The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1856-05-15

er OF Elias wharton, entered tile sanetum, cx-
claiming, 4Ihave discovered The writer Of The
article signed Vindex."
"Who is hei who is he r. asked the poli,i-
cal comrades in the same eagerly impetuous
breath. ssss.s
You wonld never conjecture in thou
sand guesses," replied the other.
sLet US know at once, do not keep us in
suspense" & -
"Le,i Coleman, the young Methods,
preacher"
"The deyil.' shouted the as,onished edi.
The deyilw echoed Lis sympaihising
friend. How did YOU learn so strarge a
fact?"
"From the foreman Of the Wing office
in The strictest confidence, however, so that
you must not hint at the source of the In
formation."
sand now what is 10 be. done 7" they all
inquired together.
'sThe case is complicated with serious diff.
ficulties.p observed Elias Wharton, "ior If
we let the matter pass in silence, the rascal
lyshypocrite will become holder in his attack,
and If we punish his insoieuce az il deserves,
every Methodist in the State will probably
be cast against us"
AAsseses rejecting few minutes, HE Jour
nalist sprung to bis feet crying out furiously,
II will fix the base wretch, 50 mat the mem.
bers of his own sect will disown him ~ And
he hastily buckled on his belt, and filing it
with pistols, rushed forth into the street,
As chance would have it, The youthful
minister was at that instant walking by The
door. He was slender, pale'faced man,
with a fair complexion, bright blue ewes, and
a countenance of profound and even poetic
thought apparently incapable of resisting a
shadow of aggression, or so much as harm
ing fly
"Are you the author of Vindex, in the re.
cent number Of the Arkal sas Wing q de-
manded Woods, advancing SO near to his in
tended victim that their heads almost touch
ed.
II am" answered Coleman, in his clear
silver voice, without betrayiDg the faintcst
alarm.
"Then thus / chasiise your iinpudence and
falsehood y shouted the cnraged editor, seiz-
ing the clergyman's nose with grasp Of
iron, and splitting scornfully in his month.
'If did not care 10 have the foul stains
Of your polluted blood on the now Iduie ie-
cord of my conscience. would teach you ,r
lesson never to be forgotten nntiI your diving
day ]" remarked Coleman, as calmly as if in
a prayer meeting.
AWAY with you, paltroon and liar ~ or
dered Woods, administering several con,
temptuous kicks as the other retreated slow
y from the inglorious field.
Tho rumor Of the affair circulated with in
came the subject of general conversation
but singular as it may seem. everybody Ge-
nouneed the juvenile preacher, SO that he
sunk down at once from the pinnacle of pop
ulerity to the lowest abyss of shame aud de
graduation; and on the subsequent Smnday,
when he assembled The pulpit, notlalf a doz-
en- hearers attended tile service. His chosen
Church deserted him as a.e..wa.d--tJr that
was the real cause Of offence, although many
disguised the fact uader tie himsy pretcAt
that they disapprovcd Of his conduct inined
ding with questions of politics.
tbs impossible to paiilt The emotions of
the young minister when he witnessed this
result, and saw himself entirely abandoned
by bis spiritual flock. Even the negroes and
boys taunted him as acoward whenever he
appeared in the streets, and his affianced
bride, lady ofgreat beauty and intelligence,
gave him cold and cruel dismissal Had
he been proved guilty Of burglary or theft,
his disgrace could not have been more.
Noone, therefore, wondered when Zee wiik-
drew from the fellowship Of the Methodist
denomination, and shut himself up in the
solitude Of his private apartment, as many
supposed in q condition bordering on men