Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-08-31
NATURAL BRIDG E.

at the Natural Bridge in Virginia, comprises a
passage in lecture on Genius, delivered by the
celebrated ELInu BuRRTT, the learned Black
smith, of Rhode Island:
"The scene opens with view Of the great
| Natural Bridge in Virginia. There are three
or four lads standing in the channel below, look.
ing up with awe to that vast arch of unhewn
rocks, which the Almighty brdged over these
everlasting abutments when the morning stars
sang together The little piece of sky span
ming those measureless piers, is full of stars, al
though it is midday. 1t is almost five hundred
feet from where they stand, up those perpen-
dicuar bulwarks of limestone TO the key rock
of that vast arch, which appears to them only of
the size of mans hand. The silence of death
is rendered more mpulsve by the little stream
that falls from rock To rock down the channel,
The sun is darkened, and the boys have uncon-
sciously uncovered their heads as if standing
in the presence chamber of the Majesty of the
| whole earth At last, this feeling begins to
wear away; they begin to look around them
| They see the names of hundreds cut in the lime
stone butments. A new feeling comes over
their young hearts, and their knives are in
hands in an instant. what man has done, man
can do is their watchword, while they draw
| themselves up and carve their names foot a.
booe those ola hundred full grown men who
had been there before them.
They are satisfied with this feat of physical
cXertion, except one, whose example illustrates
perfectly the forgotten truth, that there is no
royal road to intellectual eminence. The am
| hitous youth sees name Just above his REACH
a name that will be green in the memory fthe
world, when those OF Alexander, Cesar and
Bonaparte shall rot in oblivion. 1t was the
name Of Washington. Before he marched with
Braddock to that fatal field, he had been there,
and left his name foot above all his predeces-
sors 1t was a 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 a irmer hand and, clingng to a
little iutting crag, he cuts again into the lime.
stone, about foot above where he stands he
then reaches up and cuts another for his hands.
1t is dangerous adventure but as he puts his
feet and hands into those gains, and draws him.
self up carefully TO his full length, he finds him
self foot above every name chronicled in that
mighty wall. While his companiens are re-
garding him with concern and admiration, he
cuts his name in rude capitals, large and deep.
into the finty album. His knife is still in his
hand, and strength in his sinews, and new
created aspiration in his heart.
Again he cuts another niche, and again he
carves his name in large capitals This is not
enough. lleedless OF the entreates OF his COM
panons, he cuts and climbs again. The gra-
duatlons of his ascending scale grow wider u
part He measures his length at every gain be
cuts.-The voices of his friends wax weaker
and weaker, till their words are finally lost ON
his ear lie now for the first time casts look
beneath him. Had that glance lasted mo.
ment, that moment would have been his last
lie ciings with a convulsive shudder 10 his lit.
tie niche in the rock. An awful abyss awaits
hls almost certain fall lie is faint with severe
exerton, and trembling from the sudden view
Of the dreadful destruction 10 which he is expo
sed. His knife is worn halfway TO the hait
lie can hear the voices, but not the words o
his terror-sirIcken companions below. What a
moment What a meagre chance to escape
destruction There is no retracing his steps.
IL is impossible 10 put his hands into the same
niche with his feet and retain his slender hold a
moment. His companions instantly perceive
this new and fearful dilemma, and await his
fall with emotions that freeze their young
blood He Is too high, too faint to ask tor his
father and mother, his brothers and sister, tc
come and witness or avert his destruction Bul
one of his companions anticipates his desire
Swift as the wind he bounds down the channel
and the situation of the !aled boy is told upon
his fathers hearth.stone
Minutes OF almost eternal length roll ON, ant
5 there are hundreds standing in the rocky chan
mel, hundreds on the bridge above, all holding
their breath, and awaiting the fearful catastro
=. phe The poor boy hears the hum OF new ant
2 numerous voices both above and below. lie
can just distinguish the tones OF his father, who
e is shouting with all the energies of despair
| William William Don't Took doun Yo1u
e mother and Henry and Harriet, are all her,
: praying for you Don't look doUn, KeeJ
= your eye tOoards he top = The boy didn'
a look dOwn. His eye is fixed like a flint to
= wards Heaven, and his young heart on him VIII,
is reigns there. lie grasps his knife. He cut