The St. Landry whig., 1844-12-05
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
THE NATURAL BRIDGE
ny THE LEARNED nLAcKaMrTHs

The following graphic and drilling sketch oil
an incident which occurred some years since al
the Natural Bridge III Virginia, comprises 4 pas
sage in d lecture on Genius, delivered by the
celebrated Elihu Burritt, the learned Black
smith.
The scene opens with a view Of tho great
Natural Bridge in Virginia. There are three
ing up with afASs Is that vast arch OF unhcwn
rocks, MEieht n Almighty hridgcd over these
everlasting abuiqnents sswiien tie morning stars
sang together J y The little peScc Of sky span.
ming those tncasureless piers, IN full of stars, al.
though it is midday. Its almoSative hundred feet
from where they stand, up those perpendicular
bulwarks, OF limestone, TO the key rock Of that
vast arch, which appears To them only ofthe size
ofa mans hand, The silence Of death ii rem.
dered more impressive BY the little stream tiats
falls from rock 10 rock down the channel. The
sun is darkened, and the boys have unconsciuusly
uncovered their heads as il standing III the pres.
ence chamber ofthe Majesty ofthe whole earth.
At laag this feeling begins 10 wear away they
begiWdo iiuSk around them. They sec the names
Of hug areds, cut in the lime stone abutments. A
new laeling comes over their young hearts, and
their Sniycs+Are in hands in an instant. "What
man ias dobye, man can do" is their watchword,
whilertltsyhiraw themselves up and carve their
hiAtAIJllfh - vi Il lull fOWlA
men urhe sad been there before them.
Tbs ate Aela dIisfed with this feat Of physical
exeradpn, except lie, whose example illustrates
perfenly she forgotten truth, that there ia no roys
al road I'll Intellectual eminences This ambi.
tlous yont,h secs q name just above hs reach, q
name thar will be green in the memory ofthe
world, when those Of Alexander, Cpsar, and
Bonaparte shall rot in oblivion. II Is the name
of Washington. Before he marched with Brad.
dock to that fatal fell, be had been there, and
left his name a foot above all his predecessors.
1t was q glorious thought of The boy, 10 write his
name side BY side with that Of The great father
Of his country. He grasps his knife with d fir
mer hand; and, clinging to 4 little Iaating cFag, he
cuts again into the limestone, about n f.ot nbuve
where he stands he then reaches up aud cuts
another for his hands. 1t isa dangerous adyen.
ture but as he puts his feet and hands in those
gains, and draws himselfup carefully TO his full
length, he finds hinselfa foot above every name
chrolicled in that mighty W Il. While his com.
~panions arc regarding him NTH concern and nd.
mifatior, he cuts his name iiil,rude capitals, large
and dcepsin that ttinty albAit. His knife Is sill
in his hand, and strength ii his sinew5, and
new created aspiration intdis heart.
Again he cuts another piciic, and again h,
caryes his name in large capitals. This Is no
enough. Needless ofthc fentreaties ofhis com
panions, he cuts and climb again. Tlegradn
ations Of ascending scale grow wider apart. II,
measures his length ut every gain he cuts. TIN
voices Of his friends wax weaker and weaker
till their words are finally lost ON his car. Ill
now for the first time casts a look beneath him
Had that glance lasted a moment, that momen
would have been his last. He clings with {
conclusive shuddcr to his little niche in the rock
An awful abyss awaits his almost certain fall
He Ii faint with. severe e~xertion, and trembling
from the sudden view Of the dreadful destruction
to which he is exposed. His knife is worn hal
! way 10 the hafi. He can hear the voices, bu
not the words Of his terror-strickel companion
below. What u moment What a mengr
chance to escape destruction There is no retra
: cling his steps. II is impossible to put his hand
into the same niche with bis feet and retain hi
!, slender hold i moment. His companions ID
siantiY perceived this new and fearful dilemma
and await his fall with emotions that tfreez
, their Young blood" He istoo high, too faint, 1
ask for his father and mother, his brothers IN
sisters, to come and witness or avert his dssirue
ton. But one of This companions anticipates hi
desire. Swift as the wind he bounds down III
j channel, and the situation of the ialed boy il tol
upon his fathers hearth -stonc.
Minutes Of almost eternal length roll on, an
there are hundreds standing in that rocky char
4 mel, and hundreds ON the bridge above, oil holdin
their breath, and awaiting the fearful catastrophe
The poor boy hears the hum ofnev and nunlei
1 Gus voice. both above and below. He can just din
i ~tingdisb the tones Of his mother, who Is shoutin
!" with aI Inc energy Of despair. " William WI
liant Dont look d0cn. Your mother, Henry an
. Harriet are all here praying for yoSR Don't loo
DOM Keep your eye tomdrds the top" Th
hoy didn't look doua. His eye is fixed like
flint towards heaven, and his young heart on Hi
who reigns there. He grasps again his knit
He cuts another niche, and another foot is adde
: to the hundreds that remove himfrom the rcae
! Of human help from below. How carefully h