The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-09-16
SMOKING STRICTLY PROHIBITED
(coNCLunEn.l

that I have always been on terms OF
great intimacy. Consequently, during
the young lady's stay there L saw a
great deal of her; the fact is, hardly
day passed without my spending a
portion of it at the Ashtons' house.
The more 1 saw of Amy Harris the
more / desired to see of her; and as
this could not well be without my Civ
ing her my name, made her an offer
YOU know with what result-she re-
ferred me to papa Papa, was in
formed, resided at Lesborough, a
small place about thirty miles beyond
Oxford. To Lesborough, therefore,
in few days, l repaired, having been
preceded by Amy and also by letter
from Frank Ashton (who was well
acquainted with Mr.. Harris), saying
that / was well of, of respectable
family, and, in fact, in every way a
desirable son.in-la law. Mr.. Harris was
therefore prepared to receive me very
graciously. | believe the organ of in
dividuality to be very deficient In my
brain, for have always had the
greatest difficulty in recognizing faces,
and it is only after repeated interviews
that | become master of the appear
ance of my different acquaintances. L
believe [ make many enemies through
this deficiency for people, / feel sure,
often imagine that | am cutting them
Intentionally, when they are entirely
out of my thoughts.
Son being introduced to Mr.. Har-
ris, who was a man well past the prime
of life, there was something about
him, | could not tell what, that told
me we had met before, but the how,
when, and where of our meeting was
gone from me- | tried hard to tax
my memory with the circumstance
under which we had previously met,
for that was not our first meeting, |
felt convinced. But it was of no use
the treacherous elf memory refused
to render me any assis lance. / did
not like Mr.. Harris's expression; |
thought he seemed to scowl ut me in
a peculiarly unpleasant way. He,
however, gave no sign Of having seen
me before, and our interview pro-
ceeded. Everything went smoothly
enough, Mr.. Harris giving his con-
sent TO my engagement with his
daughter; and | was congratulating
myself that the business had been so
satisfactorily transacted, when Amy's
father said, with a sour attempt at a
smile
- [ must ask you one question,
which / have little doubt your an
swer will prove to be an unnecessary
one. It is simply this: Are you a
smoker?
| can even see the mans look of
fendish delight as be put the ques-
ton. l knew him then he was my
fellow passenger whom [ had so un-
tremendously caused to be removed
to another railway carriage three
years previously, when he had raised
an objection to my smoking. He had
Immediately recognized me, and de-
tsrmined to pay me off for my want
Of courtesy. l thought it showed the
mean sneaking spirit of the man, ask
ing me whether l smoked, when all
the time he was perfectly we'll aware
Of the feet, instead of reminding me |
In a straightforward way of my former |
his objection to the use of tobacco. |
should have respected him in such |
a case, whereas now [ despised him |
from my inmost soul.
For the first time in my life / was
thankful that | did not possess the |
ability of easily recognizing faces;
for, had l known that Amy's father |
aud my anti-tobacco fellow-p assen- |
ger were one aud the same person, |
am afraid that | should not have had |
the courage to ask him for his daugh-
ter's hand
As he had chosen to ignore our
former meeting, | followed suit, re-
plying, not without a good deal of
anxiety at the result of my answer
certainly am smoker, though
not to great extent; / hope you have
no objection to the habit. s-a.s.5
but have most decided objec- |
ton to the filthy habit. | am sorry, |
Me-. Allen, that was not aware of |
this fact before you started on your |
Journey down here, for you would |
have been spared the annoyance of a |
fruitless GRAND. | so much disap- |
prove of smoking, that | would not |
for a moment entertain proposal for |
my daughters hand from any one |
who INDUCED IN it. | presume that |
there is nothing more to be said, and |
that our interview may be considered |
at an end. [ am sorry you should |
have had all this unnecessary trou-
BILE Cod " Nt-a
"'O1e moment, Mr.. Harris, [ ex-
claimed. Surely this need not be the |
cause Of any difficulty. Rather than |
be deprived of Amy, will discontinue |
smoking; it will require great deal
OF self-denial on my part to break |
off the habit, l admit; but | am
ready to make any sacrifice rather
than lose Amy
Ont that certainly alters the
case, he replied. was hardly pre-
pared for this. If you will give me
your word OF honor that, so long as
you are engaged to my daughter, and
after you have married her, if
such marriage should take place,
you will abstain from smoking
without my permission, L will revoke
my refusal OF consent to your en-
gagement with Amy
/ bound myself by word of honor
that it should be so, and my engage
ment dated from that moment. He
had certainly paid me off for fumiga-
ting him in the railway carriage with
a vengeance. l hoped from his say
ing that | was not to smoke without
his consent that he would occasional
~ give me permission to do so; but
not a Whit, though l did hint to him
on several subsequent occasions thae
i believed my digestive organs were
becoming impaired by the want of tht
weed.
" From that day to this l have
never held pipe or cigar between
my lips; and this occurred two months
ago: Amy sympathizes with me en-
tlrely, and, when we are married. we
intend to set our wits TO work
to devise some means of cir
cumventing the old man. I intend
to make him remove his embaroo "a
soon as | can but of course no attemnt
can be made until the wedding Is