheirhasteonone
another’sheels。Andnowtheybegantobringwhitehairs，and
scatterthemovertheheadofErnest；theymadereverendwrinkles
acrosshisforehead，andfurrowsinhischeeks。Hewasanagedman。
Butnotinvainhadhegrownold：morethanthewhitehairsonhis
headwerethesagethoughtsinhismind；hiswrinklesandfurrowswere
inscriptionsthatTimehadgraved，andinwhichhehadwrittenlegends
ofwisdomthathadbeentestedbythetenorofalife。AndErnest
hadceasedtobeobscure。Unsoughtfor，undesired，hadcomethefame
whichsomanyseek，andmadehimknowninthegreatworld，beyond
thelimitsofthevalleyinwhichhehaddweltsoquietly。College
professors，andeventheactivemenofcities，camefromfartosee
andconversewithErnest；forthereporthadgoneabroadthatthis
simplehusbandmanhadideasunlikethoseofothermen，notgainedfrom
books，butofahighertone-atranquilandfamiliarmajesty，asifhe
hadbeentalkingwiththeangelsashisdailyfriends。Whetheritwere
sage，statesman，orphilanthropist，Ernestreceivedthesevisitors
withthegentlesinceritythathadcharacterizedhimfromboyhood，and
spokefreelywiththemofwhatevercameuppermost，orlaydeepestin
hisheartortheirown。Whiletheytalkedtogether，hisfacewould
kindle，unawares，andshineuponthem，aswithamildeveninglight。
Pensivewiththefulnessofsuchdiscourse，hisgueststookleave
andwenttheirway；and，passingupthevalley，pausedtolookat
theGreatStoneFace，imaginingthattheyhadseenitslikenessina
humancountenance，butcouldnotrememberwhere。
WhileErnesthadbeengrowingupandgrowingold，abountiful
Providencehadgrantedanewpoettothisearth。He，likewise，wasa
nativeofthevalleybuthadspentthegreaterpartofhislifeata
distancefromthatromanticregion，pouringouthissweetmusicamid
thebustleanddinofcities。Often，however，didthemountains
whichhadbeenfamiliartohiminhischildhoodlifttheirsnowypeaks
intotheclearatmosphereofhispoetry。NeitherwastheGreatStone
Faceforgotten，forthepoethadcelebrateditinanode，whichwas
grandenoughtohavebeenutteredbyitsownmajesticlips。Thisman
ofgenius，wemaysay，hadcomedownfromheavenwithwonderful
endowments。Ifhesangofamountain，theeyesofallmankindbehelda
mightiergrandeurreposingonitsbreast，orsoaringtoitssummit，
thanhadbeforebeenseenthere。Ifhisthemewerealovelylake，a
celestialsmilehadnowbeenthrownoverit，togleamforeveronits
surface。Ifitwerethevastoldsea，eventhedeepimmensityofits
dreadbosomseemedtoswellthehigher，asifmovedbytheemotionsof
thesong。Thustheworldassumedanotherandabetteraspectfrom
thehourthatthepoetblesseditwithhishappyeyes。TheCreatorhad
bestowedhim，asthelast，besttouchtohisownhandiwork。Creation
wasnotfinishedtillthepoetcametointerpret，andsocompleteit。
Theeffectwasnolesshighandbeautiful，whenhishuman
brethrenwerethesubjectofhisverse。Themanorwoman，sordid
withthecommondustoflife，whocrossedhisdailypath，andthe
littlechildwhoplayedinit，wereglorifiedifhebeheldtheminhis
moodofpoeticfaith。Heshowedthegoldenlinksofthegreatchain
thatintertwinedthemwithanangelickindred；hebroughtoutthe
hiddentraitsofacelestialbirththatmadethemworthyofsuch
kin。Some，indeed，therewere，whothoughttoshowthesoundnessof
theirjudgmentbyaffirmingthatallthebeautyanddignityofthe
naturalworldexistedonlyinthepoet’sfancy。Letsuchmenspeakfor
