Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-10-16
EVENING STAR.
LIFE OR DEATH.
A True Story OF the Virginia Natu raj ridge
BY ELIHU BURRIr.

By ELIHU BURRIr.
The scene opens with a view of the great
Natural Bridge in Virginia. There are three
or four lads standing in the channel below,
looking up with awe to the vast arch of un-
hewn rocks, with the almighty bridge over
| these everlasting abutmentS, when the morn
ing stars sang together. The little piece OF
sky spanning those measureless piers, is full
of stars, although it is midday. Ii is almost
five hundred feet from where they stand, Up
those perpendicular bulwarks of limestone, 10
| the key rock of the vast arch, which appears
| to them only the size Of q mans hand The
| silence of death is rendered more impressive
by the little stream that falls from rock to rock
| down the channel. The sun is darkened, and
the boys have unconsciously 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 limestone abutments A
new feeling comes over their hearts, and their
knives are in hand in an instant "What
| man has done man can do" is the watchward
while they draw themselves up and carve
their names foot above those Of hundred full
| grown men who had been there before them.
They are satisfied with this feat Of physical
| exerti"n, exceptCne, whose example illustrates
perfectly the forgotten truth, that there is no
royal road to intellectual eminence. This am
Il n,
| q name that shall be green in the memory of
the world when Alexander, Caesar, and Bona
| parte shall rot in oblivion. 1t was the name
| of Washington. Before he marched with
Braddock to the fatal field be had been there
and left his name foot above all his prede-
ceSsors. 1t was glorious thought cf boy to
write his name side by side with that of the
knife with firm hand-and clinging TO a lit
tie jutting crag, he cuts into the Limestone,
! about foot above whore he stands but as be
/ put his feet and hands into those gains and
draws himself to his full length, he finds him.
| self a foot above every name chrOpicled in
that mighty wall. While his companions are
regarding him with concern and admiration
he cuts his name in huge capitals, large and
deep, into that fiinty 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. Heedless of the entreaties of his
companions, he cuts and climbs again. The
graduatiOns of his ascending scale grow wider
apart. He measures his length at every gain
he cuts. The voices of his friends grow
weaker and weaker, till their words are finally
| lost on his car. He now, for the first time,
casts look beneath him. Had that glance
| lasted a moment. that moment wOnld have
| been his last. He clings with a convulsye
| 10 MS IlIllc meme IN the rock. An
| awful abyss awaits his almost certain fall He
| is faint with severe exertiOn, and trembling
| from the sudden view of the dreadful destruc-
| ton to which he is exposed. His knife is
worn half way TO the halt. He can hear the
| voices but hot the words of his terror-stricken
| companions below. What a moment What
meagre chance to escape destruction There
is no retracing his steps. 1t is impossible to
| put his hands into the same niche with his
| feet, and retain his hold moment His com
/ panlons instantly perceive this new and fear
! tul dilemma, and await his fall with emotions
! that "freeze their young blood" lie is too
| high, too faint, to ask for his father and
| mother, his brothers and sisters, to come and
! witness or avert his destruction But one IF
his companions anticipate his desire. Swif
| as the wind he bounds down the channel, ana
| the fatal situation is told upon his fathers
hearth-StOne.
| Minutes of almost eternal length roll on, and
| there were hundreds standing in that rocky
! channel, and hundreds on the rid &C above, ali
holding their breath and awaiting that fearful
catastrophe. The poor boy hears the hum of
new and numerous voices, both above and be-
low. lie can just distinguish the tones Of his
! father voice, who is shouting with all the en-
| ergy of despair: " William william, Dsn't
| look down. Your mother, and Henry, and
; Harriet, are all here praying for you. DVn't
! look down. Keep your eyes toward the top"
I H.
! fixed upon a final Heaven, and his young
; heart on Him who reigns there. lie grssps
/ again his knife. He cuts another niche, and
| another foot is added to the hundreds that
| remove him from human help from below.
| How carefully he uses his wasting blade
| How aEXiousiy he selects the softest place in
that pier. How he avoids every fiin;y grain
| How he econOmises his physical powers-rest-
Ing moment at each, again he cuts. How
| every motion is watched from below. There
| stands his father, mother, brother, and sister,
on the very spot where, if he falls, he will not
| fall alone
| The sun is half way down the West The
| lad had made fifty additional inches in tho
mighty wall, and now finds himself directly
| under the middle of that vast arch Of rocks,
| earth and trees. lie must cut his way+n a
| new direction to get over this oveThanging
| mountain. The inspiration of hope is dying
| in his bosom its vital heat is fed by the in
creased shouts of hundreds perchod upon
cliffs and trees, and others who stand with
ropes in their hands, On the bridge above, or
with the ladders below Fifty gains more
must be cut before the longest rope can reach
him. His wasting blade again strikes into the
limestone.
The boy is emerging painfully, foot by foot,
from under the lofty arch. Spliced ropes are
ready in the hands of those who are leaning
over the outer edge of the bridge. Two min
utes more ard all VIII be over. That blade
is worn to the last half inch. The boys head
reels, his eyes are starting from their sockets.
His last hope is dying in his heart his life
must hang upon the last gain one cuts. That
niche is his last. At the last faint cash lie
makes, his knife, his faithful knife, fails from
his hand, and ringing along the precipice,
falls at his mothers feet.
An involuntary groan of despair runs like n
death-knell through the channel below, and
is still he Cyrave the haiyht of nearly
three hundred feet, the devoted boy lifts his
hopeless heart and closing eyes TO commend
his soul to God. IT'S but a moment-the -
one foot swings off he is reeling-tremb-
ling-topling over into eternity. Hark
shout falls on his ear from above. The man
who is lying with half his length over the
bridge has caught glimpse Of the boys head
and shoulders. Quick as thought the noosed
rope is within reach Of the sinking youth
No nna hrealhes. With q faint conYuIsire