American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-07-10


and well thumbed copy of Paine's
" Age of Reason" and affected skep-
tlclsm as to the veracity Of the story
of Jonah and the whale, and Balaam
and his ass, would be hard account
ing for unless it proceeded from a
desire Of a character for singularity
and eruditIon. When vanity once
gets the mastery of a mans reason,
there is no telling the ausurdities it
will lead him into. He was fond of
speaking of Folney, and of being
found with copy of Taylor's "Die-
gesis in his hand, although few of
the neighbors had heard of the au-
thor of the "Ruins," or knew what
Diegesis meant.
This popularity, together with the
pertinacity of the missionaries, Wor-
cester and Butler, which carried
them to the penitentiary, may ac-
count 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 hypOcritical scoundrels," as
he called them, without flying into
passion, and using indecOrouS Ian
guage. But circumstance occurr-
ed, which gave his zeal a distinct and
sectarian direction. A Methodist
preacher over in Tennessee, who was
fond of spicing his discourse with
anecdotes, once made him the prin-
cipal character Of long sermon. His
peculiarities were dilated on, and his
heresies dealt with in severity. He
was ridiculed, and his litery acquire
ments disparaged by the preacher.
All this came to the ears of ForgerOn,
with such embellishments as stories
usually receive in passing to third
person. 1t would be as useless to at
tempt to describe mountain storm,
as to picture the wrath of this noun
taineer. But if we cannot portray
the storm, the consequences may be
easily told. The blacksmith swore
in his wrath that he would whip eve
ry Methodist preacher that passed
the gap, in revenge of his insult.
Forgeron, was man of his word,
as the bruised features of many OF
John Wesley's disciples could testify.
His character soon went abroad, and
the good old matronsOf the surround
ing counties on each side of the noun
tain trembled at his name. In short,
the mountain pass, which was really
as romantic place as landscape
painter would seek for picture, and
was Just the spot to remind a youth
fresh from the classic studies of the
place where Leonidas and his three
hundred Spartans fell, attempting tC
defend Greece against the army o
Nerxes-in despite of the grandeur
Of its beetling cliffs, and the beauty
Of its verdure, was associated in the
minds of many pious persons, will
the broad gate that leads to destruc
ton. And Ned Forgeron, the hand
some blacksmith, was invested will
the attributes and hidcous aspect 0
S his Satanic majesty, by many a noun
+ tain girl who would doubtless hav,
| fallen in Glove at first sight" witt
u him under any other name. Th
preacher whose circuit lay on eithe
e side OF The mountain at the time Ned
: direful edict was promulgated to tn
r world, was a meek and loWly man
n who approached nearly in his natura
d disposition to willing obedience t
# tie mandate, relative to tuning til
II check to the smiter. The poor sor
e passed many sleepless nights, in vie'
g of the fate that awaited him at th
g mountain pass. In his dream she sa'
if Forgeron with a huge sledge hamme
l. in his hand, ready to dash out hi
Is brains, and would start with sue
rs violence as to wake himself. He il
,e quired if there was no other place {
a. which the mountain could be pasSet
IS only to learn his doom more certainl
g Being a .timid man but withal d
III voutly impressed with a sense of d
;" ty, he resolved to discharge his d
Id ties faithfully, be the consequence
ly what they might. Like lambs goin
of to the slaughter did he wend his Wa
at toward the gap; as he came in trol
a of the shop, the blacksmith was stli
n ing the last blow on shovel, al
y, singing away to the tune of 9 Gle;
st the Kitchen y
d. 80 Georgia is q noble State
ld Her laws are good, her people great
Il On catching glimpse of the 70
as m parson, who had fattered himsi
81 that he was about to pass with imp
60 60 nifty, Ned sang out" Stop, thel
W. ~ you eternal shad belly, and pay t
Sa penalty OF an injured reputation
80 The holy man protested innocence
vii having ever Intentionally injur
r;t him by word or deed.
ON The mans subdued looks and eal
,tb est voice had half dissuaded n
ed from his stern purpose, when t
his giggling from his striker, and t
no cheering Of two or three idlers, nel
itb ed him to do what he felt was mes
mt Let any one pause a moment and
as feet if he has never been urged
ert to acts his conscience Smote him
me by the opinions OF others, before \
his ForgerOn is Judged. The preaci
received several boxes on his ca
for and heard many denunciotiC
ed against his sect before he was y
,od mitted to depart; and when Il
of permission was received, he was /
ur- slow in availing himself Of its pri
uc- lege.
yer At the next annual cOntcrcl
hat when circuits were assigned to
to different preachers this one made
ed, appearance punctually, but by 50
on process of casuistry convinced him>
om that his duty did not call for Il re
yn- ton of his sufferings. Whether
rad was too sensitive of the black Smit
ter character 10 expose it to rude reHa
or had il preference that some "
: OF thiCr brother should occupy /
yer healthy station among the mOunta
ted IS difficult to conjecture.
ion, But Forgeron's reputation had
ing tended beyond the circuit, and '
po- done ample and severe justice to
the others who had heard of his ia
lad 1t Sa"n became the subject of ;
red mated conversation aud thprn ,