themselves，whoundoubtedlyappeartohavebeenspawnedforthby
Naturewithacontemptuousbitterness；shehavingplasteredthemup
outofherrefusestuff，afteralltheswineweremade。Asrespects
allthingselse，thepoet’sidealwasthetruesttruth。
ThesongsofthispoetfoundtheirwaytoErnest。Hereadthem，
afterhiscustomarytoil，seatedonthebenchbeforehiscottagedoor，
where，forsuchalengthoftime，hehadfilledhisreposewith
thoughtbygazingattheGreatStoneFace。Andnow，ashereadstanzas
thatcausedthesoultothrillwithinhim，heliftedhiseyestothe
vastcountenancebeamingonhimsobenignantly。
“O，majesticfriend。”hemurmured，addressingtheGreatStoneFace，
“isnotthismanworthytoresemblethee？”
TheFaceseemedtosmile，butanswerednotaword。
Nowithappenedthatthepoet，thoughhedweltsofaraway，hadnot
onlyheardofErnest，buthadmeditatedmuchuponhischaracter，until
hedeemednothingsodesirableastomeetthisman，whoseuntaught
wisdomwalkedhandinhandwiththenoblesimplicityofhislife。
Onesummermorning，therefore，hetookpassagebytherailroad，and，
inthedeclineoftheafternoon，alightedfromthecarsatnogreat
distancefromErnest’scottage。Thegreathotel，whichhadformerly
beenthepalaceofMr。Gathergold，wascloseathand，butthepoet
withhiscarpet-bagonhisarm，inquiredatoncewhereErnestdwelt，
andwasresolvedtobeacceptedashisguest。
Approachingthedoor，hetherefoundthegoodoldman，holdinga
volumeinhishand，whichalternatelyheread，andthen，withafinger
betweentheleaves，lookedlovinglyattheGreatStoneFace。
“Goodevening。”saidthepoet。“Canyougiveatravellera
night’slodging？”’
“Willingly。”answeredErnest；andthenheadded，smiling，“Methinks
IneversawtheGreatStoneFacelooksohospitablyatastranger。”
Thepoetsatdownonthebenchbesidehim，andheandErnesttalked
together。Oftenhadthepoetheldintercoursewiththewittiestand
thewisest，butneverbeforewithamanlikeErnest，whosethoughts
andfeelingsgushedupwithsuchanaturalfreedom，andwhomadegreat
truthssofamiliarbyhissimpleutteranceofthem。Angels，ashad
beensooftensaid，seemedtohavewroughtwithhimathislaborin
thefields；angelsseemedtohavesatwithhimbythefireside；and，
dwellingwithangelsasfriendwithfriends，hehadimbibedthe
sublimityoftheirideas，andimbueditwiththesweetandlowlycharm
ofhouseholdwords。Sothoughtthepoet。AndErnest，ontheother
hand，wasmovedandagitatedbythelivingimageswhichthepoetflung
outofhismind，andwhichpeopledalltheairaboutthe
cottage-doorwithshapesofbeauty，bothgayandpensive。The
sympathiesofthesetwomeninstructedthemwithaprofoundersense
thaneithercouldhaveattainedalone。Theirmindsaccordedintoone
strain，andmadedelightfulmusicwhichneitherofthemcouldhave
claimedasallhisown，nordistinguishedhisownsharefromthe
other’s。Theyledoneanother，asitwere，intoahighpavilionof
theirthoughts，soremote，andhithertosodim，thattheyhadnever
entereditbefore，andsobeautifulthattheydesiredtobethere
always。
AsErnestlistenedtothepoet，heimaginedthattheGreatStone
Facewasbendingforwardtolistentoo。Hegazedearnestlyintothe
poet’sglowingeyes。
“Whoareyou，mystrangelygiftedguest？”hesaid。
ThepoetlaidhisfingeronthevolumethatErnesthadbeen
reading。
“Youhavereadthesepoems。”saidhe。“Youknowme，then-forI
wrotethem。”