Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-08-20
From The Christian Citizen.
TIL L VAT uRAL BRIDGE.
OR ONE NICHE TIE HIGHEST.

The scene opens with view of the
great Natural Bridge IN Virginia. There
ale three or four lads standing in the chan
nel below, looking up with awe to that vast
arch OF unhewn rocks, which the Almighty
orIdged over those everlasting butnents.
" when the morning stars sang together"
The little piece OF sky spanning those mea-
sureless piers, is full of stars, although il
Is mid day. 1t is almost FIVE hundred feet
t'om where they stand, up those perpendi-
cular bJlwarks Of limestone, to the kew
rock Of that vast arch, which appears 10
them only of the size Of i mans hand
The silence of death Is rendered more i'm
pressiye by the little stream that tails from
rock 10 rock down the channel The sun
IS darkcned, and the boys have uncon-
SC .ously uncovered their heads. as if stand
ing IN the presence chamber of the Majesty
OF the whole earth. At last, this feeling
begins 10 wear away they begin to look
around them; they find that others have
been there before them. They see he
names OF hundreds cut in the limestone
butments. \ new feeling comes over their
young hearts, and their knives are in their
hands in an instant. What man has done,
man can d. is their watch-worG, while
they draw themselves up and carve their
names foot above those of hundred full
grown men who have been there before
them.
They are all satisfied with this feat Of
physical exeriion, except ono, whose exam
pie illustrates perfectly the forgotten truth.
that there is no roydl ro,,d to intellectual
cmiaeRce. This ambitious youth sees u
name just above his reach, name that will
be green in the memory Of the world, when
those of Alexander, Caesar, and Bonaparte.
shall no! in oblivion. 1t was the name OF
Washington. Before he marched with
Brdddock to that fatal field, he had been
there, and left his name a foot above all
his predecessors. 1t was glorious idea
of tie hoy, TO write his name side by side
with tina: OF the great father of his country
lie grasps his knife with frmer hand !;
and, clnging 10 little jutting crag, he cuts
4 gain mo the limestone, about u foot
above where he stands; he then reaches
up and cuts another for his hands. IT'S a
dangerous adventure but as he puts his
leet ana hands INTO those gains, and draws
himself up carefully to his full length ne
finds himself foot abo &c every name on
that mighty wall. While his companions
are regarding him with concern and admi-
ration, he cuts his name in rude capitaIs.
large and deep, into that ilinty album
Ills knife is still in his hand, and strength
in his sinews, and a new created aspiration
in his heart. Again he cuts another niche,
and again he caryes his name in larger
pltala. Tins is not enough. IeeuleSS 0!
the entreaties Of his companions, he cuts
and climbs again. The graduatons of his
ascending scale grow wider apart. lie
measures his leng n at every gain he cuts.
The voices OF his friends wax weaker and
weaker, till their words are finally los. on
h 5 ear. He now for the first time casts a
look beneath him. Had that glance lasted
q moment, that moment would have been
his last. lie clings with a couuulSiye shud
der to his little niche in the rock. An aw-
lul abyss awaits his almost certain fall
lie is faint with severe exertion, and trem-
bling from the sudden view Of the dreadful
destruction TO which he is exposed. His
knife is worn halfway TO the halt. He
can hear the vo ces, but not the words, OF
his tcrror-stricken companions below
What a moment What a meagre chance
to escape destruction There is no retra-
cling his steps. 1t is impossible TO put his
hands into The same niche with his feet and
retain his slender hold u 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. 20 ask
for his father and mother, his brother and
sisters, to come and witness or avert his
destruction. But one Of his companions
anticipates his desire. Swift as the wind
he bounds down the channel, and the stu
alton of the fated boy is told upon his faith
cr's hearthstone.
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 the hum of new and numerous vol
ces both above and below lie can di>tin-
guish the tones of his father, who is shout
ing with all the energies Of despair, " WI
ham! William! Don't look dorm! Iow
mother, and Henry, ard Udrriet, are all
here, praying for you! Doa't looh do;ra!
Keep your eye to'r.lrds The topr' The boy
didn't look dorm. His eye is fixed like
flint towards Heaven, and his young heart
on him who regns there. He grasps again
his knife. He cuts another niche, and an
other foot is added to the hundreds that re-
move him from tho reach of human help
below. How carefully he uses his wasting
blade! How anxiously he selects the soft
est places in that vast pier He avoids
every fiiniy grain How he economises
his physical powers!-resting moment al
each gain he cuts. How every motion is
watched from below! There stand his ia
Their, mother, brother aud sister, on the
very spot where, if he falls, he viii moi
fall alone.
The sun is now halfway 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 10 get from un-
der this over-hanging mountain. The iu-
spira,ion of hope is dying in bis bosom ; is