The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1882-11-16
The Goat-Herd Who Became q Great
Sculptor.

The story of the early life of Law
son, the eminent sculptor, is full of in
terest to working men and their fam
lilies. His father was miner, as were
most of the inhabitants Of the beauti-
full valley among the mountains in
which he spent his childhood. Sud
denly one morning in June an alarm
bell intimated to the village that an
accident had occurred in the mine.
Immediately the road was filled with
crowds of people, and among them
was a boy of between twelve and
fourteen, who was ashy pale, his legs
trembling so that he could scarcely
move, but who nevertheless strained
every nerve to reach the mouth of the
pit. The waters had got into the mine,
and it was feared that all who were in
it were in danger of being drowned.
Frank Lawson's mother had died four
years before, and from that time his
father and he had been everything to
each other. His father was in the
flooded pit and he thought: "What
will become of me if I lose him too"
All hands were instantly set to work
to open fresh passage in the mine, so
as to rescue the unfortunate men as
soon as possible, but this could not be
accomplished in less than twenty-four
hours. Frank worked among the
hardest. His arm at last ceased, par
alyzed by eXertion, and he soon fell
down senseless. A poor man who
knew him, lifted him carefully and
carried him to his cottage, and when
he awoke it was to find that his father
was dead. He obtained a situ-
alton as shepherd boy with
a gentleman of large property in
the district in which the village stood.
Having at once entered on his duties,
he soon became great favorite with
his master, who found that although he
was so young he was thoroughly to be
trusted. One day, as he was sitting on
bank, feeling more than usually weary
and depressed, he chanced to put his
hand into his waistcoat pocket, and
there he found his old knife, which had
formerly given him so many hours of
enjoyment. He instantly set to work
and carved out the figures of the two
dogs in the wood. He was himself
pleased with the likenesses, and having
finished them brought them home with
him and laid them quietly on the table
in the house of the shepherd whom he
had been employed to assist. "What!'
exclaimed the man "why that's 'Bru-
no. and this is Snap;' do you mean to
say that you hayemade them9' eyes" ,"
said the young artist, 81 have indeed
carved them both myself, and I did it
on purpose for you, as thought you
wsuld be pleased to have a likeness of
your two favorites. His master, the
squire, had a number of fine sand
the youth very much wished to make
likeness of one of these-a beauti-
full Arab-but he found it difficult to
obtain the requisite opportunities of
observing the animal. He most fire.
quently saw it merely as it quickly
passed him with its owner on its back.
But he persevered and succeeded. When
he had accomplished hispurpose he was
one day standing at the gate of the
park, comparing his work with the
original; and, looking with satisfaction
on his production, he exclaimed: cit
is really like" "Like what?" asked a
voice just behind him. 1t was his
masters. This was the turning point
in the youths history. This gentleman
had business connection with Liver
pool as well as large estate in Wales,
and he was so much pleased with Law
sons skill, and the promise which it
showed, that he soon after arranged
that he should remove to that town
and pursue his studies under the G-
rection of sculptor there. In Liver
pool he experienced many difficulties
and not a few real hardships, but he
persevered and in the end was re-
Marded