Chapter 25　Among America’s Best

Now I'm going to tell you about Saint-Gaudens. Saint-Gaudens wasn't a Christian martyr or an apostle；he wasn't a saint at all.His last name was Saint-Gaudens just as it might have been Adams or Von Hindenburg.His first name was Augustus.

When I told you Saint-Gaudens wasn't a saint, I didn't mean for you to think he was bad. Saint-Gaudens was a fine man and a very fine sculptor.

There is one way we know he was a truly great sculptor-his work is liked by so many different kinds of people. Young people and grown-ups alike praise the statues that Augustus Saint-Gaudens made.

Saint-Gaudens'first great statue was of Admiral Farragut. Admiral Farragut was an officer in the United States Navy during the Civil War.The statue, which stands in Madison Square Park in New York City, shows the admiral as he must have looked standing on the deck of his ship.His feet are apart to brace him against the roll of the ship on the sea.His coat is blown back by the wind.His cap is pulled tight on his head on account of the stiff sea breeze.His face is strong and he looks determined, as if he had made up his mind to win no matter what.

Now look at the pedestal on which the statue stands. Most pedestals are just big blocks