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

and unsophisticated uncle of mine was ac.
customed to do on sitting down to breakfast,
or rising to speak in prayer meeting.
I But oh the 'horrors of the middle pas
age"-what are they to the horrors of your
tidy tobacco chewer in parlor full of ladies
and gentlemen, when an apple or an ice
cream challenges his acceptance Nth guid
IN has mouth ? And let me assure the
reader in all soberness ofremembered sorrow,
that the longest forethought is not always a
sufficient safeguard against such an exigency.
| Whittier shrll lie turn +? What shall he say?
What can he do? As skful dramatist
drops the curtain when he approaches a scene
that battles description, leaving the reader or
the ardiance, as the case may be, to supply
what he can from his own imagination, and
let the rest 60, 50 / prudently forbear to por-
tray the attempts Of one in such fix to ex-
tricate himself, but which only sink him
deeper in the mire; attempts to appear nat
ural, but which end in appearing (to him at
least) "a natural" Nv honest uncle, with
his iron tobacco. box, would have suffered
none Of these things nut he had none OF
this hypocracy--a very Nathaniel, ''in whom
was no guile" Those who can't manage a
quid in that way, should let it entirely alone,
or else prepare for consequences which will
often remind them of crucifxion, strangula-
ton, nightmare, &c.
hasten to a conclusion NV experience
! in tobacco chewing terminated in this wise.
Friends and foes had do,e their best by ar
gument and ridicule by fattering and scold-
ing by kind entreaties and unkind cuts ;
and yet it all availed nothing, till went one
evening, in company with another 1--WE had
been designated by the church for that pur-
pose) to talk with Christian brother, who
was supposed to be violating his temperance
pledge In fact, the rumor was, that he had
been repeatedly seen disguised with strong
drink. He was, in all other respects, above
reproach-an affectionate husband, kind
father, an excellent neighbor, an exemplary
/ Christian. felt extremely anxious to de-
! liver him from what seemed TO me and my
! fellow laborer. perilous position. At first
there were signs ofresentmant on the part
of our erring brother. These soon gave wav
to confessions, sorrowfill and sad, which
ended in almost hopeless discouragement.--
I lie never could rise-never could recover his
lost character, he said. We insisted that he
could do it with the greatest ease: let him
but resolve there before God 70 adopt the
total abstinence practice from that hour, and
the work was done. "Ah," SAID he, with a
look which gave weight to his words. "vou
! know nothing about the struggle which it
will cost" Too hastily, perhaps, I rcioined,
"Whatever it is. would gladly bear it for
you if | could We left him with an earnest
entreatv TO try and to begin that night on
his knees in earnest prayer. As went mu-
sing ho'ueward at late hour in that still
evening, recalled those emphatic words OF
my brother, "You know nothing about the
struggle" True, thought aud yet could
easily PIT myself in way TO know all about
it. have only 20 throw away my tobacco,
and enter at once upon struggle aS intense
and formidable as any which he will encoun-
ter. And then my hastily expressed willing
ness to bear his burden came to mind, and
seemed to challenge my sincerity Before I
reached home. my mouth and pocket were
both emptied of tobacco, under the impress
sion that it might strengthen and confirm
the purpose of my discouraged brother al
this turning point in his destiny, if | were
10 keep step with him in this race for dear
! life. The next evening we compared notes
To my unspeakable joy he he had entered
upon his total abstinance career; and to his
great encouragement, was pledged to keep
him company. From that day and hour,
(now going on two years. no tobacco has
entered my mouth.
My experience thus far may be told in a
few words At first the struggle was despe-
rate. As look back to the early stages Of
it, and try to conjure up some image where
with to represent it, the picture of Christian
and Apollyon, in their memorable fight, as
set forth by John Bunyan, comes nearest to
the thing. At any rate, the tobacco habit
may be aptly personfied in Apollyon, how
ever inadequately I may be supposed to rep
resent the courageous pilgrim. In the tough
est times, the thought of my brother, for
whose sake, mainly, had entered the lists,
shut out all ideas Off treat, and inspired me
with fresh ardor in the fight. There were
days when my entire manhood seemed to be
/ giving away the brain softening. the limbs
getting loose from their sockets, the body
tumbling to pieces. And after had so far
got the mastery, that the thought ofmy quid
did n"t come to mind for twenty four hours
together there would be an occasional hank
ering for tobacco, which, during its brief con.
tinuance, was absolute torture Though
half year has elapsed:since the last bitter
conflict Of this sort, | have no doubt that
the doing dragon, even now, could be rous-
ed into fury.
| The first six months Of abstinence from
tobacco cleared my stomach, entirely, of fat
ulency, acidity, heartburn, Indigestion, and
added fifteen pounds TO my avoidupois weight
To this hour it has been matter Of daily
and undiminished happiness to eat hearty
| ,aal nd c.,T. "a.