Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-10-01

A TRApITIoN OF THE WIssAuIKoN CLIFF.
GEORGE LrPPARD.
There are DAYS in winter when the air is 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 sun
shine was streaming over a rock that frowns there
far above the Wissahkon.
A bigh rock-attainable only by long, winding
path-fenced in by the trunks of giant pines whose
bouohs, in the coolest day in winter, torn cano-
py overhead
This rock is covered with carpet of evergreen
moss.
And near this nook-this chamber IN the forest,
for it nothing less-sae an old man. separated
from it by the trunks OF the pines, whose boughs
concealed his form
That old man haG come here, alone, 10 think over
his two sons, now freezing at Valley Forge -
for. though the father Tory yet his children
were Continentals He was well meaning man,
but some halt-crazy idea about the Divine Right of
the British Pope, George the Third, to rule this
Continent, and murder and burn as he pleased
lurked in his brain, and kept him back from the
camp Of Washington.
And now, in this bright morning in February, 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 Reb-
el was in the right-he heard the tramp of war
seed not far off, and looking between the trunks
of the pines, he saw man, Of nJble presence dis
mount from his grey horse, and then advance into
the quiet hooks Of moss -carpeted rocks, encrced
by giant pines.
And now, leaving that aged Tory, to look up
on this man tor himself, let us look on HIM, with
our own eyes.
hold man, more than SIX feet high, with his king
ly form enveloped IN course grey overcoat; a
chcpeau on his bold iorehead-and beneath the
skirts of that grey coat, you may see the military
boots and the end of u scabbard.
Ard who Is this man OF kingy presence, who
comes here alone, to pace this noss-covcred rock
with dropped head aud folded arms?
Come my friends, aud look upon him--let me
show you-not this figure OF mist and tros, work
which some historians have called WAsHINGToN-
but Washington, the living, throbbng, flesh ant
blood Washington Yes, WASHINGTON THE MAN
Look upon him as he PAGES that moss covered
rock-see that eye burn, that muscular chest heayC
under the folded arms.
All. he is thinking of Valley Forge OF til,
bloody foot prints in the snow-of those three hid
eous figures that sit down in the huts of Vale.
Forge observation-disclosures, Starvation, and Naked
ness
Look. as those dark thoughts crowd upon hi
SOUL he falls on his knees, he prays the God O
Heaven to take his life, as an Offering for the free
dom of his native land
And as that prayer startles the still woods, tina
grey coat falls open, and dlscloses the blue an
gold uniform-the epaulette and the sword ht
Then the agony Of that man, praying there in tn
silent woods-prayiug for his country, now bleed
ing in her chains-speaks out, in the flashing
the eve, in the beaded sweat, dripping from tn
brow!
= All, kings Of the world, planning so cody yor
schemes of MURDER come here and look at Georg
Washington, as he offers his life a sacrifice for b
country!
All, George of England, British Pope, and gooc
natured Idiot, that you are, now counting IN yol
ROYAL Halls, how many more men it will take
murder few thousand peaceful farmers, and max
nation drink your tea, come here to this rock
the Wissahkon, and see, King and Pope as yc
are, George Washington III council with his Goo
NV friends | can never think OF that man in Il
wilds of Wissahkon-praylng there, alone ; pra
ing for his country, with the deep agony IN b
heart and on his brow, without also thinking OF tn
dark nloht in Gethsemanc, when the blood dro
started from the brow of Jesus, the Blessed X
deemer, as he plead for the salvation OF the wor
Now look As Washington knees there, on til
moss covered rock, FROM those green bonghs ste
forth another forn-ta as his own-clad IN gr
coat, with the boots and scabbardsseen below
skirts, with the chapeau upon his brow.
That stranger energies from the boughs-stan
there unperceived, gazing in silence upon the knee
ing WARRIOR
A moment passes
Look Washington has risen TO his feet
conirons the stranger
Now as that stranger, with slight bow, uncc
ers his forehead, tell me, did you ever see sire
ger, stranger resemblance between Two men tn