Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-02
and realizes that he must climb, climb.

and realizes that he must climb, climb
climb.
A momentary thought of the descen,
sends a shudder once more through him
but he puts II aside as he would the pre
monition Of an epidemic.
All! 1t is a relief to feel quite secure once
morei
The level floor Of the inner gallery unde,
the great painting is blessing indeed
The evidences of solidity are sweet to the
dizzy soul
He loves to linger here, to look down a.,
the queer antics of mankind on the floor
below, many, many feet. He amuses him.
SELF comparing them with ants,as they slide
along with telescope strides. He laughs al
their curious fore-shortening, and has a
Jolly time thinking of how surprised they
would be If he should drop over among
them, and wonders II he would hit them
de shudders for the third time when the
Waterman and the vendor of souvenirs tell
him of the man who jumped off the dome
years ago, and add to his horror when they
remind each other of the narrowing in
cldents OF the terrible affair. and one
speaks OF how the poor, demented fellow
walked around the railing in the gallery
only few days before his leap to death.
The shivers of the visitors are changed TO
shakes of laughter when the Waterman in
troduces MIN TO the trick of the circular
ceiling, which throws the voice about as it
would a rubber ball. until it seems to come
from the very iron.
Then he feels strong enough TO try the
last stage OF the climb. and he creeps up
the tortuous stairway that curves over the
allesory IN paint with the hardihood of a
man who feels himself Injured to danger
But ne gaSpS In relief, nevertheless when
after final twist to the marrow that is
almost sickening, he puts his trembling
root on fiat iron once more and energies
into the fresh air.
Far Above the City.
On, that air! 1t alone pays for the trip
1t is such relief from the stuffy atmos-
of
lows gallons Of 1t before he realizes that he
mas put the city good many feet below
hlm The picture that he obtained lower
down Is fattened, concentrated reduced
The hills that border the scene do not per-
init any extension of the view. Washing
ton huddles closer to the Capitol. The
gazer feels the curious sensation of being
In the center of things. He becomes more
important in his own esteem. He dreams
and gazes and watches and waits and spec
ulates as to the life that is hidden by the
bricks and the trees, and postpones as long
as he can the descent
He really doesn't want to go down. He
would like to stay up here always. 1t is
comfortable, compared with the stairways.
he tries to get a glimpse of Liberty, but
her face Is sterny set to the eastward, and
she does not deign to glance at him. He
wonders how the men must feel who have
to give her occasional baths. how they must
laOgh at the terrors of the stairways, when
they creep out on their curved ladders and
en- brace her with their ropes, and caress
her with their brushes
Then the horror of the descent dwindles.
for sense of pride comes to his rescue,
and he goes down.
1t were better not to tell of the descent.
II Is a nightmare. 1t spoils the story of
heroism that the tourist tells at home.
Better 1t is to let the dome keep its secrets.
Let the cold iron bury the agonies of the
CHIMP and the descent. Let the pride Of the
aint-hearted revive without treading on its
toes by speaking of the heart fiutterings on
the sleeps Of Libertys PEDESTAL
Inere are some stories that should never
be told. This Is one of them