Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1846-11-28
THE TIE MPTATION OF
WASHINGTON.
a TRADITION OF THE wIssAHIKAN CLIFF

very soft and balmy as the early days of
summer, when, in fact. that glad maiden
May seems to blow her warm breath in the
grim face of February, until the rough Old
warrior laughs again.
1t was on day like this that the morning
sunshine was streaming over high rock,
that frowns there, far above the Wissah.
kon.
A high rock attainabe only by long,
winding palh--fcnccd in by the trunks of
giant pines, whose boughs. IN the coolest
day in winter. form a canopy overhead.
The rock is covered with carpet of
evergreen moss.
And near this nook--,his chamber in the
forest, for it was nothing less--saie an old
man, separated from it by The trunks of the
pines, whose bnughs concealed his form.
The old man had come here, alone. to
think over his two sons. now freezing at
Valley Forge-for, though the father was
a Tory, yet his children were Con,inen,als.
He was welI.meaning man, but some half.
crazy idea about the Divine Right of the
British Pope, George the third. to rule this
continent, and murder and burn as he pleas
ed--lurked in his brain, and kept him back
from the camp of Washington.
And now, in this bright morning in Feb.
ruary he had come here, Alone to think the
matter over.
And while he was bordering this deep
matter over whether George the Pope or
George the Rebel was in the right-he
heard the tramp Of war; tced not far oil,
and, looking between the trunks of the
pines, he saw man Of noble presence, dis
mount from his gray horse. and then ad-
vance into the quiet hooks of moss. carpet.
cd rocks, encircled by giant pines.
And now, leaving that aged Tory, to
look upon this man for himaelf let US also
look on him with our own eyes.
AS he came through those thick boughs
you behold a man, more than six feet high
with his kindly form enveloped in coarse
gray ovcrcoat; chapeau on his bold fore.
head--and beneath the skirts Of that gray
coat, you may see the military boots and
the end Of a scabbard.
And who is the man Of kingly presence,
who comes here alone, to pace this moss.
covered rock with dropped head and folded
arms!
Come, my friends, and look upon him
let me show you-not this figure of mist
and froslwork, which some historians have
called Washington-but Washington, the
living, ,hrobbing, flesh and blood Washing
tonl-Yes, Washington, the man.
| Look upon him, as he PAGES that moss.
covered rock-see tina, eye burn, that mus.
cuar chest heave under the folded arms.
All, he is thinking of Valley Forge OF
the bloody footprints in the snow-oi
those three hideous figures that sit down in
the huts of Valley Forge gether--Disease
and starvation, and nakcdnesS
Look, as those dark thoughts crowd on
his soul, he falls on his knees, he prays the
God Of Heaven to take his life, as an offer.
ing for the freedom of his native land!
And as that prayer starlles the still
woods. that gray coat fails open, and dis.
closes the blue and gold unltorm--the epau-
lelte and the sword-hlt.
Then the agony of that man, praying
there in the silent woods--praying for his
country, now bleeding in her charms
speaks out, in the flashing Of the eye, in the
beaded sweat, dripping from the brow.
All. kings of The world, planning so coolly
your schemes of murder, come here. and
look at George Washington, as he offers his
life. sacrifice for his country!
an, OcDISe VI ILuSiuiu' bIltisH L opc,
and good. natured idiot. that you are, now
counting, in your royal halls, how many
more men it will take to murder few
thousand peaceful farmers, and make ma.
ton drink your tea, come here to this rock
of the Wissahikon, and see, King and Pope
as you are, George Washington in council
with his God
My friends, can never think of that
man in the wilds of Wissahikon-praying
there, alone; praying for his country. with
the deep agony in his heart and on his
brow, without also thinking of that dark
night in Gethsemane, when the blood-drops
startled from the brow of Jesus, the bless
ed Redeemer, as he plead for the salvation
Of the world
Now look! AS Washington kneels there
on that moss-covered rock, from those
green boughs steps forth another form
tall as his own-clad in a coarse gray coat,
with the boots and scabbard seen below its
skirts, with the chapeau upon his brow.
The stranger emerges from the boughs-
stands there unperceived, gazing in silence
upon the kneeling warrior.
A moment passes
Look Washington has risen to his
feet--he confron,s the stranger.
Now. as that stranger. with slight bow
uncovers his forehead, tell me, did you ever
see a stronger or stranger resemblance be,
tween two men than between these two
who now confront each other in silence
I under the shade of those dark Dines7