Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1885-05-29


father, who is shouting with al the
energy Of despair:
William! William! don't look down !
Your mother, and Henry and Harriet
are all here praying for you'll Don't look
down! Keep your eyes toward the
topr' s ,gisa
The boy doesn't look down. His eye
is fixed like flint toward heaven, and
his young heart on Him who reigns
there. He grasps again his knife. He
cuts another niche, and another foot is
added to the hundreds that remove him
from the reach of human help from be-
low. How carefully he uses his vast
ing blade How anxiously he selects
tho softest places in that vast pier How
he avoids every ainty grain! How be
economies his physical powers, resting
moment at each gain he cuts How
every motion is watched from below!
There stands his father, mother, bro
ther, and sister, on the very spot where.
il he falls, he will not fall alone. The
sun is halfway down in the west. The
lad has made fifty additional inches III
that mighty wall, and now finds himself
directly under the middle Of that vast
arch of rock, earth and trees. He must
cut his way in new direction TO get
from this overhanging mountain. The
inspiration Of hope in his bosom its
vital heat Is fed by the increasing shouts
of hundreds perched upon cliffs, trees,
and others who stand with ropes ia their
hands upon the bridge above, or with
ladders below. Fifty more gains must
be cut before the longest rope can reach
him. His wasting blade strikes again
into the limestone. The boy is emery
ing painfully, foot by foot, from under
that lofty arch. Spliced ropes are in
the hands of those who are leaning over
the outer edge of the bridge Two min
utes more and all will be over. The
blade is worn to the last half inch The
boys head reels; his eyes are starting
from their sockets His last hope is
dying in his heart, his life must hang
upon the next gain he outs. That niche
is the last At the last flint cash he
makes, his knife--his faithful knife
falls from his little neryeless hand, and,
ringing along the precipice, falls at his
mothers feet
An involuntary groan of dspair runs
like death-knell through tho channel
below, and oil is still as the grave. At
the height of nearly three hundred feet,
the devoted boy lifts his hopeless heart
and closing eyes to commend his soul to
God IT'S but moment there one
foot swings off, he is reeling, trembling.
topping over into eternity! Hark a
shout falls on his ear from above The
man who is lying with his length over
the bridge has caught glimpse of the
boys head aud shoulders Quick as
thought the noosed rope is within reach
Of the sinking youth. No one breathes.
With faint convulslve effort, the
swooning boy drops his arm into the
moose. Darkness comes over him, and
with the words "God" and mother"
whispered on his lips just loud enough to
be heard in heaven, the tightening rope.
lifts him out Of his last shallow niche.
Not a lip moves while he is dangling
over that fearful abyss but when
sturdy Virginian reaches down and draws
up the lad, and holds him up in his
arms before the fearful, breathless multi
tude, such shouting, and such leaping
and weeping for JOY, never greeted
a human being so recovered from the
yawning gulf Of eternity.