Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1843-01-18


you up"
'Whai are ihey?" asked Forgeron eagerly
"The first is, that you will never moIesI
Methodist preacher again" Here Ned's pride
rose; and he hestaed, and the reverend gem
tleman, with his usual benign smile on his face,
renewed his blows and sung
Il rode on the sky, freely justified l."
And the moon it was under my feet
This oriental language oyercame the black
smith! Such bold figures, or Somethsag else,
caused him 10 sing out "Well, III do it'll
do H."
"lou are getting on very well, !" said Nr.
Siubbleworih-'l think | make deceH,
man OF you yet, and perhaps christian"
Ned groaned
"The second thing require Of you, is, TO g,f
10 Pumpkinvine Creek Meeting house, aud hear
me preach tomorrow"
Ned attempted 10 slammer some excuse-''I
-I-ihal is"
When The divine resumed hi. devorionA
hymn and kept time with the music, striking
him over the face with The hsshy part of .hs
hand---
"My soul mounted higher, on chsrio: Of fire,
Nor did envy Elijah bis seat"
Neds promise of punctuay, caused the
parsons exercise TO cease, aud The words
dolent of gorgeous imagery, died away ln
echoes from the adjacent crags.
"Now the third and last demand make OF
you is peIemptory." Ned was all attention, Iu
know what 10 come next. ~ OH are TO
promise 10 seek religion, day and night and new
er rest until you obtain j! al the hands of mer-
ciful Redeemer." The fallen man looked at
the declining sun, and then at the parson, and
knew moi what 10 say, when the latter indiVid-
ual began 10 raise his voice in song once more,
and Ned knew wha, would come next
"l'll do my BEST" he said, in an humJIed
voice
"Well that's man." Mr. Stub5lewonh said.
"Now get up and go down TO ihe spring and
wash your face, and dust your clothes and tear
up Mr.. Pains's testament, and turn your thoughts
on high"
Ned arose with feelings he had. never expe-
renced before. and went 10 obey The Iava'ury
injunction Of the preacher, when that genIe-
man mounted his horse, took Ned by he hand.
and said:--"Keep your promise and I'll keep
your counsel. Good evening, Mr. Forgeron-
III look for you 10 morrow, and off he rode with
the same imperturbable countenance, singing
so loud as 10 scare The eaglets from their eyrie,
in the overhanging rocks.
Well thought Ned, this is a nice business;
Wha, would people say if they knew Edward
Forgeron was whipt before his own door in
the gap, and by Methodist preacher too! But
his musings were more in sorrow than an
ger"
CHAPTER III.
The disfgured counenance of Forgeron, was
of course the subject Of numerous questions ,ha:
night, among his friends, 10 which he replied
with a stern look they well understood and The
vague remark that he had met Uith an accident.
Ofcourse, they never dreamed of the true cause.
Forgeron looked in the glass, and perhaps COM
pared the changing hues of his /" black eye
from recent scoffle," 10 the rainbow ship
wreck scene--"blending every color into one."
Or perhaps he had never read that story and
only muttered to himself, Ned Forgefon whip
ped by Methodist preacher"
His dreams that night were of a confused
and disagreeable nature, and waking in tho
morning. he had an indisinct memory OF some
thing unpleasant having occurred. Al first he
could not recolieci the cause of his feelings,
but the bruises on his face and body, soon
called them 10 mind, as well as the promise
He mounted his horse in silence, and wen, 10
redeem it.
From that time, his whole conduci.. manifest
ed change of feeling. The gossiPs iof the
HelSHpOInOOu observed III, ana WulspeISu tHdt
Ned was silent and serious, and had gone 10
meeting every Sunday since the accident. They
wondered at his burning The books he used 10
read so much. Strange stories were circulated
as 10 this melaphorPhose of the jovial, dare
devil. blacksmith, into a gloomy and laei'urn
man. Some supposed, very sagely, that a
"spirit" had enliced him into the mountains, and
after giving him glimpse into The future. had
misled him to q crag, where he had fallen and
bruised his face Others gave, the prince of
darkness the credit TO the change; bs. mono
suspected the Methodist preacher. and as The
latter gentleman had no vanity TO crafty, the
secret remained with Ned
This gloomy state Of mind continued until
Forgeron visited camp. meeting. The Rev.
MIR. Siubbleworlh preached sermon thai
seemed 10 enter bis soul, and relieve Ii et a
burden, and the song Of
"How happy are thew who their Saviour obsy"