Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-03-23
MATTrEs SMOKING CURE.

Wheh she was fifteen she was the hrst IN
every frolc; favorito with the master yet
the scholar who oftener than any of the rest,
caused shade to rest upon his brow. ]
knew her when grown up young lady; she
was first in every party Of pleasure a favor
ite with all the gentlemen, yet coquette who
oftoncr than any other caused a shade to fall
upon their hearts. | knew her, too when
truo-hcarted woman, she gave her hand, with
her heart in it; to Richard Forrest the editor
of one Of our village newspapers. Now
Richard was fine fellow, but. like good
many other "nice young men" he had one
habit--he would smoke This habit annoyed
Matte quite as much as it would most young
ladies, but she did not commence curing him
Of it as they would have done-with prayers
and tears entreating him for ''tho love he bore
her, to give up the noxious weed :" not she.
Matte took plan less threadbarc, and It was
this wise
They were boarding. and had a nice room,
second story front. On a certain evening,
just before dark Matte busted herself with
putting the room in perfect order-placcd
every chair where it belonged, arranged the
books on the table. and the mantle ornaments
in the most tasteful manner After taking
careful survey of the room, aud satisfying her
self that everything was as it should be- she
went to a bureau, and took from one Of the
drawers small package, neatly wrapped in
tissue paper some jewel, probably. you will
say, "with which she intends adorning her
selfto meet her lord" She carefully unrolled
the paper. and took from it new, spotlcss
tobacco pipe then opening at one end a roll
of carefully sealed silver paper. she commenced
stuftng the pipe with the fine cut tobacco.
How strange her little white fingers looked,
diving into the hateful stuff The pipe well
filled, she laid it carefully on the table, placed
a match beside it, to wait the coming of her
"bettor half
Soon she heard the street door open, and a
well known footstep in the hall below. Quick
ly lighting the match. she applied it to the
herb in the pipe, seated herself and when her
husband entered, sat quietly by the stove, with
wreaths of blue smoke curling gracefully over
her head which was thrown back in that
peculiar position of enjoyment which gentle
men assume while inhaling the weed.
Mr. +. had opened the door with visions of
Mattie's smiling face, looking lovingly on him
floating through his mind How different the
picture that met his astonished gaze On
hearing the door open Matte looked up, and
taking the pipe deliberately from her mouth,
bid her husband good evening" as though
nothing unusual had happened. then quietly
iNauHlIu htl euiOhlllr- ANltudid ItHIhtu uti
with a mixture Of surprise and horror for
few moments and then gave vent to his feel
ings in words
"Why, Martha, what am to think Have
you suddenly lost your sense :"
81 do not see any very strange evidence of
such being the case answered the lady ad-
dressed; then as if just comprehending the
cause Of his astonishment, she Immediately
asked :-"Is it possible, Richard, that you are
so astonished merely because | am enjoying
comfortable smoke: Has no one ever IN
formed you that | smoked;"
We would here state that one of Martha's
faults, was that she would not always stick to
the truth as closely as she ought to have done.
Like thousands of others, she would OCCASION
ally "do evil that good might come"
Each particular hair seemed to stand on
end, in contemplating the tale unfolded by
that reply. The only outward manifestation
he made of the state of his feelings, was an
emphatic impossible p accompanied by a
look of horror.
"Why impossible, my dear III had taken
to smoking only lately, am but following in
your footsteps, thereby showing willingness
to be guided, as a dutiful wife should be, by
the incinations OF my husband, and lauda-
BILE design to consult in all things, his tastes
told me how much all your pleasures are
heightened by being shared by me, have
= concluded it my duty to keep you company in
a this delightful enjoyment, instead of each of
n us enjoying it separately. How delightful it
$ will be to sit together during the long winter
= evenings, and thus taste the thoughts of social
f intercourse. Come, sit down | have here
r cigar in readiness for you; prefer the old
t fashioned pipe
r BY this time Richards brain was well nigh
! stupefed.
i at cannot be possible that you would so
n degrade yourself Am dreaming, or is this
\ real Tell me, Martha, tell me that you are
n not in earnest"
"Why, Richard, it seems to me that you
y are making great ado about a small matter.
D do not think it so dreadful to enjoy harm
less, innocent pipe, here in my room, OCCASION
r ally, where no one can possible know it but
= yourself Beside, if there is any degradation
f in the practice, as limited a moment ago, / am
{ only coming down to a level with my husband
= You expect me to love you, notwithstanding
the habit, why not vice versa And If II
makes no change in your feelings towards me,
) | care not what others think, and Matte now
? looked up in his face with such an expression
I of yeneraton for him, and all his actions, that
I he almost laughed, annoyed as he felt
, "Come Matte, said he, more pleasantly
than he had yet spoken, "let us make an
agreement. If you will leave off smoking, |
will use but one cigar day, for a week, and
then give it up entirely. What do You say y
81 do not see why should not have the
same privilege as yourself" said Matte, per-
tending to be offended, "it is probably quite
/ as difficult for me to give up a long established
{ habit - then, after moments consideration.
she added, "However, since consider that
proyiso in your favor, an acknowledgment of
the superiority of the strength of womens
will over that of the stronger sex, will ac
oede to you, proposition
If Richard ever smoked that some cigar a
day for week, Matte never knew il. On
that eventful night he had seen himself as 9TH
ors saw him, and with the sight vanished for
ever his love Of smoke
A NoN-INrERcoURsE MAN CoNyERrED.--
The Chattanooga (Ga.) Adpertiser gives the
following romantic conversion Of an anti-Y Yam
kee Georgian ;--"Not thousand miles from
here there lives gentleman Of the roal thun- ]