Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-10-23
5vOLUME 46.-NUMBER 81.

~ w - - Wv ~
"You are getting on very well. said
Mr.. Stuhbewor,h. II think ! can make
decent man out OF you yet, and perhaps
Chrisuen."
Ned groaned.
1.-THE second thing | require OF you 10
to go 10 Pumpkin creek meeting house,
and hear me preach tomorrow"
Ned attempted to stammef some ex.
euse, g. l--I--I--ls---"
When the divine resumed his devotion.
al hymn, and kept time with the music.
striking him over the face with the 1eshy
part OF his hand
"My soul mounted higher in ehsrio, Of iise,
Nor did envy fl9ah hls seat
Ned's promises Of punetualty caused
the parsons exercise 10 cease, and the
words redolent Of gorgeous imaginary
died away ia echoes from the adjacent
mountains.
"Now the third and last demand 10
peremptory." Ned was all attention to
know what was 10 come next. rYou
are 10 promise 10 seek religion, day and
night, and never rest until you obtain it
at the hands Of merciIu Redeemer."
The fallen man looked nj the declining
sun, aud then at the parson, and knew
not what to say when the latter individ-
ual raised his voice in the song once
more, aud Ned knew what would come
next.
nm do my BEST" he said, in an hum
BILE voice.
"Well, that's a man," said Stubble.
worth--''now get up and 60 down to the
spring ana wash your face, and tear up
Tom Paine's Testament, and turn your
thoughts on high"
Ned rose with feelings he never expe-
rienced before, and went to obey the la.
vatory Injunction Of the preacher, when
that gentleman mounted his horse, took
Ned by the hand. and said snow keep
your promise. and III keep yonr counsel.
Good evening, Mr.. Forgeron--l'll look
for you Tomorrow and off he rode
with the same mperturbable coan,enance,
singing SO loud as to scare the eagles
from their eyre in the overhanping rocks.
"Well," thought Ned, "this is nice bu-
sness. VIVA, would the people say If
they knew Edward Forgeron was whip.
ped before his own door 10 the gap, and
that too by Methodist preacher" But
his musings were more in sorrow than in
anger.
The dishgured countenance of Forge.
ron was OF course the subject of numef-
Gus questions, that night, among his nu-
merous friends; to which he replied with
stern look they well understood, and
the vague remark tina: he had met with
an accident. or course they never once
dreamed ofihe cause. Forgeion looked
into the glass and compared his "black
eye from the scutlle," TO the rainbow ship
wreck scene--"blending every color into
one" Or perhaps he never read the
story, aud only muttered 10 himself "Ned
Forgeron whipped by Methodist preach
er."
| His dreams that night were OF a con-
fused and dissgreeable nature; and on
waking in the morning, he had an indls-
tnct memory Of something unpleasant
having occurred. At first he could not
recollect the cause Of his feelings; bu'
the bruises OF his face and body soon calf
ing them 10 mind, as we'll as the promise,
he mounted his horse and went TO redeem
| II.
| From that time his whole conduct man.
Tested change OF feeling. The gossips
OF the neigbborhood observed it, and
whispered that Ned was silent, and hac
gone to meeting every Sunday since the
accident. They wondered greatly at his
burning the books he used TO read so
much. Strange stories were circulating
as to the me;amorphosis of this jovia.,
daredevil blacksmith into gloomy and
tacI,urn man. Some supposed, very
sagely, that esprit" had enticed him
into the mountains, and after giving him
a glimpse into the fuluie, bad msed him
to crag where he had fallen and bruls-
ed his face. Others gave the Prince OF
Darkness the credit Of the change but
none suspected the Methodist preacher
and as the latter had 90 vanity to crafty.
the secret remained with Ned.
The gloomy state Of mind continued
until Forgeron visited a camp-meetng.
The Rev. Mr.. Stubbieworlh preached
sermon that seemed to enter his soul and
relieve it Of burdez; and the song Of
elbow happy they who their Saviour obey"
was only half through when he Eel, like
new man. Forgeron was from that time
a shouting Methodist" A, love feast,
a short time subsequently, be gave in his
experience and revealed the mystery of
his conviction and conversion to his as
tonished nrighbors. The Rev. Mr.. Stub
biewcrih, who had faithfully kept the Sc
cret until that time, could contain him.
self no longer, but gave vent to his feel
lngs IN conyulsivepeals oflsughter, as the
burning tears of JOY coursed their way
down his cheeks. "Yes, my 5refhren''
he said "a IS a fact. l did maui the grace
Of God into his unJeAering soul, there's
no donJtr'
The blacksmith Of the mountain pass
himself became, soon afterwards, Meth
odist preacher.
DIVISION OF LABoR.--A certain prea-