Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-05-23

ANEcDorE OF THE LATE JUDGE GANTr.-The late
Judge CAN'T was one of the most eccentric of men.
He was eminently benevolent and pious, but of an
ardent and enthusiastic temper ament and OCCASION
ally INDUCED whether against ardent spirits or any
thing else that reused his dander, or his sense Of
the ridiculous, in license Of speech and humor not
wholly in keeping with his religious profession.
In illustration of this quaintness of character is
often told, by his friends the following anecdotes
He had long been DESTROYS to purchase, from a
neighbor, small tract of land, with mill seat, or
suitable for one, but they had never been able to
occasion, he proposed to his neighbor that they
should meet, on given day and hour, at tavern,
about midway between their residences in order, if
possible, terire pactun to conclude the bargain
His neighbor asserting, they accordingly met at the
appointed time and place. The Judge was strict
Baptist, his neighbor a strict Methodist; and the
latter addressed the former thus: "My friend, we
have met for the purpose of entering ntoa contract
about this land. Now, contract is a solemn thing,
and no one should enter into it but with clear
conscience and clean hands. l therefore propose
that each of should knee down and put up little
prayer to his Heavenly Father, that he may be
guided by pure motives and strict justice in the bar
gain he is about to make" The Methodist having
acquesced, the Judge knelt down in one corner OF
the apartment, the Methodist in the other: After
decent interval the Judge rose, and the Methodist
following suit, they advaaced towards each other,
ana met IN the IfUule O1 IOOiI 1>o"S ny
friend" said the Judge, eve have made clean
breasts ofit-what will You take for your land r.
" Five hundred dollars" said the Methodist Five
hundred dollars!" exclaimed the Judge" You
damnd unconscionable dog, III have nothing to DO
with you;" and he forthwith departed IN high
dudgeon.
A very similar incident occurred last summer at
Saratoga Springs A very pious Southern planter,
and noble specimen of the old school of Carolina
gentlemen, was discoursing very seriously with us
and young friend in the piazza OF Congress Hall,
the necessity and duty of preparing in life for the
hour of DEATH as the most important human con-
cern when, turn in the conversation, the Junior
member of our trio happening to say something
apologize of Senator Vim. Fl. Seward, of New York,
our pious senior on the instant utterly losing his
reverence, exclaimed, "The id internal scoun-
dre" to the utter amazement Of his lately much ed
fled hearers.
After our Ecclesastes had retired, our young COM
panion good humoredly remarked on the temporary
irreverence of the good old gentleman, and we, OF
the Courier determined to bottle up the incident for
future uso. Some time after, dining with our ven
cradle friend, at his beautiful farm, near New York,
in company with two of his sons, our young COM
panion and distinguished Southerner, we had the
temerity to narate the two anecdotes, as parallel
illustrations of character and they were taken in
good part by the hero of the modern one. They
may both be regarded as instances in real life Of
the same spirit which led Serne's fictitious hero,
Uncle Toby, in a moment of unrehecting and i'm
pulsve benevoence, to say of poor LeFevrc, when
informed of his almost hopeless extremity, by
Cd! he shall not die"
Charleston Courier,