South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1868-04-24
SMOKING CURE.

yet the scholar VINO oltener 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
favorite with all the gentlemen, yet CO.
quette who oftener than any other caused a
shade to fall upon their hearts. | knew
her, too, when true-hcarted woman, she
gave her hand, with her heart in it, to Rich
ard Forrest, the editor of one Of our village
newspapers Now, Richard was a fine fel.
low, but, like good many other mice young
men, he had one fault-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-wi;h prayers and tears
entreating him for 'the love he bore her, to
give up the noxious weed ; not she. Mat
tie took plan less thrcadbarc.
They were boarding, and had nice room,
second story front. On n certain evening,
just before dark, Matte busted herself viii
putting the room in perfect order-pluced
every chair where it belonged, arranged
the books on the table. and the mantle or
namcnts in the most tasteful manner At
ter taking careful survey Of the room, and
satisfying herself that everything was as it
should be, she went to bureau, and tool;
from one of the drawers a small package,
neatly wrapped in tissue paper some jew
ell, probably, you will say, with which she
intends adjoining herself to meet her lord
She carefully unrolled the paper, and took
from it a new, spntlcss tobacco pipe then
opening at one end little roll of carefully
sealed silver paper, she commenced stuffing
hn NIT ba Gpo 4pha
strange her little white fingers looked, Iii,
wing into the hated stuff The pipe well
filed, she laid it carefully on the table, plac-
ed n match beside it, to await the coming
of her husband
Soon she heard the street door open, aud
a well-known fnot-step in the hall below
Quickly 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 curl
ing gracefully over her head which was
thrown back in that peculiar position of en-
joyment which gentlemen assume while in
haling the weed.
Mr.. F. had opened the door With visions
of Mattie's smiling face, looking lovingly
on him, floating through his riind How
different the picture that met his astonish
ed gaze On hearing the door open, Mat
tie looked up, and taking the pipe dcliber-
atcly from her mouth, bio him good even
ing, as though nothing unusual had happen
ed, then quietly resumed her smoking
Richard regarded her with mixture of sur
prise and horror for few moments, ard
then gave vent to his feelings in words:
why, Martha, what am to think
Have you suddenly lost your senses 2
4 do not sec any very strange evidence
Of such being the case answered Matte;
then, as if just comprchending the cause Of
his astonshment, she Immediately asked,
is it possible, Richard that you are so as
tonishcd merely because | am enjoying a
comfortable smoke p Has no one ever IN
formed you that | smoked
Like thousands Of others, she would oc-
casionally flo little that good might
come
Each particular hair seemed to stand on
end IN contemplating the tale unfOlded by
that reply. The only outward manifesto
ton he made Of the state ~ his feelings,
was an emphatic impossible " accompanied
by a look of horror
why impossible, my dear? If had Ia
ken to smoking only lately, | am but fol-
lowing in your footsteps, thereby showing
a Willingness to be guided, as a dutiful wife
should be, by the inclinations Of my bus-
band, and laudablc design to consult IN
all things his tastes since il adds TO your
enjoyment, and you have told me bow much
all your pleasures are heightened by being
shared by me, have concluded it TO be nv
duty to keep you company in this Delight
iul enjoyment, instead Of each Of us erioy-
ing 1t separately. How delightful 10 will
be to SIT together during the long winter G.
venings, and thus taste the thoughts If So
cial intercourse Come, sit down 7 have
here cigar in readiness for you prefer
.he oId-fashioned pipe
by this time Richards brain was well
nigh stupcfed
III cannot be possible that you would 20
degrade yourself. Am ] dreaming, or is
this real Tell me- Martha toll mo that
you are not in earnest.
why, Richard, it seems IN me that you
arc making great ado about a small mat
ter. ] do not think it SO dreadful 10 en-
Joy harmless, innocent pipe, hero ia my
Toom occasionally, where no ono can posi-
biy know It but yourself Beside, II there
- any degradation in che practice, a. you
hinted moment ago, | am only coming
down to a level with my husband Youex-
pect me TO love you, Notwithstanding the
habit, why not vice versa And If itmakcs
no change in your feelings toEards me,
care not what others think : and Matte
now looked up in bis face with such an ex.
preston Of veBeration for ban, aud all his
actions, that he almost laughed, annoyed as
he felt.
Come, Matte said be, more pleasantly
than he had yet spoken, let us make an A.
L.