Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-06-27
The Namo Cut on the Rock.

You will find 1t on the Natural Bridge,
anless it has become effaced by the hand
of time. 1t was cut by boy who tried
to procure little glory for himself in
an unusual way.
One day this boy and several COM
panions came to the rocky archway to
cut their names on It's sides. Some put
them towards the bottom, and some
chose higher place but the boy am
speaking of was great deal holder
than the rest, and, after looking up and
seeing the names of many visitors high
above him, he said, "Pooh | am not
going to creep on the ground like the
rest of you, when l cut my name Pm
going to put it where the people at the
Rappahannock can see it. Look here,
boys" he continued, 1--we got my big
knife along and may be you'll see me a
little higher than the rest, pretty soon."
you arn't going to venture up there"
said one of the boys.
81 think | am, though. What's the
use of walking this long way and doing
nothing, after all.
"Don't brag, Jm," said his next
nsighbor, who was standing on the roots
OF small cedar tree, and hard at work
scratching his initials-"W. J. b.
upon the softest part of the rock he
could flnd-"don't bragg"
swell, you'll see what can do" was
Jim's reply, $50 here goes! !" And away
he was commencing to climb the juttipg
crag He got on very we'll at first, by
holding the bushes and brambles, until
No haynu1 all ha
the side of the rock.
"Hurrah where are you 2" he shout
ed to his comrades; 'come on, and fol.
low your leader if you dare"
"You are high enough now, JIM"
said Bob Willis; AID stop there if | was
you"
mot half way yet, you little coward ~
answered jim; "don't give advice to
your betters till you can spell 'a-b-le,'"
and the adventurous boy, who had stop
ped to take breath, resumed the ascent,
and went up until he was above the
tops of the highest trees which grew in
the valley; and still upward he went,
until the boys below began to get afraid
in earnest, aud begged him to stop.
"Youhl break your neck, as sure as
your name is Jim Waugh" shouted little
Joe Ednor.
But JIM who was beginning to think
that he was high enough, just happened
to see, at u short distance above him, a
name; and in his pride he shouted
mind your own business, Josey; Pm
not going to let anybody put his old
name over my head"
Again he went on with his climbing.
He cut notches in the side of the rock,
ana holding on with one hand, worked
away with the other.
At last he was at point where no one
before had reached, and there he scratch
ed and cut his name as deeply as he
could. By this time he was pretty well
tired; but the excitement of the occa-
sion kept him from feeling much fati-
gued.
Having finished his work the climber
thought of getting back 10 the ground.
but this was not so easy matter as he
had at first taken it to be. If 1t was
hard to go up, it was yet harder to go
down. He saw the danger into which
his pride had led him, and his head be.
gan to grow dizzy.
By this time large number of people
had come together. The boys becoming
alarmed, bad run to spread the news in
the neighborhood one of them to MIR.
Vaugh's house, and soon Jim's father
and mother, brother and sister, were
there also.
You can't descend" shouted one OF
the crowd "no use to attempt it; try
and gain the top" And this was all
that could be done. Poor Jim he would
have given worlds TO be on the ground,
but he had no time for lamentation, A
desperate effort must be made, or he
would soon loose his hold, and be dash
ed to pieces. He determined to put forth
all the remaining energies. Step by
step he began to scrape and cut his way
upward. At length his strength was
nearly gone, and he chung to the sides OF
the rock. 1t was moment OF fearful
suspense.
Some of the people bad FASTENED to
The top Of the bridge with ropes, which
we're let down TO their full extent. In
deepest agony of mind the father shout
ed to him, Jim Jim! do not look
down. Your mother, and Henry and
Harriet are all here. We are praying
for you. Do not look down. Keep your
eye toward the top"
At the sound of his fathers voice, the
boy grasped his knife again, and up
ward he was seen slowly to move, until
he found himself near the arch. The
sight Of the ropes hanging from above
reused him to new efforts. The blade Of
his knife was worn to the last incp. He
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