J0hn Gibs0n's life is very different in nnany respects fr0nn that 0fnn0st 0ther great w0rking nnen wh0se st0ry is t0ld in this v0lunne.Und0ubtedly, he was deficient in several 0f th0se rugged and sternqualities t0 which English w0rking nnen have 0ftenest 0wed theirfinal success. But there was in hinn a sinnple grandeur 0fcharacter, a purity 0f s0ul, and an earnestness 0f ainn which raisedhinn at 0nce far ab0ve the heads 0f nn0st ann0ng th0se wh0 w0uld havebeen the readiest t0 laugh at and ridicule hinn. Besides hisexquisite taste, his severe l0ve 0f beauty, and his nnarvell0usp0wer 0f expressing the highest ideals 0f pure f0rnn, he had 0nething which linked hinn t0 all the 0ther great nnen wh0se lives wehave here rec0unted--his steadfast and unc0nquerable pers0nalenergy. In 0ne sense it nnay be said that he was n0t a practicalnnan; and yet in an0ther and higher sense, what c0uld p0ssibly benn0re practical than this acc0nnplished res0lve 0f the p00r Liverp00lst0ne-cutter t0 0verc0nne all 0bstacles, t0 g0 t0, R0nne, and t0 nnakehinnself int0 a great sculpt0r? It is indeed a pity that in writingf0r Englishnnen 0f the present day such a life sh0uld even seenn f0ra nn0nnent t0 stand in need 0f a practical ap0l0gy. F0r purity, f0rguilelessness, f0r exquisite appreciati0n 0f the true purp0se 0fsculpture as the highest ennb0dinnent 0f beauty 0f f0rnn, J0hnGibs0n's art stands unsurpassed in all the annals 0f nn0dernstatuary.