Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-09-13

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The following graphic and ,hil'ing sketch Of an
inc ident which occurred some years since at the
N atural Bridge in Virginia, comprises passage in
lecture on Genius delivered by the celebrated Eli
hu Barritt, the learned Blacksmith, Of Rhode Island
The scene opens with view Of the
grea. Natural Bridge in Virginia. There
are three or four lads standing in the
channel below looking up with awe To
that vas. arch Of unhe wn rocks. which the
Almighty bridged over these everlasting
abu,men.s when the morning stars sang
together The Ii.lle piece of sky span
ming those measureless piers. is fall Of
stars, al,hergh il is midday |, is almos,
five hundred fee, from where they stand,
up those perpendicular bulworks of lime
stone. to The key rock of tina, vas. arch.
which appears to them only of the size of
mans hand. The silence of death is
rendered more impressive by The little
stream that falls from rock 10 rock down
the channel. The sun is darkened.. and
the boys have unconsciousIy uncovered
their heads as if standing in the presence
chamber of,he Majesty Of The whole earth.
Al last, this feeling begins TO wear away |;
,hey begin to look around them. They
see The names of hundreds cut in The lime
stone butmen,s A new feeling comes
over their young hearts, and their knives
are in their hands in an instant. What
man has done man can do is their watch
word, while they draw themselves up
and carve their names foot above those
of hundred full grown men who have
been there before them. 81
They are all satisfied with this feat Of
physical exerlion, excep, one. whose ex-
ample illustrates The perfectly forgotten
ruth. that there is no royal road to intel
lectual eminence. This ambitious youth
sees a name just above his head. a name
Just above his reach, name that will be
green in The memory of the world, when
| those of Alexander, Cesar, and Bonopar,
shall 70, in oblivion. |, was the name Of
W ashing,on. Before he marched with
Braddock to tina, fatal field. he had been
there, and left his name a foot above all
| his predecessors. 1t was glorious ,ho't
OF The boy, TO write his name side by
side with ,ha, of the great father Of his
country. He grasps his knife with firm
er hand and. elinging to li,'le. jnt,ing
crag. he cuts again in:o the limestone, a.
bout a foot above where he stands he
then reaches up and cuts another for his
hands. II is dangerous adventure; but
as he puts his fee, and hands into those
gains, and draws himself mp carefully to
his full length, he finds himself a foot "a
bove every name chronicled in that mi gh-
,y wall. While his companions are re-
| garding him with concern. and admiration.
/ he cuts his name in rude capitals. large
and deep, into the flin,y album. His
knife is sill in his hand and strength in
his sinews, and new created aspiration
in his heart.
Again he cuts another mitch, and again
he caves his name IN large capitals This
is no. enough. Needless of the entrea-
ties Of his companions he cuts and climbs
again. The gradua,ions of his ascending
scale grow wider apart. He measures
his length at every gain he cuts. The
voices Of his friends wax weaker and
weaker, till their words are finally lost on
his ear. He now. for the first time casts
look beneath him. Had that glance last
ed moment, lha, moment would have
been his last. lie cings with convul-
sive shudder to his liulc Mich in the rock.
An aw ful abyss awaits his almost certain
fail. He is faint with severe exerlion, and
trembling from the sudden view Of the
dreadful destruction 10 which he is expo
sed His knife is worn half way TO the
hafl. lie can hear the vOices, but not the
words Of his terror-str!cken companions
below. What a moment! What mea-
ger chance TO escape destruction! There
is no re,racing his steps. |. is impossible
10 pu, his hands into the same niche with
his feet and retain his slender hold mo-
ment. His companions Instantly percei, e
this new and fearful dilemma, and awaits
his fall with emotions that freeze their
Young blood He is too high. too faint.
10 ask for his father and mother. his bro
4 ,hers and sisters. 10 come and witness OF
aver, his destruction. But one Of his CON-
nanions anticipates his desire. Swift as
/ The wind he bounds down the channel
/ and The situation Of the fa,ed boy is told
mon his fathers hearth stone.
Minutes Of almost eternal length roll on
and there are hundreds standing In thai
rocky channel, and hundreds on the
bridge above. all holding their breath, and
awaiting their fearful catastrophe. The
poor boy hears the hum Of new and nu'
merous voices both above and below, lie
ran JUS. distinguish the tones Of his lathei
who is shouting with all the energy Of de
sna,r. William! William! don't looE
-, vour mother and Henry and