Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 6.djvu/175

 OUR NATION'S VALHALLA.

��155

��1 746-181 1." Cast at Paris, 1874. E. Palmer.

George Clinton, of New York, died in Washington in 18 io, while Vice Pres- ident of the United States. A native of Ulster county, and Member of Con- gress in '76, he voted for the Declara- tion of Independence, but his duties as Brigadier-General called him away ere its signature ; for eighteen consecu- tive years governor of his native state. Those forming years of its history are the story of his life. After retiring to pri- vate life he was again reelected to the same office.

In color the bronze effigy is light and brassy, but bronze improves with age. The pose is an easy military rest, the right hand on the hilt of the narrow, sheathed sword, from which cord and tassels are pendent ; the left drops to the side holding the gloves. The face, turned slightly toward the right shoul- der, as all its features, is well rounded rather than full ; the hair puffed over and cut to cover the ears, drawn back on top and tied with a small string at the tip of the cue, and a wide ribbon bow at the nape of the neck. There are epaulets on the shoulders, a wide cravat, double ruffles at the breast as at the wrists where the rounded sleeve cuff has three buttons. The high-col- lared military coat to the knees, is closed over the chest by two buttons, falls back to show the long vest with small, figured buttons, one on the pock- et-welt, the skirt cut away at the sides ; seal and watch-key pendent against a wide short ribbon below the vest on the right side, tight breeches to the knees, with five buttons on the outer sides above the oval buckle of the gar- ter ; low shoes with short buckles. The plinth bears the name : H. R. Brown. Rolt, Wood & Co., Philadelphia.

We may call the next Toleration — representing Roger Williams as a well- formed, youthful figure, the left foot advanced, a small heap of stones the relief. A book, the cover inscribed "Soul Liberty, 1630," is pressed to the heart by the left hand ; the extended right hand falls with open palm as if in

��the act of speaking. The somewhat narrow, beardless face, sad though determined, has a suggestion of im- maturity, though seen from' the loggia there is a well-befitting dreaminess about it. The nose is large and prominent, abundant hair, parted in the middle, brushed upward, curling on the shoulders, crowns the retreat- ing brow. About the neck the linen collar, pointed at the corners and some three inches wide, lies flat, tied with a cord and small tassels. The waistcoat is closed by small buttons set on a bar down the front and is extended by a flounce slightly pulled on, as if a care- ful mother or wife had hidden the worn front edges and eked out the length.

The outer garment is loose, with a rounded flat collar, a sort of cap at the top of the sleeves^and turn-over cuffs with pointed corners at the wrists, and falls to the ribbon garters tying the full bag-breeches, with bows at the sides. The shoes are low-heeled, square-toed, laced through two holes in each lap, with — you are sure — a leather cord, tied in a long loop on top of the high instep. The name is on the entabla- ture, that of Rhode Island on the fine pedestal of red granite — Franklin Sim- mons, Sculpt. 1870.

A MAJOR GENERAL.

Rhode Island's Quaker-born Greene, the man who, next to Washington, did most to secure the independence of the Nation, stands last on the right or west side of the Hall, — life size — not so tall as Roger Williams — the shortest of all save Baker — a very beau among the grave marbles — the pose of the fine plump figure being considered the most graceful of all. The head turns toward the right side, the left arm bearing a cloak [as shown by the line of embroid- ery on the bend of the neck] that falls to the feet, the forefinger in the tas- seled hilt of the sword held nearly to the shoulder, and slanting back ; the right arm " akimbo," the hand resting on the hip. The clean full face with rather prominent eyes and large nose, is intelligent and pleasing, the clipped

�� �