The constitutional union., 1860-12-14
THE SAPPHIRE GATHERER's STORY.
BY ARTHUR HUME PLUSKETT.


 "It was here, sir, that Nr. Clements do- scended."
 How fearful"' I exclaimed. scarcely ven turing to look down precipice at least s.x hundred feet
 To repeat ina few words what had occupied nearly an hour. and oH.5.ng his numerous. 3i4re ions, the >lwph.re euhcrcr'5 tale ran ,Aus: 1t ,he close ot the last century, Acaui his father, San, A,lc gatlcIc4, U trade. hal assisted in lowering one Mr. Clement. down the cliff under rather extraordinary crea.n- --a4cl=. Nr. Cloua"ts was then rcturrir- home aloa. .he downs. from the t-cn r1t.god but ROW fashionable town of --. when N. recognized boat a mile nom tLe shore strongly re ccmhla- one in which Li,wiie and s-,er wee .n thc frequent habit of passing hours, in little bay or inlet of the eca, near As house. He h4-tcacI home only to have Ill LolJ,s removed IS tJ their ilculitr; and hurry uC Lack to the spot wLcgo He lad at G1se yt eryel them, found, to his extreme tcr- TOT, that tie boat la4 been deae.:aI by its oc- cUsa:l-s, NhO haI been seen wandering ou tie ryck- beneath ,he cliff To approach them by the sea, on either side, in time to rescue them from thcr impending danger was i'm possible. The tide was rising I.lst. and their destruction seemed inevitable In this euer- geucy, the SampAige gHAerers were thought oI and sought Tor; and, declining all their offers, Clements Insisted upon descending the ciih, in the hopcof placing his wife and sis- ter upon some rock or spot where they might remain in safety till the arrival cf the boats from --. Thus far had the Saluphre gath erer got in his story, which he WAS relating to me as we sloilcd along the cliffs, when he paused, as l have already mentioned above, and pointed to the spot where Mr Clements descended.
 Following his example and taking seat on the grass near him, the old man continued his tale. give it in his own words:
 Well, sir, when we found we could not persuade him to let one of u> go down in lis place. father, as usual, secured a clowJar into the earth, few feet from the c. ol the cliff, and then, twmHg the rope ua.a around it. in order to give Us a steadlcr hold on Mr. Clements, fastened 1t under his aims We then made him change his coat for one of our lrocl,s, such as you see the common peo- pie wear ill these parts; and taught him how to put his feet steadily against the sides of the cliiI-as 1t were thus; ; and made him take the rope in his hands just above the knot and told him to lean out as far as he possibly could, and to work downward with his feet and look up and keep lookout for the stones and rubbish which the rope might dislodge We told him all, sir; and bade lm not to be frightened at the birds, as they would not harm him-the sun had set, sir and they al- ways make horrible screeching if you % down the cliff after they have gone to roost {; and that if he altered his mind and wished te come back, he had only to give the rope a couple of pulls, and we'd haul him back No, no' says Mr. Clements, there no necessity iof that. When l get to the bottom, wait for a quarter of an hour; if at the end of that tine I give no signal for you to pull me up, you will know that the ladies are safe and u tn make what haste you can, and get boat iron -. l am ready now, says he, in a failt voice. and his teeth all the while chat terilg with fear. Never was a man 50 fright ene( as he was at that moment Well. sir. father and I once more flied the rope. and Mir. Clements leaned back over the edge of the diff. Down he went, and we soon lost sightof him.
 Working with his feet, as father had told him, we slowly supplying the rope as he required it, he moved saiely down for bit then he rested on a jutting rock. All this time he kept his eyes on the sky. Pressing cautiously with his feet against the chalk his body almost at right angles with the clitf his hands 9raspng the rope, or sheltering his face from the shower of stones and dirt which 1t d.slodgel He had got about hundred feet from the top, when, suddenly slipping from the cliff, his face and chest were thrown yio- lcntly against it. He endeavored to regain