The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-03-21
White Mountain Adventure.
BY HERBERT NEwBURY.

OudIltgg our minister's little boy
was once the hero Of q very startling
adventure.
will relate it for you, dear chill
dreny and hope your fathers, anC
mothers too, will be interested in nv
true story, which is to teach YOU thai
your very lives may depend on YOU
instant obedience to their commands
\ When Charley was about five year.
old, he and his brother Jacob two
years older, accompanied their father
and mother on a journey to the White
Mountains. The family did not trav.
el by cars and stage, but in the gOOC
old-fashiOned way, with their OWL
horse and carriage.
We find our travellers, one bright
summer morning, among the Fran.
coma Mountains. They had spent
the previous night at the FIume House
and were now pursuing their journey
TO the FrancOnia Notch. As they rode
along, mamma consulted the guide
book, (Eastman's White Mountain
Guide and they read and talked ol
the profile (Old Man of the Mountain
and the crystal mirror .(lake) at his
feet, of Echo Lake, too, and the ma
ny, many wonders and beauties of the
Notch, which they had almost reach
ed. "And here,n said mamma,
laughingly, as she turned the leaves
Of the book, fright here in these woods
somewhere, it must mean-is anOth-
er TOnder-a wonder Of both nature
and art-sO it seems"
Read it to US! read it to usp' cried
the boys, so mamma read
/ 'AbOut two and a half miles south
ward of the profile Iouse, is Walkers
Observatory. A tall pine standing
by the side Of the road possessing
wonderful capabilities as an Observa-
tory, has been lifted for this purpose
/ by trimming away the branches, and
/ fastening an easy succession of wind
ing stairs around its trunk. AS the tree
is strong, and we'll secured by iron
chains, we may feel safe in ascend
igg 1t 10 look out at the top. A really
commanding view is thus obtained
from this half-natural and haIf-artiti-
cial observatory. From no other
place IN the lORlsnds, can one obtain so
good q view Of ths valley between
the mountain ranges"
"Oh, here it is :" said papa ''is it
best u stop ?h
DO! On, please do stop shouted
/ the boys.
"Wen, we WiH,D said their father.
'for the boys will never forget it."
"Ho! Charley boy, was there ever
such u famous tree TO climb"
Now, IS l said, Charley is the hero
of my story, so must tell you more
OF him. First, since it has 70 do with
my story, he was q wonderful climber,
and had been, through all the event.
ful five years Of his life having, on
hands and knees mounted to the third
story of the great hall at grandfather's
long before he could go alone. For
all ne was great brave boy, he was
still "the baby" soft, white, rosy,
curly headed, and as full Of dfmples,
and fond of cOddling ways, as ever
was a mothers baby.
When, the previous evening, all ra-
diant tIom his excursion to the Flume,
he ran, for the first time, into the par
lor at the FIume House, one of the
group assembled there, exclaimed:
"Oh, you little curly headed angel
where did you come from ?'
So at once he was their pet, and the
pet Of the house.
Dark-eyed Johnny, who was moth
er's companion and confident, ever
devoted and true, won golden opin-
ions from all, but Charley was the
pet-father's, mothers, and every
boys pet.
SO our party came to the foot Of the
tree.
Charley boy is such brave climb
er, said mamma, II suppose he will
be at the top first of all. y
All cast look at the boy, who, al
ready in advance, turned his bright
face all agloW with happy excitement
upon them. Oh, had that look been
the lastl
So they wound their way slowly
up, Charley just in advance, (sO they
thought) talking of the scenery, and
answering JOhnny's thoughtful and
over mature questions, winding round
and round, up, up, up,-Charley Just
round the turn, out of sight, vet near.
Oh, no! Oh, terror up, up in the
dizzy air, above the tops OF the high
est trees, there is a cry,-a gasping,
faltering, frightened cry, trying still
to be brave.
Mamma, where are you? What
shall do, mamma Everything goes
round so up here"
You are only dizzy, my darling !;
sit right down on the stairs. Don't
stop don't stop; sit right down"
So went up the mothers answer
from her white lips, and agonizing
heart-yet true to a mothers instict,
loud, clear and cheerful as bell.
Up sped the father, crying out en-
eouragingly, "GoOd, Charley, sit still,
papa is cOmingw ~
What a sight met his view, as he
recehed his boy, and clasping him to
his heart shouted sail safe ~
Yes, all safe sat the boy, right on
the outer edge of q stair, Just where
the broken railing gave no protection,
more than hundred feet from the
rocks below, his cheeks aglOw, his
eyes cleaning, his red lips parted in
happy smiles, Obediently waiting his
fathers coming steps; wondering the
while what "dizZy" was, to make the
world 90 round and round like a top.
Yes, ne was safe, because unQues-
tiOnably Obedient; he sat right down
without taking another step, on the
hCA &c " NIO JAH mug hCaLn CAAasoA1f
safe! One step,-One effort to 90
down, TO do anything but just what
he was hidden, and OH what tongue
can tell the horror. We will not i'm
agine the death plunge, the crushed
and lifeless mass, the agony Of those
hearts. 1t is enough that God was
merciful.
How joyful our travellers arose,
when their heads and steps were once
more steady. How gratefully they
descended. Yet, the mothers heart
was full Of penitentiaI self-reproach /;
and that night, ss she kuelt by the
couch Of her darlings nesting in their
sweet sleep together she prayed -
"Oh, my God, thank thee. A
mother forgot her boy, but Thou
watched and saved him."