Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1842-08-11
MfaeeHamr0iis.
THE r MINERS LEAP.
A wEsrERs SCENE.

! ols hoy tie mother loses The child she nursed
Il was fine morning m August, whel
J little. Samuel Eaton Was about seventeen
n cid. that he was making dam in tho b7doI
/ that ran before Bill father door. He Ia
an only and beRhtifuichiId, bis mother al
most idolizipg him. There be was, Will
j ms trousers tucked Up above bis knees
working like beaver, bis mother bolt
eye cleaning out from benea4h his son
busnl hair. and with some Of his father
strength Augging at large stoue'in the be-
Of the stream, Sammy, you'd bette
come in had Of We Hasaid Hannah, I'll
tone half l1other, and half mate. Np-o
guess not yet said Samuel.
An acorn cape floating o. the water
the boy took il up---Iooksd a. it--wa,
pleased, and 'reekoned 10 Ills mind there
!. TsEe trnote up the Gully. add when iii.
mothers back vas TUNED, off he started
for the acorns. The gorge Of The moan
tain nto.whieh f~Tas about 10 enter had
been formed { q work OF centuries BY
THE anriSien Qfot stream be hadi Just been
fnlaying ir--anIE Walking 90 a level that
5ordered esch side ofithe water, he bold
ly entered the raYiae. An almost per-
peHdicular wall oF bank assembled on each
Eside. 10 the height of a hundred feet,
fcomposed of cFpgs and Crooks, fitted
by decay and storm into fantastic shape
aud position. 4 few scattered bushes
and trees sought noufishment from The
earth that bad faten from the levelaboyc.
and excepting ikeir assistance and TIE
unseen surface Of the rock, this natural
parapet seemed INACCESSIBLE but 10 bitd
and TO beast. About n eighth Of a mile
from ihe entrancs. cataract closed the
gorge, throwing UP itsHwhite veil 81 mist.
ia seeming goaraianship Of The spirit Of
1 hs waters .s Ess ystSAp s s dfRaq
bed below while 50 lofty was the dis
lance they seemed 10 grow out Of the
sky, blue patches of which wereto be seeH
peeping between them.
Hannah Eaton soon missed her boy,
bat he had ofien wandered 10 the fields
where his father was al work, she CON
cluded be must he there, and checked
coming fears with the. hope thathe would
return at tae hsar Of dinner. When he
came, neither Josiah nor any Of bis men
knew where hs was. Then the ag;tated
mother exchanged He's los, he's LOST !
and my poor ;boy win starve and die in
the woodsl' Gathering courage she hasts
ly summoned FER family around her, and
despatched them all but her hussandt 70
search in Different directions in the neigh
boring fotest 10 him she said 'scour
/ every field yoiis can cali your-owf, end il
/ you cant find Sim join fpe in the goTgk
He youldn,, ego TO the gorge, Hannah.
/ He would ~ any where. She know
/ not khy, but q breseutiment that the bly,
| had followed tse course Of the stream,
dwell strongly On her mind. li
+ .Iean't find lin, Hannah. said the. hps-
lband as be rejoined her not far from the
mouth Of the serge.
! An eagle fiew past The mether ts she
| .ntered the raFshe. She thought 10 her
sell. the dreadful birds are tearing my
4 child 10 pieces: and ffantic. she fastened
On, making Tie, walls Of the cavern echo
back with the screams for her offspring.
Her only snswer was the eternal thunder
OF the cataract ragingNas 10 mockeIy d
wo, and fingiiigl lis eSId spray upon bel
bot and throbbshg temples. Fool that
ana, how canha hear me: She strained
q hereyes along ,.le7dizzy height tbatp eered
the mist ill sbg could look 40 longer, and
| her eyes flled with tears
4 Who but mother can tell ihelfeelingl
: or mothers hsartl Fear fell thick ant
fast upon the rseling brain Of Hanna6.--
ltOh, my boy-~ny brave boy will die,
and writing Der hands in agony, she
/ sank 10 her haseand's feet.
| The pin Of hope deferred bad strained
her heart strings 70 the seyerest tension
and itsesmsd Is II the rude hand Of des'
.. pair bad broksss them All.
The erri6efaasband threw water apor
her pale face, lsS strcye BY III The srfs b
! knew to win Yer back 10 life. Az les
she opened her lsnguid eyes. stared sild
" around, and rose irefnbling tot her feet
As she thus sto0d, like heart broker
Niobe. s.aIl teaSp iragmento q fock cam
!. ltQmbling downllhe opposite bank. Sh'
looked up. A! wild scream|of Joy burs
Iron her lips She was herself one
! more. for halfway up she ascent stood he
D own dear boY.l
i Buteven whslethe glad CRY was issue'
: from the lips,E itturned into alnote ofkor
!. lror-.Oh, msrsy--mefcy.
: The crsg On which the boy stood, PRO
! lieeted from fha solids. rock inHsuch VS.
! ssaohang s5auitwelye steeioxer the hank
/. Right below one Of the edges Of THIS cras
partly concealed among some bushes
cronched q panther.
i The bola youth was aware Of the psox
Unity Of bis pFrents, and the presence
9 bis dangerous enemy. at about the sam
Itine. He had rolled down the stone !
; exullation, ID convince bis parents of n
Ihieh-ssasion hi had attained. and be slQo
q viii another ID bis hand drawing II bae
and locking 81 them. q Il 10 ask rhethi