Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-09-28
VOL. v.

and children, IN every variety OF OutIanu-
ish costumes All Shelby county was
there. The hunters had come, rifles in
hand, and dogs barking at their heels, the
roeues, refugees, and gamblers, with pis-
tolls in their belts, and big knives peeping
from their shirt-bosoms; while here and
there might be seen sprinklng of we'll
dressed planters, with their wives and daugh-
ters.
The tumult was deafning, tornado of
babbling tongues, talking, shouting, quar-
reling, betting, and cursing foramusement
Suddenly a cry arose "Col. Watt Foe
man ~ "Hurrah for Col. Watt Foemanp'
and the crowd parted to the right and left,
to let the lion Lyncher pass.
turned to the advancing load-star of all
eyes, and shuddered involuntarily at the
devilish countenance which met my glance;
and yet the features were not only youth
full, but eminently handsome; the hide
BUSINESS lay in the look, full of savage fire
-ferocious, murderous. It was in the
reddish yellow eye balls with arrow pupils,
that seemed to flash jets of lurid fame; in
the thin sneering lips with their everlast-
ing icy smile. AS to the rest, he was
tall, Athletic, very powerful man. His
train, dozen armed desperadoes, followed
him.
Foeman spoke in voice, sharp, pierre
ing, as the point of dagger Eh! Brin-
son, where is the new missionary? We
want to give him plumed coat!'
"He has not yet arrived" replied the
planter.
DWELL, suppose we must wait for him:
but put the barbecue on the boards; am
hungry as a starved wolf"
81 cannot till the missionary comes; the
barbecue is his property"
A fearful light blazed in Foeman's eyes,
as he took three steps towards Brinson, and
fairly shouted, Fetch the meat instantly,
or I'll fill your own stomach with dinner
of lead and steel %
This was the ultimotuna of one whose
authority was the only law, and the plan
ter obeyed without murmur. The smok-
ing viands were arranged on the tables, by
by score of slaves, and the throng prepar-
ed to commence the sumptuous meal, when
a voice pealed from the pulpit, loud as the
blast of a trumpet in battle, "Stay, gentle
men and ladies, till the giver of the barbe-
cue asks Gods blessing p
Every heart started, every eye was di-
| rccted to the speaker; and whisperless
3 silence ensued, for all alike were struck by
; his remarkable appearance. He was al
twenty years of age; his hair, dark as the
ravens wing, flowed down the immense
{ shoulders in masses of natural ringlets,
: more beautiful than any ever wreathed a.
round the jeweled brow of queen by the
labored achievements of human art his
, eyes, black as midnight, beamed like stars
over face pale as Parian marble, calm,
passionless, spiritual, and wearing singu
lar, indefnable expression, such as might
have been shed by the light of a dream
} from Paradise, or the luminous shadow o1
: an angels wing. The heterogeneous crowd
hunters, gamblers, homicides, gazed in {
: mute astonishment.
: The missionary prayed; but it sounded
5 like no other prayer ever addressed to the
G throne of the Almighty. 1t contained III
encomiums on the splendor of the divine
a attributes; no petitions in the tone of com
n mands; no prisons for distant places, times
2 or objects; and no implied instructions a
IS to the administration of the government 0
L the universe. 1t related exclusively to tn
l. present people and the present hour it wa
|, the cry of naked soul, and that soul
st beggar for the bread and the water of hea1
g, enly life.
He ceased, and not till then did I be
re come conscious of weeping. 1 looked g
lie round through my tears, and saw a hun
dred faces wet as with rain!
d "Now, my friends" said the missionary
"partake of Gods gifts at the table, an
Is then come and sit down and listen to hi
h Gospel"
i. It would be impossible to describe th
sweet tone of kindness in which these sin
E. pie words were uttered, that made him o
the instant FIVE hundred friends. Or
"a heart, however, in the assembly, was mac
s. dened by the evidences of the preacher
ID wonderful power Col. Watt Foeman e,
e. claimed in sneering voice "Mr Pal
of Denton, your reverence has lied. Yo
er promised us not only good barbecue, b.
D. better liquor. Where is the liquor ?"
IN "There! !' answered the missionary,
le tones of thunder, and pointing his motion
less finger at the matchless Double Spring
as gushing up in two strong columns, with
n sound like shout of joy from the boso
* of the earth. "There p he repeated wit
III look terrible as lightning. while his en-
e, my actually trembled on his feet; "the
to is the liquor, which God the Eternal, brew
Ill for all his children!
he "Not in the simmering still, over SIN
ed ky fires, choked with poisonous gases, an
1t surrounded with the stencil of sickenir
odors and rank corruption, doth your Z
le- ther in heaven prepare the precious essen
lie of life-the pure, cold water. But in Il
IL green glade and CLASSY dell, where the r,
n deer wanders, and the child loves to pla
pit there God himself brews it; and down, lc
in down in the deepest valleys, where Il
ese fountains murmur and the rills sing; al
on high up on the tall mountain tops whe
a the naked granite glitters like gold in t
On, sun, where the storm-cloud broods, and {
the thunder-tOnps crash and ayuav Ca ont