Washington telegraph., 1844-11-06

/ glance lasted a moment, that moment would
have been his last. He clings with con.
vulsive shudder TO his little niche in the rock
An awful abyss awaits his almost certain
fall. He is faint with severe excrtion, and
trembling from the sudden view ofthe dread
tul destruction to which he Is exposed. His
knife il worn half way to the haf. He can
hear the voices, but not the words Of his ter
ror-siricken companions below. What a
moment What a meagre chance 10 escape
destructionl There is no retracing his
steps. Il i impossible to put his hands in
90 the same niche with his feet and retain
his slender hold moment. His compan-
ions instantly perceived this new and fear
fIl dilemma, and await his fall with emotions
that freeze their young blood" He is too
high, too faint. to ask for his father and mo-
ther, his brothers and sisters, TO come and
witness or avert his destruction. But one
af his companions anticipates his desire.
Swift as the wind he bounds down the chan
mel, and the situation ofthe fated boy j. told
upon his fathers hearth-stone.
Minutes Of almost eternal length roll on.
and there are hundreds standing in that
rocky channel. and hundreds On the bridge
above, all holding their breath. and await.
ing the fearful catastrophe The poor boy
hears ihe hum 0f new and numerous voices
both above and below. He can Just distin-
guish the tones Of his father, who is shout
ing with allthe energy ofdespair, " "HiTioz1!
William DON'T look dosrn. Tour mother
h and Henry and Hdvrict are all here yrayiUr
4 fer yout Don't iooh dornt Hcep Eonr
eye torGrds ihe top,'' The doy didn't look
dorm. His eye is fixed like a flint towards
Y Heaven. and bis young heart on him who
rcims there. He grasPs again his knife.
\ lie cuts another niche, and another foot IL
added .to the hundreds that remove Kim from
thc reach ofhuman help from below. How
carefully h. uses his wasting bIadel How
anNiously he selects The sofest places in that
vast Pierl How hc avoids every flnty grain.
How he economises his physical powers
resting a moment at each again he cuts.
How every motion il watched from below.
There stands his father; nothcr, brother
and sister. on the very spot where, If he Ellls,
i he will not fall alone.
The sum il now halfway down The west.
The lad has made fifty additional inches III
\ that mighty wall, and now finds hfmseIi'di-
recily under the middle ofthaf arch Of rocks.
earth and trees, be must cut his way in a
new direction 70 get from under this over
hanging mountain. The inspiration oi
\ hope j. dying in his bosom: it, vital heat II
h tnd by the increased shouts of hundreds per
ched upon cliffs and trees. and others who
stand with ropes in their hands on the bridge
Y above, or with ladders below. Fiiiv gains
more m'ist bc cut before the longest rope
can reach him. His wasting blade strikes
again into the limestone. The boy il cmer-
h ging painfully, foot by foot, from under thar
I lofty arch. Spliccd ropes arc ready in the
hands ofthosc who are leaning over the edge
Of the bridge. Two minutes more and all
will he over. That blade i worn 70 The
last half inch. The boys head reels: BIZ
eyes are starting from their sockets. His
last hope is dying in his heart; his life must
hang upon ihe next gain he cuts. Tha,
niche l. his last. Atihe last faint cash he
makes, his knife, bis fiithfir knife. f:,Ils
from his ncrveicss hand, and ringing along
the prccipicn, falls nj his mothers feet. An
involuntary Eroan of despair runs like q
dcaih-kncll through The channel below, and
All i still as ihc grave. Al the height d
nearly three hundred feet, the devoted bo,
lifts his hopeless heart ana closing ewes Il
comment his soul ~ God. rTis hut mo.
rilant-.herel-one foot swings ofT!-hc is
reeling-;rembling-ioppling over intc
eternity HarS, shout falls on his cal
from above, The maa who i living with
halt hi length over the bridge, las caught
glimpse VI The boys head and shoulders.
Quick n thought The nooscd rope il within
reach nj the sinking youth. No one
breaihes. With iaint cnnvulsive effort the
swooning boy drops his arms into the moose.
Darkness comes over him, and with the
words. God and moiherI whispered on his
v lips Just loud enough to he heard in Hcave n.
the lightning rope lifts him ont Of his last
shallow niche. Not lip moves while he
i dangling over thai fearful abyss; but when
a sturdy Nirginian reaches down and draws
up the lad, and holds him in his arms before
the fearful, brcathlcss multitude, such shout.
ing, lcaping and weeping for Joy, never
4 greeted the car of human being 80 recover
cd from the yawning gulf of eternityl
SCENE n PRINTING OFrIcE.-'.Jim
NJ