The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-06-05

y sa>taSA IA.D ~ - - - - -
man who slays his adversary in duel IS re-
ar,,ed Is close TO murderer; when the dead
man IS regarded as fool, and when people WAC
CORRESPOND ON the subject and don't tight
are laughed at. 1t seems BIZ. Heth calleu at
Mr.. Sherley's house, met him in the hall, and
cowhided him for rejecting on lady to whom
Mr.. Heth was engaged. Mr. sherley places
himself in the hands Of DR.. Yandell and Hen
~ Watterson who, after prolonged consultation,
agree upon certain correspondence in place OF
the duel. In Mr. Heth's letter he says he
acted chastity" and under excitement and
misconception of some of the facts;" and that
inasmuch rs Mr.. Sherley has done call that one
gentleman could ask or expect of another" ne
regrets his "prccipitancy" and hopes the cow
hided man will "blot the circumstance" from
his memory. Mr.. Sherley declares these "e1-
plantations are satisfactory" and is constraln-
ed to add that he too "acted hastily and under
excitement" and promises to "forget the cir
cumstance." But will he? Can he forget IT.,
The code provides for no atonement for blow,
much less for cowhiding, except blood. Yet,
On the assurance that Mr.. Heth "acted under
excitement" which Mr. Sherley already knew,
and with "precipitancy," which he also knew,
and which Hcth regretted, Mr.. Sherley prom
Uses not to forgive, but to "forget.' Could
ANYTHING be more ridiculous? Why resort to
the code for so lame conclusion? 1t men
want to fight and wish to fight on equal terms
and without endangering the lives OF others,
as all gentlemen should fight, the better way
to do nowadays is to write nothing, but send
private message by single friend to your
adversary informing him YOU will be at a GER
tain quiet and sequestcred spot the next morn
ing at five O'Clock, if it be summer, or six, II 1t
be winter, armed with certain weapons, and
that you desire has presence there at the hour
named with similar arms and single friend.
This code business is humbus. 1t inevitably
results in publicity and man who really wants
to fight, and has made up his mind to tight,
does not want publicity. He goes about it
like he goes about borrowing money, neatly
and quietly. The most effective work in that
line is done with as little hustle and buster as
possible.
The iconoclast is abroad in the land. Nom
cure Conway undertakes to prove that the
story that Frederick the Great sent sword
to Washington with the inscription on it,,
'sFrom the Oldest General in the world to the
greatest" is myth and without foundation,
in fact; and biblical critics undertake to show
that Moses did not write the book of Dcu-
teronomy, did not tell of his own death and
burial; that St. John did not write the book OF
John and that several other books in the Bible
were not written previous to the events to
which they alludc. On the heels of this even
the councils of the churches arc modifying
their creeds and some go so far as to abolish
the hell Of the fathers. They first rejected
the fire and then the sulphur, and now say
there are no materials with which to make
fire. Where il all this to end? Have the
critics no bowels of compassion? All | have
to say is that if there is no hell, have e1pcr-
fenced deal of unnecessary uneasiness and
even terror in my time. well remember one
description of the place heard from preacher
when was boy that gave ME the nightmare
and stopped me from winning marbles and
eggs and spinning tops, and made ME study
my Sunday school lesson, and otherwise
greatly curtailed my pleasures and diversions.
But inferred from what the preacher said
that he had been there and had seen sinners
roasted and drinking hot lead. When | re-
call how much fun could have had in fighting
chickens and avaiing myself of the straight
tips an nncle of mine used to give me on horse
races, but for this horror of hell, realize that
| was born before my time.
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