Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-05-28

Y ed out Oh Tue soiiu ioeA'
Ro~ Almost the entire bottom
is filed with a gulf or
greenish-black water, forty or hfty
feet in depth, rejecting the steep walls
in it's dark surface.
Arthur Sedgwick, assistant professor
Of RReetenX niseIahd Wt6o'ssaiIuay the fora of
the limerick region. The farm on
which the Beckwith quarry is situated
was rich in wild flowers, and the bot
anlst had obtained from its owner full
permission to tread down the grass
as much as he pleased. After a de-
lightful morning in the field, Sedgwick
became curious to look into the deep,
rocky gulf. Lying fiat, he edged eau
tiously up to the brink and peered
over.
The cliff down which he gazed was
so nearly vertical that a plumb-line
dropped from its summit would have
fallen straight to the water, 200 feet
below. He noted the rocky walls OF
blue and slaty white, darkened here
and there by springs that trickled out
between the shelly layers. His bot
anist's eye marked the green tufts of
grass and the clusters of white yarrOw
that decked the little lodges in the
course Of the watertlOw.
Just above the level of the pond, at
its eastern end he saw the heaps OF
ashes. and circle Of bricks OH the
clinker-strewn terrace where the pump.
house had once stood. Up to the top of
the sheer wall beside it ran line of
rusty red, broken by few short iron
rods, with scattered chain-links and
frayed rope-ends hanging to them,
showing where the pipe that drained
the quarry had been fastened.
AS Sedgwick's eyes followed the
water-line along the base of the steep
cliffs, his attention was caught by a
dash Of vivid pink against the dull
blue quarry wall 1t needed no second
glance to tell him what it was. Pink
yarrOw!
He had known that it existed in the
region, but SO far had been unable to
fnu any specimens. II was long
way down to that cluster of bloom,
but he determined to add it to his her
barium if there was any possible way
of reaching the shelf on which it grew
quarry, was the line of ladders and
steep stairs which had formerly been
used by the worlnlen. A brief circuit
through the thick grass brought the
botanist to its top.
The first stage of the descent was a
ladder running fifty feet down. the face
of a perpendicular cliff; from the ledge
ON which the ladder ended stairway
almost as steep led down forty feet
farther to q second ledge; then came
another ladder longer than the first;
and finally a second stairway landed
close to the coveted bloom.
Sedgwick was too sensible to incur
actual danger for the sake of gaining
the spray of yarrow; on the other
hand, he did not propose to be fright
ened from his purpose by the mere
difficulty Of the accomplishment.
He scanned the ladder below him.
Its rounds appeared perfectly strong.
Better still, a wire rope, running
through eyes in the end of iron rods
and serving as handrail was
stretched close beside the ladders and
stairs clear to the edge of the water
Although the canvas that covered this
rope was frayed and it's supporting
rods were red with rust it gave prom.
Use of security in case the wood should
fail.
Sedgwick's arms were strong and his
nerves sound. Keeping firm hold OF
the twisted steel, he cautiously tested
the upper rounds Of the ladder with
his feet. No signs of decay We're ap'
parent, and he began the descent.
So careful was his progress that II
was fully ten minutes before he stood
on the final ledge, only a few inches
above the water. A few steps brought
him to the spray Of yarrOw, and pres
emily 1t lay with the other specimens
in the canister slung over his shout
der. Before beginning the ascent he
stood for time looking up.
NAoh tuC hCiu VI piuC ohy DClN CVi
the cliff SUBMITS the unclouded sur
sent down flood of fiery light. nc
breeze was stirring in the deep pit
1t was like q caldron filed with trem
ulous air, seething in CLASSY pillows
in the intense heat Sedgwick almost
wondered that the pond did not boi
under the glowing rays. Far above
the wire of the old galloway cut the
summer sky, thread Of black. A
bird, perched upon it, sent down al
occasional inquiring note. 1t was toe
hot to stay there long. Sedgwicl
famed himself with his straw hat, ant
then began to ascend.
1t was a slow, weary climb beneath
the scalding sun: but step by step III
won his way upward. Ere long III
was at the foot of the last ladder, fift!
feet from the top. Round by round III
assembled, until he had gone ten feet
Then something gave way above.
The ladder settled slightly. and tt
top dropped straight out from the cliff
AS Sedgwick felt himself falling back
ward he instinctively let go the round
and graSped with both hands at thu
wire rope beside him. swinging him
self out of the line of the ladder as III
did so.
His presence of mind and quicknes
of action undoubtedly saved his life
A hundred feet below him there was
heavy plunge in the pond, n suggestion
of his own probable fate had he beel
second slower.
For brief space he hung dangling
at arms length against the face of tn
perpendicular wall. too horrlhed to d
anything but hold on for dear life
His broad-brmmed straw hat la