The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-09-16

palllng denunclation against sinners
perhaps ever heard from the pulpit. He
painted the different classes of offenders
against the divine law In colors SO
black, as to justify, without figure, the
epithet of internal. And here all his
eloqueDce proved failure, or some
thing worse; for instead of woolng sim
ners and heretcs into the arms of or
thoxody, his bitter invectives filled their
hearts with hostility and revenge. He
made, that one day, at least a hundred
implacable enemies.
Afterwards, travelling around his cir
cult, he pursued the same unwavering
course, throwing the whole country into
ferment, and creating with every fer
ment host of friends and enemies -
the latter, however, usually predomina-
ting both in vehemence and numbers.
AT length he gave mortal offence to
one Jonas Sneed, a wealthy planter of
Howard county, and man of great per-
sonal popularity, although it was we'll
known that his wrath was deadly as the
poison of the rattlesnake. The Difficult
ty arose in this manner:
Major Sneed, Notwithstanding his
many virtues, and he really possessed
many, was an occasional gambler-as,
indeed, might be said of the majority of
the irreligious in that section of coun-
try. He was also duellist, whenever
the code of honor, as currently recogniz-
ed in that region, called upon him, with
its imperious rules to proffer or accept
the gage of battle. He had been engag-
ed in several encounters of the kind and
fortune always had declared in his
favor. The young preacher, Seaborn
Ellis, was in the habit of denouncing all
games of chance, as well as the players
who participated in them, in most saw
age way, while his abuse of duelling and
duellists was terrible, if not actually
fiendish in his ferocity. Major Sneed
had been long writhing under these lac
erations, when one Sunday he attended
church in the town of old Franklin, sit
uated on the bank of the Missouri riv-
er, nearly opposite to Boonville While
buC bClDlOii was bClllR uGllNtItu, EOuutu
to desperation by some whitening sar-
casm against his peculiar vices, he ejac-
ulated one word of involuntary retort.
This brought down upon his devoted
head rebuke, the most terrible ever
Illuminated from the pulpit-at least in
a Protestant land.
The infuriated duellist instantly left
the assembly, and waiting at the door
until the minister came out, he attempted
to vindicate his honor by inflicting per-
sonal chastisement on the other. But
the by-standers interfered and prevented
any serious combat at that time.
On the next day, which happened to
be Christmas, Seaborn Ellis had an APP
pointment to hold forth at place in the
country, about six miles from the town
of Franklin, and directly on the road to
the county seat. The exercises COM
menced at four o'clock in the afternoon,
and did not close till nearly sunset. AS
soon as the service was ended, the
preacher left the house, with the in
tention of riding on to Fayette that
night. His surprise and astonishment,
then, may well be imagined, when, on
passing through the door, he found
Major Sneed and about one hundrd of
his friends, waiting to receive him in
most ungracious manner.
4" demand full apology" said the
major, in stern, overbearing tone, "for
all the insults you have offered me-"
Ellis answered without changing
countenance, or showing any external
symptoms of unusual emotion
:" If have really insulted you, will
apologize in the most satisfactory man.
ner."
Did you not, on yesterday, proclaim
me gambler and murderer even from
the pulpit? And do you not term that
an insult of the grossest character 2"
asked Sneed, in accents tremulous with
suppressed rage.
" do not call the truth an insult"
exclaimed Ellis, with flashing eyes and
a slight, nervous motion of the right
hand, as if he too were becoming ex-
cited
"Then you will not apologize p"
shouted Sneed, almost deranged with
passion.
4" have nothing to apologize for, re-
piled the preacher; as his right hand
was slowly raised and to all appearances
involuntarily and glided under his
vest.