The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-04-12

and at length agreeable 1 aods mGt--in
other words could smoke cigar, and not
vomit.
Entering, soon after, upon course o
study for the ministry, found the habit o
smoking, not only a considerable waste %
time, but serious inconvenience and, by
not very difficult process, it was exchanged
for chewing. Thenccforth, through college
and theological seminary my mouth was
never void Of tobacco, except when eating
or sleeping. NeUer' Yes, broke off once
for whole week, in serior vacation at An.
dover. The thought Of candidating among
people, in whose fastidious Judgment my
qud might outweigh all the gifts and graces
I could bring; of offending the delicate sensi,
bilities of the sick, while whispering in their
ear the consultations of the gospel with to-
bacco-stained lips; of, possibly, disgusting
some fair Eve, who might become my loving
lelp-meet in some parochial paradise these
and other like thoughts led me to pause, as
said, for a week. And in that time had
begun to forget tobacco ; j. e. there were
intervals Of ten or fifteen consecutive minutes
in which the thought Oft did not return to
rekindle that desperate hankering which
none but those addicted to rum, opium or
tobacco can be made to understand. As
look beck to that first attempt to free myself
from the fetters OF the giant habit, I can
hardly doubt that should have succeeded,
had no special temptation overtaken me-
But so it was, that on tn, following Sabbath,
in the study of the good minister for whom
was to preach, there lay most inviting
"plug" Of tobacco on the mantle-pieoe with
an open jack-knife bv the side oft. An in
cision had apparently just been made, and
the fragrance of Virginia honey dew" join
ed with the tempting sight, was too much
for an appetite, sharpened by a week absti-
nence, to resist. Still, was as determined
as ever to abandon the use of tobacco bit
not till after that Sabbath.
| The Sabbath over, I proceeded on my
pedestrian tour, with an intenser hankering
than had ever before felt. My purpose,
which had already began to wAver, entirely
failed me, as came in sight of a small gro,
cerg, (all such places were then groqqeries)
by the roadside, on the door posts ofwhich
! as is usual in these outskirt establishments
nearly all its contents were written with
chalk or charcoal, ,-"to6acco," among tn
rest. Purchasing a few cents worth. not tc
chew, however,--oh no,-bnt to carry in my
pocket, with an indefnablc notion that i,
would somehow quiet the inward craving
that seemed almost insurportable, the jour.
ney was resumed. After walking abon. hal
| a mile without touching. tasting, or hardl;ne
the potent.charm, but muSing and moralizine
in no very complaisent mood on the frailty
Of human resolves in general, and ofmv owr
| in particular, came to a sudden determine
ton to throw away the paltry stuf-whicr
| did with force Of mental and mnecula,
spunk which sent it into the middle ola four
acre ffeld-gfter first biting off one small
quia. This quid lasted me through that
day and was replenished the next morning
from the tohacco-box ola friend,
nee,l not inform the reader that this way
Of overcoming the tobacco kabit, only served
TO strengthen its grasp and by how mNch
the oftener such resolutions were broken
inst so m, ch the easier il was to break them
What aSass and ailments, indigestion, acidity
of the hch, and palpitation ofthe heart
what tricks and troubles to conceal the use
| Of tobacco on special occasions and from par
ticular persons what twinges of conscience,
what sef-reproaches, attended my continu-
ance in the habit for the next twenty-five
years-all these are painfully remembered,
but cannot be individually confessed. Take
a specimen or two as illustrations of the
whole.
The medicinal uses of tobacco had stud,
ied-no, not exactly studied, but had heard
of, from experienced chewers, who might be
supposed to know all about it-and | stood
ready with reasons as plenty as blackherries
to justify chewing as a sovereign remedy
for my complaints, physical and mental
which complaints, however, kept all the
while increasing, till threw away tobacco,
and then to my surprise, they went with it.
| have scar cely thought Of them since. In
my case know that these ailments were
caused, not cured, by this sovereign rem.
edy."- But more of this anon.
dirty, slovenly use of tobacco l abhor,
and never failed to join any body whom |
heard denouncing it. had got the idea that
my neat and skilful way of managing the
quid, which it had cost me great care to
acquire, was an effectual concealment OF
the tact--just as remember in my boyhood
to have seen young quails thrust their heads
into tufts Of grass and behind leaves, with
the silly notion, apparently, that they had
thereby got out Of sight. But "nany time
and of" when denouncing the filthy use OF
tobacco, in language differing only by a
slight shade from denunciation Of the use
itself not that intended to deny that
used it, though willing to have that inference
drawn--l have detected a sly wink of the
eye, or curl Of the lip in those around me-
which, on after reflection, has brought a
burning blush over my cheek as if heard
somebody in an undertone repeat that prayer