The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-02-02

AS AI1Cl SOu11S duC0. l
M new acquaintance" he wrote
later. Impressed me at once as a
youth OF peculiar attractiveness of
and gift Of mind. thought
l knew something of Shakespeare, but
his familiarity with the characters |
and words Of the Titan poet put me
to shame. l claimed to be in a meas
ure intimate with the parsonage OF
the romances Of my favorite, Scott,
but ne had evidently lived with them
as home-folks. l had been from
not always a willing. but
certainly a regular attendant on Sun
lay school and church services. and
l thought | bad at least an amateur
"miliarity with the Bible, but his
mind seemed to be stored with Scrip.
tural texts as fully as a theological
student preparing for his examina-
ton Candor cOmpels me to admit.
however. that his application Of these
texts conduced oftener to visibility
than to the conversion Of souls"
Studying To Be a Lawyer.
Vance had determined upon the
law for his profession and during the
next year or two after the meeting
just described he undertook to pre-
pare himself for it by private study.
With this purpose he entered the law
Office Of John w. Woodfin. where he
was a fellow student of Augustus S.
MefTlff1O1. the future Cnlo1 justice OF
North Carolina. The result was not
satisfactory. He could not resist the
allurements Of the fishing frOliCs and
mad swimming spells in the river"
nor shake himself free from the vii
lage loafers whose delight in Zeb's
society outWeighed their sympathy
with his ambitions: and he found it
impossible to concentrate his atten-
ton on his studies. You know he
afterwards wrote with reference to
the failure of his efforts. 81 had to
loaf With Jim Mcdowell, and play
? marbles with Jesse and Jeptha Chat
man of family" With a mar OF
l Nance's temperament and character
! such a situation could not continue
long. In the summer Of 1851 he
came to himself. Disguised with him
r self and his situation, he promptly
r made up his mind to shake off his
r former association, to turn his bach
e on his old life, to seek admission into
r the University Of North Carolina, anC
t to get down to his studies in dead
earnest. That there were fnancia
difficulties did not dismay him. Hav'
t ing mapped out his course Of action
o he applied to the president Of tn
e University, David l.. Swain, a native
e OF Buncombe county, and an intimat'
friend Of the Vance family, both 70
advice and for financial assistance
O The result of his application is re
corded by DR.. Battle. "1 Was,' h
writes. tutor of mathematics in tn
University. At a meeting of the Fa
/ Guilty, President Swain, or as he wa
generally called, Governor Swain
d read a letter which he had just re
ceived from an incoming student. II
~ remarked with a humorous twinkle Q
the eye that the writer was Re
Vance, a son Of an old sweetheart Q
his. 1 do not recall the words, bu
= tho manly fnno nf tho 1ottor imnrQSS
ed us all. It stated that the write
- has a small property, but it was nc
then productive, and asked for
loan Of $500, with which to make
partial course in the University, an
~ at the same time pursue his legs
Quoted by Judge William H. Battl
and MI. Samuel F. Phillips. The loa
was readily, indeed gladly. granted +
wv the kind-hearted president, and ws
81 repaid, principal n interest, n
TO great while afterwards by the rec
a.; pient.'
To Chapel Hill.
he Assured Of financial support, Vant
mounted the stage at Asheville in tt
or fall of 1851, crossed the Blue Rids
or Mountains, and made the long jOurne
oil. to Chapel Hill. His arrival at Chap
r., Hill was long remembered by his fe
,as low students. Il remember we
ne Vance's first appearance at the Hill
!, " says one Of them, afterwards 3
as A 49, 49,
~ between pants and shoes, showing h
'o sturdy ankles: quick and rough
,sr repartee, and most remarkable +
his jokes,"-one of which, as DR.. Ba
no tie says, prompted by an "intuiti
Of 10 ~ Nc comradoe" gaired For III
u a hearty welcome Immediately up
III his arrival and made him from t
Ia first a notable character.
me 1t was not Vance's urpos to pu
r I a,,e a course IF study leading to era
I'm uation. but to prepare himself with
a I little delay as possible for the practi
her Of the law. Accordingly he enroll
to himself among that class OF stude1
ees listed in the catalogue as "Optior