The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1855-04-13

iSlnyuEtrity ana eruuttlon. when vanity
once gets the mastery of mans reason,
there is no telling the absurdities it will lead
him into. He was fond Of speaking of Vol
ney, and being found with copy ofTaylor's
''Diegesis" in his hand, although few of his
neighbors had heard of the author of the
l" lsnins, or knew what Dicgesis meant.
This peculiarity, together with the per
tnacity of the missionaries Worcester and
Butler, which carried them to penitentiary,
may account for the great aversion of Mr..
Edward Forgeron. to all preachers Of the
Gospel. His dislike for them was so exces-
sive, that he could scarcely speak Of the
l"hypocritical scoundrels," as he called them,
with out flying into passion and using in.
decorous language.
( But circumstance occurred which gave
| hi, zs,.l distinct and sectaran direction. A
Methodist preacher over in Tennessee, who
who was fond of spicing his discourses with
anecdote, once made the blacksmith the prin-
cipal character in n long sermon. His pecu-
liarties were dilated on and his heresies
dealt with becoming severity. lie was
ridiculed, and his literary requirements dis
paragcd by the preacher. All this came to
the ears or Forgeron, with such additions and
embellishments as stories usually receive in
passing to third person. 1t would be as
useless to attempt to describe n mountain
storm rs to picture the wrath of this noun
taineer. But five cannot portray the Storm
the consequence may be easily told. THE
blacksmith s,oore Ia his acord, ha ,could ,chip
ecery Methodist preacher Mat passed the
gap, IN revenge Of has insult.
Forgeron was a man of the word, MS the
bruised features of many of John WesIey's
disciples would testify. His character soon
went abroad, and the good old matrons of
the surrounding counties OH each side of the
mountain, trembled al his name. In short
the mountain pass, which was really rs ro-
mantle place as n landscape painter would
seek for a picture, and was just the spot to re-
mind youth fresh from his classic studies,
of the place where Leonidas and his three
hundred Spartans fell, in attempting to de-
fend Greece against the army of Xerxes but
in despite of the grandeur of its beetling
cliffs, and the beauty of its verdure, it was
associated in the minds of many pious per-
sons, with the broad gate that leads to dc
struction. And Ned Forgeron, the hand
some blacksmith, was invested with the at
tributes and hideous aspect of his Satanic
majesty, by many n smountain girl, who
would doubtless have fallen in "love at first
sight, with him, under any other name.
The preacher whose circuit lay on either
side of the mountain, at the time Ned's dire
full edict was promulgated to the world, was
a meek and lowly man, who approached
nearly in his natural disposition, to willing
obedience to the mandate, relative to turning
the cheek to the smiter.
The poor soul passed many slcepless nights
III view of the fate that awaited him at the
mountain pass. In his dreams, he saw For
geron with huge slcdgchammer in hand,
ready to dash out his brains and would start
with such violence as to wake himself. He
inquired ifthere was no other place at which
the mountain could be passed, only to learn
his doom more certainly. Being timitl
man, but withal devoutly impressed with a
sense of duty, he resolved to discharge his
duties faithfully, bc the consequences what
they might. Like lamb going to the
slaughter did he wend his way toward the
gap; as lie came in front of the shop, the
blacksmith was striking the last blow on a
shovel, and singing away to the tune OF
"Clear the Kitchen
sold Georgia is noble State,
Her laws arc good, and her people great.
VII SttSHiHS ~ VI LHC pcoi pAfS't
who had tlattered himself that he was about
to pass with impunty, Ned sung out-"stor
there, you eternal shad-belly, and pay the
penalty for my injured reputation"
The holy man protested innocence of hav.
ing ever Intentionally injured him, by word
or deed.
4 The mans subdued looks and earnest
voice, had half dissuaded Ned from his stern
purpose, when the giggling his striker aud
the cheering Of two or three iders, nervcd
! him TO do what lie felt was mean. Let ali,
one pause moment, and reflect if he hi.
never been urged on to acts his conscience
smo.e him for, by the opinion of others, be
fore Mr.. Forgeron is sentenced as devil
The preacher received several boxes on hi.
his ears, aud heard many dcnunciation,
against his sect before he was admitted Il
Ede$part; and when that permission was re
ceived, lie was not slow in availing himsel
Of the privilege.
[ At the next annual conference when cir
, cults were assigned to the different preachers
! this one made his appearance punctually bu
some process Of casuistry convinced hin
, that his duty did not call fora revelation o
! his sufferings' Ii he was too sensitive of th,
/. blacksmitl's character to expose it to riid,