Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-09-29
Irstu. From the NJ z. Puritan.
A CoUNTERBLAsT FROM MY LIT
1r1 TIE TRUMPET,

IUsru. From the ". f. Puritan
A COUNTERBLAsT FROM MY LIT
aiT, TIE TRUMPET,
OR, a hue AND cnY RAISED AGAINST
SMOKING, CHEWING, AND sNUFFlNG.
no BY ANrI-euID.
ITO sing the praises of that glorious weed,
Dear to mankind, whate' er his race, his creed,
Condition, color, dwelling, or degree
From Zembla's SHOWS to parched Arubias sands
Loved by all lips, and common to all hands
Hail'sole Cosmopolite Tobacco, Hail
Shag, long cut, short cut pig tall quid or roll,
Dark negro head, or Orinooko pale,
In every form congenial TO the soul. A"
Oh beautiful tobacco how shall bepin
TO speak thy virtues What language shall
select in which to eulogze thee +! What
terms commendatory shall be employed in
which TO set forth those immortal qualities
which have charmed half the human race
How mysterious those leafy chains that
have enslaved so huge a portion of the hu-
man family will they ever be broken! |
ask one of the victims he shakes his head.
l ask even one not crazed and cozened
by the vice: he smiles incredulousIy. In
his smile there is no encouragement
Natheless, ga word fifty spoken, you know
the rest. But as to any apples of gold or
pictures of silver having aught to do with
such dark, dingy, dreary colored subject
as that of tobacco, / confess the incongruity
Of the association. But filthy objects must
be touched, if you would move them cut of
the way. Civil authority straghtway re-
moveih a dead dog that leth in the streets
of the city, lest the smell thereof minister
to disease and corrupt the living; but those
same living, anon passing that way, eject
upon the fair pavement a monstrous nun
dungus, Just now masticated morsel in the
mouth. Take care, thou light-footed maid
en-, Just about TO tread that way-the mum
dungns is slippery snare, that may humble
thy fair form as low as itself on the pavement
Suppose the carcass of the defunct animal
had been thrown by envious and unclean
hands into the parlor of some noble lady
noble, mean, because the coronet she
wears on her brow was placed there by no
less queenly hand than that of her Imperial
Majesty, Dame Nature-would it have been
decent treatment? How much better is it
to spirit out the salival offspring of the black
mundungus on the many colored carpet,
done; though it has been, in full view of the
polished and glittering spittoon, which the
tobacco-eater, Supplied by his own darling
drug, mistOok for some ornamental vessel of
brass?
But were it not better to begin with the
first lesson in tobacco chewing Behold,
then, the ingenious youth in his first attempt
lie has seen his father, or him whom some
one calls father, Illuminating the quid, or
eiecting the yellow liquid from his mouth
He deemeth it manly, if not gcntle-manly.-
He too must learn that mysterious art
Wherefore, he having bought or begged a
copper's worth of the black eatable--which
isvendible like its brother alcohol a; every
corner-seeks some hiding place, where
none can see him or laugh at his silly self
cruci6xion, or pity the STRIPPING fool Now
commences the agony. He puts the deadly
enemy into his mouth-suddenly its shape
alters, and grim contortions succeed 70 the
pleasant, happy expressions of child's face
as it ,cas. Giddiness begins to whir his
brain. The digestive organs rise in rebellion.
The delicate nerves tremble with fear
through the whole length of his little body.
The strong muscles are relaxed, in sympa-
thy with the condition of the system, and
become laccid, The bright eye grows dim;
he grasps his forehead in an agony of pain
and weakness, and sinks down overcome in
the struggle, ANONYMOUSLY vanquished by
that little black reptile. Call it viper,
shooting its poison thro' the whole system
See how the young experimenter vomits
sheeted ghost looks not paler or more
cadayerous. There is general outcry
through the tabernacle against the violent
and rapacious intruder. See, then, invete-
rate chewer, who has so often displayed thy
Pandoras box or dirty parchment before I'M
rejecting and initiative boys, what mischief
thou hast done to that tender youth. lie
will seek it yet again he is spirited, and
will return to the conflict. He means not
thus to be discounted. Oh, what an igno.
Bile strife for an immortal one Yet he
would never have thought of it but for the
manly example. Better to eat angels food
than that earthly, sensual thing, which only
two living beings are said to touch-mar
and the tobacco-worm.
1t doth'not mend the matter to change
the quid for cigar, which, though 1t be
called more genteel effects than the black
and poisonous tobacco 1t can make the ex
Perimenting youth'e equally sick and wretchec
especially il it be of that dread class called
the Americans or LOng-nines. Many ten
der constitution has been ruined by them
So the thing called snuf, from the actor
/. u. IL