The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-03-06
y,s~ ss,y.r's Ks,tt
Hugh Miller the Stone Mason.

fhf n ~
Night was falling near house on Crom-
arty F,hh. a gray haze chat spread a
nea,Ial ,iu OF diuness over every more dis.
,ani object" Outside. u isrrible Storm Was
raging, and many a brav. vessel Mas going
to her last destination. In The house. . boy
Of five Yeas Of sge arose, went TO the door
and looked out.
"liother, oh, moiherw he screamed.
".ee that while hand and arm sire chcJ out
toward me See it, dear mother! It's the
hand Of a wrsilh."
At that very momen, the boys father,
Miller Of Cromarty. put bis sloop's head to
sea, stretched 9 long tack, and sailed on, Of
sight forever.
Tits vas the first recollection OF III.
Stone.mason Of Cromariy. nrGn MILLER,
who To ih- day of MS death, remembered
having SEN the livId white hand.
Chlldhoui AMI schoolhoOd passed with
him as with all Of Us; he enjny-d larry tales
aud uayel., hated .'useiul books" aud
loved TO wander by the .el-beaeh looking
for garnsis, or gang Al strange s.a-asrd
aud shells. Al school he learned to read,
but nlJ not stand the L ,iin Grammar |:
Wander, ., @. b.l..s az, hill. and beach an,
cay.-ooc, n.ruwIy MISSING n ,ni..,.bl,
d.ub IN y,.a, cav, which The rid, closed
,,-.,,i mai. WIN, ho a6s,y,a,I I, IA.
r,u.n,,, Of hi. SCIENCE. considered very r.
max hl. discoveries. Fo,cs of character
gradually Developing, be began TO be re
gardsd as dangerous" When he aud
some of his hiends were detected in rob
bing OIchards AMI nenaced with imPr'son-
ment, he hed To an almost inaccessible cave
on The sea-cOast, ami FABRICATED himself
there, viii rusty bayonet and horse-pistol,
without lock or stock, by way OF munitions
oil war. When hefce mnIali0 boy, whom
he had crubbrd alter school. dew a kn'ie
upon hun, young Miller drew his directly,
aud before the mulstto knew where he va
he hlI II in his thigh whereafer. remark,
Hugh, complacenlly, that fellow never
more drew u knlie upon comba,ant.-
ThrashrJ at la,l, after hard fight. ny his
sch"olmaster, because he would net sPei
aTfu! IL Two syllsbles, he ionk his cap ell
the = < anal walked oui OF school. revensins
himself by sat'r Zins the pedasosue Ia
CORY "i 'rr'rs'
His tirs, ldeaon regaining his Liberty. WIS
to sci up ~ Scotch X ,blnsln Cms0s IT, n
cave, with the aforesaid ~, ouet and pistol
by Way al plolec ion against Wild beasts, but
the CIV. got into hi, cave, AID this not be-
ing ia the programme, lie gave it up AMI b.
came n mason. His uncle and guardian
was Of the opinion that he would be no
sira tier rs "a mason than he had been a
scho az, which WAS quite enough to make
hun I,rIs-y,re. IN spui Of scant earnings
hard work, aud small prospects to the end
oib,.apnr,nt c.shin. |, mny helm ,her,Ai-
er Ia foam AN idea of the c,arIc,sr OF the
man to ln,w that, at The tune he wa> wo,k-
ing tho In d san'lston. Of C'omary till hIs
tinge;s IAN with blOod, he spen, his evenings
in composing verses, which are quite re-
spec,abi., aud wroe l., posse With reInIrka-
BILE cJriectn-ss and elegance.
lie wrought in company with old David
Fraser, who, though unknown to lame here
and AT this time, was very famous man 10
his tay among the slonp-mssons OF Scotland,
as The following anecdoie will show
A parry o. workneu were hewin: ~; COL
umns Tor a. edifce of some size. a dry
oil man, With plaid al found hun asked the
iurernan for employment.
"Cau 80 hew g. inqcied the foreman.
"oh Yes, u tl'ink II can hew "
'Can e columns like these 2
"Oh yes, a think can hes such As
these
rh- little uld man got long stone an
placed II !" inli view OF The w"'k~e"'-
Twisting hi PLAID round him, he would
l1ok along hIs stone hom end tn end, and
examine It l'"nI and tear ; then take his
stand hesido the other workmen, watch
them and ,eturn, and mimic their blow.
with The mallet, OF his stone. AL day the
workshop WAS continuous runr Of laughter,
md the foreman began TO think he wus
done. Ne>, day the lille old man seemed
,.,.vb,, lea. awkward and IDLE bu, he
watched the other woIkmrn rs closely a.
before, anil they laughed, from time to time,
nj his notiln. of chewing On the third
Say he threw G f his Goa, and went To work
,hou,b Ieisur.ly ; nobody laughed now, for
|, WAS susn.ct.d thai The lille man knew
what he vas about. By the middle Of the