An Old Story Retold

A graat many years ago the governor of JTorth Carolina received a f riendly visit from tlie governor of South Carolina. Aí'ter a real North Carolina dinner cf bacon and yams, the two governors lit pipes and sat in the shade of the back veranda with a demijolm of real North Carolina corn whisky, copperdistilled within easy reach. "There was nothing stuck up about these governors," says a North Carolina state historian, in the homely but vigorous language of bis section. "There they sot and smoked, and sot and smoked, every once in a while taking a mutual j)iill at the demijohn with the aid of a gourd which they used as a democratie goblet. ïhe conversation between the two governors was on the subject of turpentine and rice, the staples of their respective states, and the further they got hito the subject the lower down they got into the jug, and the lower down they got into the jug the dryer the governor of South Carolina got, who was a square drinker and a warm man with about a million pores to every square inch of his hide, which emibled him to histe in a likely share of corn-juice, or other beverage, and keep his carease at the same time well ventillated, and generally always ready for more, while the governor of North Carolina was b more cautious drinker, but was mighty sure to strike bottom at about the twelfth drink, like as if nature had measured him by the gourdful. "YVell, they sot and smoked and argued, and the governor of North Carolina was as hospitaf)le as any real Southern gentleman eould be, f or he ladled out the whisky in tlie most liberal manner, being particular to give bis distsnguished guest three drinks to one, and gauging his own dose with greatcare, for fear thatif he didn't he might lose the thread of his irgument and the demijohn might run lry before the governor of South Carolina should be ready to dust out for home, in which case it would look like he had not properly observed the laws of hospitality, Which would have been a pelf-inflicted thorn in his side for years to come, and no amount of apology could ease his mind or enable him to feel warranted in showing his countenance to his fellowmen, especially in his home district, where for generations it had been a main point with every gentleman to keep his visitor well supplied with creature comforts, and to hand him a jood gourdful as a stiniip-cup whe dbout to take his Meparture lor the josom of his family. Singular to reate, the cautiousness manifested by the Governor of Xorth Carolina was of no ivail, for at one and the same moment ;he jug went dry and the Governor of Jforth Carolina, much to his subsequent mortiflcation when he learned he fact ifterward, dropped off into a quiet sleep, while the Governor of South Carolina continued tokeep on with his irgument, holding the empty gourd in lis hand in close contagiousnees to the lemijohn, and wondering at the appaent absent-mindedness of his hitherto attentive host, to whom, af ter a minute and a half of painful silence, he made use of but oneremark: 'Governor, don't 'ou think it's a long time between di inks?' the remark being overlieard by Goorge, the body-servant of the GoverKir of North Carolina, who, knowing ;h;kt there was soraething wrong, took o the woods, where he remained in seclusion for three days, but the Governor of South Carolina receiving no reply 'rom the Governor of North Carolina, mounted his horse and rode sadly homew;ird with an irrepressible feelinti at lis heart that there was coming to be a Killowness in frieudship, and that humui nature was in danger of drifting nto a condition of chaotic mockery." Ever since the occurrence so touchngly desiribed by the conscientious ïistorian, a coinmon form of invitation o joiti a social glass has been, "As the lovernor of South Carolina said to tlie rovernor of North Carolina, it's a long me between drinks." The form isas itflcacious as that used by the itinerant ninister when called upon to turn two into one at short notice -