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Show TRIED TO DIE- A Noble Self-Sacrifice Which Was Not Demanded by Fate. A book of M. Rouvet, which recently appeared ap-peared in Paris, narrates an incident in the life of the famous architect, Violet-le-Duc, which occurred in July, 1870, when he was in Switzerland. He was one day on the Schwarzenberg glacier, at a height of about 9000 feet, ac. companied by Baptiste, the guide, who marched in front. The two men were attached at-tached to eath other by a rope, as is usual in Alpine mountaineering. The guide had passed over a crevasse, but when M. Viollet-le-Duc attempted to cross it he failed and fell into the abyss. The guide tried to pull him out, but instead he found himself gradually descending. The architect perceived that his companion, compan-ion, if he persisted in the attempt to save him, would surely share his fate, and he asked if Baptiste had a family. "A wife and children," was the answer. "Then," faid Viollet-le-Duc, quietly, "I shall cut the rope." He did so and fell but a block of Ice thirty feet lower down stopped his descent. When Baptiste saw this and that for a time the danger was lessened heweut in search of help and returned with four stout peasants. Three hours afterward Viollet-le-Duc was extricated. ex-tricated. In spite of his perilous position the ruling passion was strong with the artist, for although al-though he was almost covered with icicles from the dripping water, he had contrived to make drawings of thenovel effects he was able to perceive. In his book on the Alps be mentions his fall as if it were a fortunate for-tunate accident. Youth's Companion. |