The Nevada journal., 1856-09-19

four lads standing in the channel below,
looking up with awe to the vast arch of
unhewn rocks with the almighty bridge
over their abutmcnts, when the morn i
ing stars sang together. The little piece
of sky, spanning these measurcless piers,
is full Of stars even at midday. 1t is
almost FIVE hundred feet from where
they stand, up these perpendicular bull
warks Of limestone, to the KEY rock of
the vast arch, which appears to them
only the size Of mans hand. The
death silence is rendered more impress
i've by the little stream that runs from
rock to rock down the channel The sun
is darkened, and the boys have uncon-
sciously uncovered their heads, as stand
ing i'll the presence of the Majesty Of the
whole earth. At last this feeling be-
gins to wear away-they begin to look
around them. They see the names Of
hundreds cut in the limestone abutments.
\ new feeling comes over their hearts,
and their knives are in hand in an in
stant. "W hat man has done, man can
do is the watch word, while they draw
themselves up, and carve their names a
feot above those of hundred full grown
men, who had been there before them
They are all satisfied with this feat
of physical exertion except one, whose
example illustrates perfectly the for
gotten truth, that there is no loyal road
to intellectual eminence. This ambitious
youth sees a name just above his reach
"a name that shall be green in the
memory Of the world, when those Of
Alexander, Caesar, and Bonaparte shall
rot in oblivion. 1t was the name of
WASHINGTON. Before he marched with
Braddock to the fatal field, he had been
there and left his name foot above all
his predecessors. 1t was a glorious
thought of boy to write his name side
by side Of the great father Of his coun-
try. He grasps his knife with firm
hand-and clinging to a little iutting
crag, he cuts into the limestone, about
a foot above where he stands but as he
puts his feet and hands into these gains
and draws himself carefully to his full
length, he finds himself foot above
every name chronicled on that mighty
wall. While his companions areregard-
ing him with concern and admiration, he
cuts his name in huge capitals large and
deep, into the finty album His knife
is still in his hand, aud strength in his
sinews, and new aspiration in his
heart.
Again he cuts another inch, and again
he caves his name in large capitals
This is not enough Needless Of the
entreaties of his companions, he cuts
and climbs again. The graduation of
his ascending scale grew wider apart
He measures his length at every gain he
cuts. The voice Of his friends grew
weaker till their words are fully lost on
his ear. He now for the first time, casts
a look beneath him. Had that glance
lasted but moment, that moment would
have been his last. He cliDgs with a
convulsive shudder TO his little nich in
the rock. An awful abyss awaits his
almost certain fall lie is faint from
severe exertion, and trembling from the
sudden view Of the dreadful destruction
to which he was exposed. His knife is
worn half way to the haft. He can
hear the voices, but not the cries of his
terror-stricken companions below
There is no retracing his steps. What
meagre chance 10 escape destruction
1t is impossible to put his hand in the
same niche with his feet, and retain lis
hold a moment, His companions in
stantly perceive this new and fearful
dilemma, and await his fall, with emo
tions that ''freezc their young blood. -
He is too high, too faint to ask for his
father and mother, his brothers and Sis
! ters, to come and witness or avert his
destruction. But one Of his companions
anticipated his desire Swift as the
wind, he bounds down the channel, and
his fearful situation is told upon his
fathers hearthstone.
Minutes of almost eternal length roll
on, and there are hundreds standing in
| the rocky channel, and hundreds on the
bridge above, holding their breath, and
awaiting that fearful catastrophe. The
poor boy hears the hum of new and
numerous voices both above and below.
! He can just distinguish the tones Of his
fathers voice, who is shouting with all
the energy of despair ''William VIII
liam don't look down. Your mother |
and Henry, and Harriet, are all here
praying for you. Keep your eyes to-
wards the top"
The boy didn't look down-his eyes
are fixed like a flint toward heaven, and !
his young heart on Him who reigns there.
He grasps again his knife. He cuts
another niche, and another niche is add !
ed to the hundreds that removed him
from human help below. How care
fully he used his wasting blade How |
anxious he selects the softest place in
that pier How he avoids every fintv
grain How he economies isphysical
powers-resting a moment at each grain
he cuts How every motion is watched !
from below There stands his father,
mother, brother, and ON the very spot
where, if he falls, he will not fall alone.
The sun is half down the west. The
lad had made fifty additional inches in