The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-09

LueII respective SIdLeS, VI lue pllCc VI
cotton, of horse raising and run away
negroes; as they talked they smoked
and as they smoked they drank. They
speculated on the coming glories of the
country, they pledged eternal friend
ship to each other personally, and
vowed to preserve all neighborly cour-
tesies between the two Carolina States
forever and forever, amen! Now and
then they would doze in their easy
chairs under the mellow influence Of
their happy surroundings. and on
waking up would Indignantly deny
having been asleep and take another
drink to prove their wakefulness. And
thus things went on.
Now it happened that the Governor
Of South Carolina had a wite-aS all
good Governors should have, on the
principle of the old maxim that he
who aspires to govern should first learn
to obey-and her name was Betsy Jane.
She we'll knew the failing of her Gov
ernor, and she easily guessed that the
visiting Governor was tarred with the
same stick. Quietly watching pro-
ceedings she at length concluded that
these two old cocks were about as full
as they could we'll hold without slop-
ping over, and it was time to stop.
Watching her opportunity, during
rather protracted doze she slipped away
the pitcher still halffull, and inserted in
its place a piggin of cool spring water
with clear, yellow gourd banking on
the handle. But the instincts Of nature
are infallible. Though sound asleep
the Governor of North Carolina felt
that something was wrong-a lack Of
spirits, as it were-every nerve in him
cried out against the presence of hos
tile element, and he awoke. His per-
turbed soul had not deceived him. The
pitcher of toddy was gone. He imme-
diately awakened his host, who courte-
ously inquired, "What is the matter?"
"Don't you see what is the matter ?"
said the guest, looking Indignantly at
the piggin and the gourd. Indeed, I
see nothing wrong" said the now dis
tressed host. "Please tell me what is
the matter, my dear Governor" "The
devil you say! Nothing wrong, indeed:
I 60 to sleep with pitcher Of toddy
before me, wake up and find a piggin
of spring water, and the Governor of
South Carolina tells me in his own
house that he sees nothing wrong in
that! Well, we'll! All have to say,
sir" said the Governor of North Caro-
lima, rising with very great bat rather
unsteady dignity, ''is that it is id
long time between drinks" "Oh,"
said the Governor of South Carolina,
as the situation flashed on him, II see;
that's Betsy Jane. She means stop,
and we're done for to-day. I'm sorry
I can't bring that pitcher back. / hum
bly, beg your pardon, Governor, but
maybe there's Betsy Jane at your
house and maybe you know how it is
yourself" The offended dignity ofthe
Governor of North Carolina dissolved
slowly into a genial smile of intelligent
comprehension, and, solemnly working
one eye, he fell-either upon the neck
Of his host or upon the porch floor,
tradition does not say which-exclaim-
ing, "You bet, old boy; you bet."
And that's how it came about!
Throughout all that Southern land
tradition has wickedly repeated and
kept alive the saying of the Governor
of North Carolina as a convenient
mode of jogging the memory stimu-
lating the tagging hospitality of host,
but has failed to embalm in human
memory the righteous prudence and
wifely virtues Of Betsy Jane, the spouse
of the Governor of South Carolina.
For near on to hundred years the
saying has been a faithful one, and
worthy of all acceptation in our coun-
try--that is to say, it has been faith
fully repeated all that time and any,
thing offered in response thereto has
been universally accepted, either
straight or with sugar.
ZEBULON B. VANCE.