The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-02-27
JUVENILE COLUMN.
TOBACCO.

HULL SOt more n u na1 one. Ion q ID
mean with fellow; GIN me chaw that i
| q chaw."
These words Of pathetic pleading fell or
my ears one morning, as walked along the
city street. They were spoken in a sharp
querulous, childish voice, and, looking
around, saw two little boys disputing ovei
discarded cud of chewing tobacco
Neither of those boys had seen a dozen
| years, their clothes were ragged and forlorn
| their heads were hopelessly snarled, and
their little old faces smekred with dirt
But, through all the dirt, I could see a
| certain smirk of satisfaction on Barney's
expressive countenance as lie b0lted the
cheek, and winked with the opposite eye
and the eager, hungry, hopeless look of tho
other boy, as he saw the sweet morsel dis
I'appear, was pitiful to see. Wretched little
| slaves! 1t was bad enough to be poor, and
ragged, and dirty, and uncared for, but to
De bound, body and soul, by an appetite
for tobacco, was worse than all. Any one,
with energy aud health, can overcome the
evils of poverty, but an appetite for tobac-
co, once formed, is almost impossible to
master.
Excuse me, Mrs. Smith your husband
is not at home this afternoon ~ asked a
polished city minister one Sunday after
noon, as he entered neighbours house.
s" l am sorry for it," he went on +" for
am afraid you would think my errand an
absurd one in fact, no one but an old
smoker will understand my dilemma; bnt
the truth is, am out of tobacco, and can
not get through the day without it; at
least it is pretty hard work to do it, and l
have come over here for a cigar
The minister laughed here a good-na--
tured but half-embarrassed laugh, and
merry little Mrs. Smith joined heartily in
it, and fastened to replenisll the ministe-
rial tobacco pouch. Then, with few
L., ca. H. u
a Sir Charles Grandson bow, the gentleman
was gone.
A handsome man he was. Tall, broad of
shoulder, strong and graceful of limb; a
man of social grace and culture. A Chris
tan man, too, by the grace of God. But
q stare. handsome, talented gentleman
ly, Christian Stare to the tyrant Tobacco.
This gentleman had high regard for ap-
pearances. 1t went against his scruples to
borrow tobacco on Sunday but he was in
Il desperate state. He could not rest from
the fatigue and exhaustion of the morning
service, nor get strength and stimulus for
the evening exercise, without his charmer
Perhaps you do not think these two are
parallel cases; the GIN me chaw," of
the. little ragamufin, and the pleasant,
neighborly request of the gentleman.
think they are. However widely separated
these two were by birth and education,
they were under the dominion of the same
cidents in connection, because they fell
under my own observation, and because, to
me, they were strong illustrations of the
slavery of those who are addicted to the
use OF tobacco. A man to whom it has
become necessity is servant, and
tobacco is his master. He sacrifices to this
tyrant money, time, energy, cleanliness
and health. Without its stimulus, lie is
nervous, cross, hateful, utterly unstrung,
and incapable of controlling temper or
mind. Te',~-@
I cannot deny that this is popular
servitude millions are serving in its ranks
to day, from the miserable ragamuffin, who
picks up cigar-stgmps and second hand
che wing cuds, to President Grant, with the
blue wreaths of his choice Havanas curling
around his executive head and up to the
lofty ceiling of Che White House.
Idon't deny that a man may be a great
man, good man and a Christian, and use
tobacco. But am certain he would be a
greater man, better man, and IL more
Christ-like Christian without it than with
it. The Bible says that Z" he that ruleth |
his own spirit is greater than he that taketh |
h city According to that, suppose, if |
General Grant would conquer his appetite |
for tobacco, he would have harder fight
aud a greater conquest than he ever had |
over the rebel hosts. \
Boys sometimes get notion into their
heads that it is a manly thing to chew and
smoke. You never made greater mistake |
in your life. To be under the dominion of
any appetite is Almost unmauly and de-
grading thing. And, boys, I beseech you,
keep out of the ranks of tobacco lovers.
No matter if some cadaverous, blear-eyed
levotee of the weed, whose hand trembles
so that he can't lift q tumbler of water,
does tell you that smoking and chewing
never hurt him and won't hurt you. Don't
believe him. 1t is not true. You have
strong, healthy, imprisoned blood in your
veins. You need NO stimulus but healthy
food and drink, pure air, cold water, and
hard work. What you and every human
soul needs for the battle of life, is the full
control of all the forces of your nature
moral, intellectual and physical. You can
never get this if you give yourself up to
the use of any narcotic.
No man attains the highest manhood he |
is capable of until he masters Mmself, and |
ian say to every appetite or desire of mind |
,r body, I" Stand aside. I will not be |
governed by you. 1 am master here" A |
over of tobacco can never dorthis.-Little |
Corporal.
DON'T DEPEND ON FATHER.-Stand up
here, young man, and let us talk to you. |
You have trusted alone to the contents of |
your fathers purse, or fair fame for your |
influence or success in business. Think |
you that sfathern has attained to eminehce |
By unwearied industry or that he has |
sfnassed q fortune honestly without energy |
and activity. You should know that the
aculty requisite for the acquiring of fame
Dr. fortune is essential to, nay, inseparable
rom the retaining of either of these.