Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1856-07-10
misfellolleolts.
tife or Death. IA True Story Of the Natural
Bridge of Virginia.
BY ELIHU BURRlTr.

H
The scene opens with view OF The great
Natural Bridge in Virgin!a. There are thee or
four lads slsndns in The channel below. The
little piece OF sky, spanning these meaSureIess
piers, is full ofstaTs though il is midday. 1t is
slmost five hundred feet from where they
stand, up these perpendicular bawarks OF
limestone, TO the key rock Of the vasl arch
which appears 10 them only The size of man S
hand. The silence OF death is rendered more
impressive by The litIe stream tha runs from
rock TO rock, down the channel. The sun is
dsrkened, and the boys have unconsciously
ulcovefed their heads, as standing in Tie pres
ence chamber OF the Majesty OF ;be whole
earth. AT last, this feeling begins 10 wear
away--ihey begin 10 iook around them. They
see the names 0f hundreds Cut in the lime
stone abuimenls. new feeling comes over
their hears, and their knives are III hond in
an instant. "Wbat man has done, man can
do,' is the waichword, while they draw them
z selves up, and carve their names foot above
those oil a hundred full grown men, WHO had
been there before them.
They are all salts fled with this feat Of phys-
cal exertion except one, whose example Illus.
tIates perfectly The forgotten Truth, that there
is q royal road 10 intellectual emnence. The
ambitious youth sees a naTe above his reach
"a name that Shall be green in the memory oil
the world, when those of Alexander, Cesar,
and Bonaparte, shall roi in oblivion. Ii Yves
the name OF Washlngt n. Before he marched
with Bfaddock to the fatal 6e ID, he had beeh
there and left his nome a foot above all his
predecessors. Ii was glorious thought OF a
boy TO write his name side and side with that
OF the Father OF his County. He graSps his
knife with frmer hold--and Clinging TO o lit.
tie jutting crag, he cuts in The limestone about
0 foot above where he stands; bnt1s he puts
lis feet aud hands into these 60 inS, and finds
himselfa o foot above every name encircled on
that mighty wall, he is still unsatisfrd.--
While his companions are regarding him with
concern and odmiTalion, be cuts his name in
huge capitals, large and deep into The ninty
album. His knife is still in his hand, and
strength in his Slnews, and q new created as
2iratlon in his heart.
Again he cuts another niche, and again he
cares his name in lafge capitals. THIS is mol
enough. ueedIess of the entreaties Of his
companions, be cuts and climbs again. The
graduation Of his ascending scale gtows wider
apart. He measures his height at every gain
he culs. The voices Of his friends grow
weaker, till their words are finally los: upon
his ear. He now, for The first time, casts O
look benealb hin. Had that glance lasted a
moment, thai moment would have been his
last. lie clings with convulsiye Shuddef to
his little niche 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 Ia
which he is exposed. His knife is worn hall
way 10 the halt. He can hear tle voices, bul
not the cries OF his teroT,streken compa,
Mons below. What meagte chance 10 es.
cape destruction. There is no retracing steps
IL is impossible TO pul his hands in The same
niche with his feet, aud retain his hold mo
ment. HIS companions instantly perceived
this new and fearful dilemma, aid await hi'
fall with emotions that 'freeze theft young
blood he is too high, TOO FAINT, 10 ask fo
his father and mother, his brothers and sisters
10 come aud witness or avert his destruction
But one Of his companions anticipated his de
sire. Swift % the wind, he bounds down ;ht
channel, and the fearful situation is told upoI
his fathers hearth stone.
Mlnutts Of almost eternal llenCthrollon, ont
there were hundreds standing on the rock!
chsnnel, and hundreds on the bridge above
all holding their breath and awaiting this fear
fulcataslfophe. Tbe.pgoI boy hears the hun
Of numerous voices both above and below. =
He can just distinguish Tie tones o hls faith
eIs voice, who IS shouting with all 1he energ
of despair; "William WilIisml dom: looi
down--your mother, and Henry, and Harriet
are all praying for you--teep your eyes 10
wards the top" K, ,'
The boy didn't look dovn--his eyes are fxe,
like q flint towards heaven, and his youn
heart on him who regns there, He grssps hi
knife again. He cuts another niche, and an
other niche Is added 10 ihe hundteds that fe
moved from human help below. How cate
fully he uses his wasting bladei How aux
ionsly heselects The solles place in that pier
How he avoids every fliDiy gIsln How b
economises his pilysi 81 powers resting mo
mentatesch gain be cutsl How every motto
iswatched from belowl There riands bis faith