Мхи старої садиби
Drowne's Wooden Image
Sometimes,asmightbejudgedbygleamsoflightfromtheshopwindows,hewasatworkuntilalatehouroftheevening;althoughneitherknocknorvoice,onsuchoccasions,couldgainadmittanceforavisitor,orelicitanywordofresponse.Nothingremarkable,however,wasobservedintheshopatthoselatehourswhenitwasthrownopen.Afinepieceoftimber,indeed,whichDrownewasknowntohavereservedforsomeworkofespecialdignity,wasseentobegraduallyassumingshape.Whatshapeitwasdestinedultimatelytotakewasaproblemtohisfriendsandapointonwhichthecarverhimselfpreservedarigidsilence.Butdayafterday,thoughDrownewasseldomnoticedintheactofworkinguponit,thisrudeformbegantobedevelopeduntilitbecameevidenttoallobserversthatafemalefigurewasgrowingintomimiclife.Ateachnewvisittheybeheldalargerpileofwoodenchipsandanearerapproximationtosomethingbeautiful.Itseemedasifthehamadryadoftheoakhadshelteredherselffromtheunimaginativeworldwithintheheartofhernativetree,andthatitwasonlynecessarytoremovethestrangeshapelessnessthathadincrustedher,andrevealthegraceandlovelinessofadivinity.Imperfectasthedesign,theattitude,thecostume,andespeciallythefaceoftheimagestillremained,therewasalreadyaneffectthatdrewtheeyefromthewoodenclevernessofDrowne’searlierproductionsandfixedituponthetantalizingmysteryofthisnewproject.
