The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-05-09
From the Mobile Register.
The Hermit Of the Cliff.

In the Stdte Oh h6uluCkN, At PVaAh
not tar from where the romantic little
Tradewater throws itself into the arms
of the Ohio, may be seen standing
upon the very verge of lofty cliff
small and somewhat strangely-fash-
toned stone hut. No person seems to
know anything about it. An old man
lives there, and he might have lived
there since the creation of the world
for aught any one can tell to the con-
trary.. All haye seen him some have
'endeavored TO get into conversation
with him, but none have been able to
arrive at his history, for he is provo
kingly uneommunicative.
Business took me to that region
some months ago, and while there L
made it convenient to visit the shut
on the cliff" The old man, an eccen-
tric-looking character, truly, received
me kindly, but as had been fore
warned would be the case, showed no
disposition to converse. did not try
to press an interchange upon him, but
stated that I was q stranger in the
place, merely rambling about, and had
been attracted to his locality by the
magnificent view it afforded of the
Ohio river. ~a-D2 sLt -
One word brought on another until
finally we got into an easy converse
ton, and il was not long until 1 dis
covered disposition upon his part to
give me scrap of his history. took
q seat upon the brink of the cliff, and
he stationed himself not far away, and
at last, after had hHmored him in
every manner possible, to the evident
securing of his good opinion, he said :
am now seventy-four years old.
Fifty years ago. this coming spring, l
first saw this cliff, and since that time
Thave never been three miles away
from it, e 22iaY H2aa'i- % 5t.2go
saeFifty years agos1 started with my
small famiiy-a wife aud one child
from Pittsburg to go to New Orleans.
It was before the age of steam had
been inaugurated, SO we took passage
aboard q keel-boat. Right out there,
(pointing with his handy, our boat
stuck fast on sand bar, and necessi-
tated waiting till rise in the river
should let us off.
1t was a dull place at which to tar
ry,i and consequently life soon waxed
monotonous to the fullest extreme,
and with view to q change, l one
day took my wife and child, the latter
little girl of four summers, and came
ashore to walk in the woods. We
strolled to the top of this cliff, and
seated ourselves upon the very offset
which you are now occupying, to en-
| joy the scene which you were just
now praising. 1t was somewhat diff
| ferent then from now. An unbroken
wilderness reached out in every direc-
ton, as farFas the eye could see. Man
had not yet interfered with the ,prim-
tive features of the forest. - saaf stf,
s.After looking upon the scene ir
silence, for some time, my wife said
"Ah, George, did you ever see any
thing so enchanting before ~
g s;I told her it was really sublime"
lbnsIt almost makes me feel like 1
Bird she continued, sable to sail of
these lofty cliffs and go just where
like. i'll were to become bird
George, and fly away over yonder, ,ou
of sight, would you wait here till
returned" 2" fs
81 laughed and promised that
would wait. \r7f
"Now, George she continued,
might get to be bird Promise m
good, that, should take notion t
fiy, you'll never leave this place till
come back to you.' ftfs.
la Il promise goed, said !, laugh
ling again, yet feeling some astonish
ment at her continuance of the subject
The words had scarcely passed m
| lips ere she rose to her feet seized ou
child to her arms, and before ! coul
move hand or foot, leaped from tn
cliff, A rustling OF clothes in the all
wild. scream from the child, a dul
! heavy sound from far below, and al
{ was silent. !;s5ioJ 9a} Best co. ~
81 made my way down the cliff
2 scarcely know how-but a bleedin
and almost shapeless mass was all
found there! The spirits had ais
!. fiowni 3a9i83 ~ f5ga 8j1i.sfge z.
4fSee that fiat rock there beside m
s hut; that is their tomb. At my n
4 quest the boatmen bore their remain
to the top of the cliff, and there the
are buried. And they then assiste
. me to erect this hut. ] promised ht
to remain right here till she ireturne
tome; l shall keep my promise" q