The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-08-26
INCIDENT AT THE NATURAL BRIDGE
In VIRGINIA

an incident which occurred some years since at
the Natural Bridge in Virginia, comprises pas.
sage in lecture on Genus, delivered by the ce-
LIBERATED ELIHU BuRRIrT. the learned blacksmith,
of Rhode Island:
The scene opens with Wow Of the great Ma.
tura Bridge of Virginia There are three i"ur
lads sta"dlng ia the channel below, Iookng up
with awe Ia that vast arch of unhewn rocks which
the AIm hty bridged over these everlasting abut-
ments "when the morning stars sang together
The little piece of sky spanning those MEASURE
less piers, is fall al stars although II u inId-dry
Ii i almost five hundred feet from wher" they
stand, up those perpendicular bulwarks oil ',"-
stone, TO the key rock of that vast arch, winch
appears to them only at the SIZE OF man'- band.
TIE 81 ence of death is rendered IN IRE Impressive
by The lttIe stream that falls from rock To- rock
d ,wn the channel. The sun is d,rk"ned, and
the bows have un, CONSCIOUSLY uncovered their
h ads as If standing in the presence chamber oi
the Majesty of the whole earth At lat, this
feeling begins to wear away; they begin To look
around them. They see the names OF hundreds
cut in the lime stone abutments. A new feeling
comes over their young hearts, and Their knives
are in their hands in an instant. w nat man
has done, man can do" is their watchword. while
they draw themselves up and carve their names
a fot above those of hundred full grown men
who had been there before them.
They are all ai-fed with this feat Of physical
exertlon except one, whose example illustrates
perfectly the forgotten truth that there IS no royal
road to intellectual cminence. This ambitious
youth sees a name just above his reach, name
that will be green in the memory OF the world,
when those of Alexander, Cesar, and Bonaparte
shall rot in oblivion. 1t was the name of Wash
ington Before he marched with Braddock to
that fata field, he had been there and left his
name a foot above all his predecessors. II was
glorious thought of the boy, to write his name
side by side with that of the great father OF his
country. He grasps his knife with irmer hand,
and, cIinging to little jutting crag, he cuts again
into the limestone, about foot above where ne
stands he then reaches up and cut another for
his hands 1t is dangerous adventure; but as
he puts his feet and hands into those gains, and
draws himself up carefully TO his full length ne
finds himself foot above every name chroh'cled
in that mighty wall. W lille his companions are
regarding him with concern and admiration, he
cuts his name in rude capitals, large and deep,
into that flinty album. His knife is still in his
hand, and strength in his sinews, and new crea-
ted aspiration in his heart.
Again he cuts another niche, and again he carves
his name in large capitals. This is not enough.
Needless of the entreaties of his companions, he
cuts and climbs again. The graGuat'ons Of his
ascending scale grow wider apart. lie measures
his length at every gain he cu,s.--The voices OF
his frie DIS wax weaker and weaker, TIL their
words are fually lost on his ear. lie now Tor the
first inc casts look beneath him. Had that
glance lasted a moment, hat moment would nave
been his last. He clings with c"nvus've shu"-
der tc his little niche IN the rock. Al awlu
abyss awaits his almost cer'a'n fan. lie Is IAN
with severe exertnn, and trembling from the sud-
den view OF the dreadful destruction to which ne
is exposed His knife is worn hallway t" the hail
He can hear the VOICES bu moi the words 81 MS
terror-strick~n companions be ow. WA INC
neu " hat meagre Oh nee TO escape de-
siructinn! There is no re,rarng his cps. II Is
impossible to put his hands INTO he same II cue
wnn h Ieet aud retain hi slender hold In"'"en'
His con panions instantly perceive this new ana
fearful dlIatnn,a and avail, his fl with emotions
that freeze their young blroh.' II" is too h'gh,
too faint. 10 ask for his ia her ard mother, ms bro
Tiers d lis ers, tn come and witness or avert MS
destruction. But one OF his companions ahlcs-
pates his desire. Swift as the wind he bound.
down HE channel, and the situation of the lated
los is told upon his fathers hearth stone
Minutes of almost eternal length roll on, and
there are hundreds standing in that rocky channel
aud hundreds on the bridge above, all holding
their breath, and awaiting the fearful catastrophe.
TIL, poor boy hears The hum of new aud nnme'-
Gus voices both above and below. He can Just
distinguish the tones of his father, who is shout
inc Y,i,h all the energy Of despair, william!
William! Don't look doDn! Your mother ana
Henry and Harriet, are all here PRAYING jor y'u!
Dnn'i look doun! Keep your eye to,oards the
top!' The boy didn't look doom. tbs eye Is
liked like flint towards Heaven, and his yun5
heart on Him who reigns there. He grasps again
his knife. He cuts another niche, and another
foot is added to the hundreds that remove MN
from the reach of human help from below How
carefully he uses his wasting blade How anx-
inuSly he selects the softest places IN that vaSt
pier! How he avoids every hinty grain How
he economises his physical powe's-resting
moment at each again he cuts. How every mo-
ton is watched from below. There stands his
father, mother, brother and sister, on the very
spot where, if he falls, he will not fall alone.
The sun is now half way down the west. The
lad has made fifty additional inches in that mighty
wall, and now finds himself directly under the
middle of that vast arch of rocks, earth and trees
He mus, cut his way in new direction to get
from under this overhangng mountain. The IN
spiratlon Of hope is dying in his bosom; Its vital
Lo, il, fad Inv ho mr. rp aSpd ShputS OF hundreds