THE BLOCK OF MARBLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 569, 23 January 1929, Page 7

THE BLOCK OF MARBLE

AND HOW A VISION MATERIALISED In the neglected corner of an old garden lay a yellow and mutilated block of marble. Many years before an artist had tried to carve an image in the stone, but. having failed, cast it aside as useless. So it was forgotten by all but the white-haired keeper of the place and his only friend, a boy, who often came to sit with him during the summer evenings. “If I could only learn to be a sculptor,” once said the boy wistfully to his companion. “Although I know it is but a foolish wish, for I have neither stone nor tools with which to try my skill,” he added sadly. The keeper was silent a moment, while only the silvery tinkle of a fountain broke the stillness and moonlight bathed the garden in splendour. “You might have that block of marble there,” he said at last, “for no one else wants it. Perhaps I could find you some tools, too, which the artist who lived here left behind him.” “Do you really mean it!” exclaimed the boy, with delight. “Yes,” answered his friend. “and to-morrow I will help you set it up behind the grape-arbour, where you can hew away as much as you please.” In the days that followed tlie boy worked from early morning until the sun went down, striving to carve in the rough stone the vision that was in his heart. Many times he became discouraged, and felt that because be knew so little the labour was wasted after all. But with the morning light he set bravely to his task again, and toiled on courageously. And then at last it was finished. “Come and see what I have tried to make,” he begged the keeper. “I meant to chisel out a figure of the shepherd lad, David,” he exclaimed, timidly, “as it seems to me he must have looked, when he faced the giant Goliath, with his sling.” “It is beautiful,” murmured the old man as if to himself; and then aloud: “Boy, this cannot remain hidden in a deserted garden. Others must see it too, and 1 shall bring them here.” Soon, many people came to admire the statue. So many, in fact, that the governor of the city gave orders that it should be set on a pedestal in the market place, where all who passed might look on the work of the unknown. “And the wonder is,” exclaimed an onlooker to his friends, “that the figure was sculptured from a broken block of marble, which no one wanted, and other artists had cast aside!” “Aye, sir,” interrupted the whitehaired keeper, who was standing near, to this artist the marble was not a. useless stone, because he had the true vision of beauty in his heart.”