The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-06-11
ESSAYS OF THE LINE SPRINGS
GRADUATING CLASS.
Friday, June 5th, 1891.
THE MARBLE WAITETH.
BY MADGE VAN LEUvES.

Ages ago marble was molten
mass pure and white in the center OF
the earth, which by various convoiu
tions of nature or volcanic agencies
has been poured out upon the earth'i
crust in veins or belts of various ex
tent and magnitude. or raised in tow
erirg pyramids of rock OF which
Mount Blanc. one of earth's granite
monuments. is q familiar example.
In NV ignorance would not pre-
sumo to tread upon geological ground
and discuss marble from its sclentlne
basis. but will simply take the fact
that when this world was fitted FOL
mans abode marble had its place,
and was included in the kingdom
over which man was to have domin.
ion.
Marble in the rough is crystallized
rock, and is composed OF pure carbaIl'
ate OF lime when white and OF oxide
of iron and other impurities wheI
colored.
After the marble is taken from the
quarries it undergoes O process called
The art Of sculpturing is of great
antiquity: the ancient Greeks are ad.
mitted to have excelled all other
nations in both ancient and modern
times. for their high attachments in
the art of sculpturing.
They used for their statues the
Pariah marble from the island OF
Paros in the Aegean Sea.
Their perfection in this art has
been ascribed to the regard paid to
the perfect development OF the hu-
man form and the prizes and honors
bestowed upon their athletes in their
public exercises and games, and also
their veneration for the gods, and
their desire to represent them in the
finest style of art; hence their
elegant sculptures of gods and
godcsses, in marble, for their groves
and temples.
We read that the blocks of marble
which formed the temple OF Solom On
were SO perfectly measured. num-
bered, hewn, and polished, at the
quarries that not a sound OF the ham,
mer was heard in its building.
The beautiful in nature and art
have had refining and purifying In
fluence upon the human race, and
the sculptor and artist have given to
the worlds gallery of fine art its
richest treasure leading mankind to
the knowledge of the beautiful in it's
highest and exalted form, which is
goodness.
1t is related of Michel Angelo that
when walking through the village
with friend they observed a block
Of rough marble lying at the road
side. A CLEAN of inspiration flashed
into the mind of Angelo, and as the
mental picture Of the possible which
10 4, in ha rnprfph cfnfn 0f his
feet lighted his countenance, he ex-
clailned-"There's all angel in that
block!
His friend saw only dat stained
stone but the great sculptor saw it
transformed into thing Of beauty,
an exquisite piece of statuary.
Marble is used in building and
decorating houses. We find it in
some form in nearly every house
from the well-to-do farmer to that Of
the millionaire. and in neaaly every
public building from the County
Court House to the State and Nation
al Capitol and in the Christian sane
tuary and pagan temple.
1t is used extensively for pave
mcnts in our cities, and for monu-
meets by nations and individuals in
honor of patriotism, heroism, and
nobility. Nor example l will men,
ton the Washington monument
which is the highest ever built by
man
1t is an obelisk in form $50 feet
high, built of white marble blocks
held together by masonry and iron.
In the inside are set about 100 blocks
of stone which have been presented
as a tribute to General Washington
from nearly every nation OF the
earth.
AS historian marble has been the
means of connecting the present with
the past.
Hidden for centuries it has been
brought forth from the ruins of burn
ed cities, and the strange characters
and pictures engraved upon the
eternal rock have told us of lost
race, q prehistoric age of which they
alone remain to testify that art and
science had their birth before sacred
or profane history.
1t isa rift in ihe darkness of the
past and fancy alone must people
and character this age, and then
close the book: for all that we can
know is that implements welded by
skilled hands must have wrought the
the work.
We enter the silent city, and
stand before the marble monument
which marks the resting place Of our
dead, ami with reverent fearful, eyes
read the inscription engraved there
on. Beautiful in its purity, adaman-
tine in its durability, perfect in its
design and polish, it is fit tribute to
the memory of our loved ones.
1t is evening. The sun fingers in
the horizon as though 10th to leave
q. scene SO beautiful for all day his
genial rays have rested upon earth's
first garden, and now the splendor of
an oriental sunset bathes it in flood
of golden light.
A great calm rests upon the earth;
for as yet no human voice has caused
a ripple in the ocean of air, no foot
fall has set in motion the wave of
sound
Alone in the garden is the Infinite
Sculptor, and before him lies his
work.
No marble statute could be more
cold and inanimate, none SO perfect
in design or exquisite in finish,
The marble waits the life giving
breath Of the sculptor to change it to
a living soul.
This is the only record Of created
man.
In all ages he has reached his maturi-
ty by growth, mentally and physically
and yet do not smile at my crude
fancy. Is there not similarity be-
tween marble in the sculptor's hands
and the development Of man?
The uncultivated mind is the mar
BILE in the rough. Childhood is the
plastic time when the model is form
ed. Year after year parents and
teachers are chiseing away bringing
out the different lines of character
that will beautify or mar the whole
statue.
Now and then comes bold stroke,
a thought, an inspiration is given
that will characterize it as master
piece and place it in the art gallery
of earth's heroes.
The advancement and intelligence
of q nation is founded upon its educa-
tional advantages and to our system
of public schools which is the best
in the world, our nation is indebted
for her prosperity.