The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1844-01-11
S'smber 8So1

An hear the voices, b0, hot ,hs words Of
Is terror striken companions below. What
mesgre chance to escape the destructien.
here is no retracing his steps ltis i'm.
ossible TO put his bands into tho sane
che with his feet and retain his slendee
,uld a moment. His companions iOaiani
y perceive This sow aud fearful dilemma.
md await his fall with emotions ,ba, frcze
heir young blood, lie is too high. too
faint, to ask for bic father and mother, his
brothers and sisters, 10 come end witness
or avert his destruction. But one Of his
anticipates his desire. Svil!
40 the wind he bounds down tho ohsnnel,
and the situation Of the fstsd boy is lod
upon his fathers hearth stoue.
Minute, Of almost eternal length toll on,
and there are hundreds standing ia thar
rocky channel, and hundreds on the bridge
above, all holding their breath, awaiting
the fearful caIasrophel'rhs poor boy hears
the hum Of new and nnme,ous voices
both above and below. lie can iua dis.
tuguisk the tones Of his father Who is
shouting with all the energy Of despair.
Villa nj William! Doo't look down.
Your mother aud Henry and Harrie, are all
here praying for youI Don'l look down
keep your eye towards the top The boy
ldid'nl look down. His eye is fixed like
din, towards Hesven. and his young heart
lon H i'm who reigns there. lie erasps ngain
This knife. He Gus, another niche. and
I another foo, s added TO ihs hundreds tha,
remove him from the reach Of human help
from below. How carefully he uses his
wasting bstel How snxiously he selects
" The soltest place ia ,hs, vast pie.l How
he avoids every ain,y grain! How he
% oleconomises his physical powers--res,ing a
y ;momeLi al each, again he cuts. How every
III motion 10 watched from below There
tslsnd his father, mother; brother and sister
:! ION the very spot where, If he falls, he vii
G inoi III slnns.
Iolrhe lad has made fifty sdduonai inches Ia
e hat mighty wall, and now finds himself
}! directly under the middle of that vas, arch
rocks, earth ard trees He must Cut
no mis- way 10 q new direction TO get from un
der this over.hanging mountain, The inspir
o' ,lion ofhoPe 10 dying In bis bosom its Vita
heat 10 fed by increased ahouls Of hundred,
ell perched upon cliffs and Trees. and Others
HI' who slsnd with robes in their hand on ,h,
IN bridge above, or with ladders below Fifty
nf grains more mus, be Gu, before The longes
o. ropa cen reach him. His VISITING bad,
N" l.rikss again into the limestone. Tn
's1 Iboy is emmergng painfully, foot by foo,
Gu. from ths, lofty arch, Spiced ropes sr
90" ready in the hands Of thoss who are eann
MS over the oulsr edge of tho bridge Tw
sh' ndnu;es moro and all will be over. --Ths
'ot blade is worn to The last half inch.-Th
~ boys bssds reels; his eyes sre s,arlin
anu from their sockets. His last hopes are d,
ain ing in his hesr,his life must hang upon Ib
owe next again he cuts. That niche is lhc los
ahoi AT the last fan, cash he makes bis Sknii
'Sh falls from his neiveless hand, and ringin
iee' along lhs precipce, falls a, his mother
avs feet An involuntary groan Of despRlr rur
Ut ike death knelI through the channel b
am' low, and all is still as the grave. Al Il
h'' height OF nearly three hundred feet, II
'on devoted boy lifts his hopeless heart ar
IT ''lclosing eyes to commend his soul to G,
my lis but q moment; lhere!--one 100, swim
an ,Al--he is reeling--tremblins -lorplir
a'edl lover inlo eternity! Hark a shout falls {
llis ear from above!-The man who 10 j
g. ing with half his length over the bridge, b
49, aaugh, glimpse of The boys head al
~, Nv 'hcuIders-Quick as thought The moose
rope is within reach OF the sinking you
49, No one bresthless With faint, conclusi
effort, the swooping boy drops his arm in
~, Lhe moose Darkness comes over him
with The words. Cod and mother! viii
r,oa persd on his lips just loud enough to
heard in heaven, the tightening rope Ill
'"'' him out of his shallow niche. Not
slVe moves while he is dangling over that fear'
AMI abyss, but when a sturdy yirginian roach
fall down, draws up the ltd, and holds, him
o,L bin his arms before The fearful. Breathe
~ multitude, such shouting, such leaping a
e.. M Al mar