The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-07-15
How Smikes Stopped Chewing
Tobacco.

CMIKES made up his mind to stop
- chewing. He never was much Of a
chewer, anyhow, he said. He had not
used tobacco but few years, and rarely
consumed more than an ounce paper in
day. But he feared the habit might get
hold of him and become fixed, and if there
was anything he abhorred it was to see a
man become slave to bad habit. He
had used the weed some, to be sure, but
there never had been time during the
last ten years when he could not stop at
any moment. But so long as he did not
care to stop. He could break off at any
minute, and it was great satisfaction to feel
SO. Thompson, he thought was an abjeet
slave to his pipe. He pitied Thompson for
he had seen him try to stop smoking
several times, and fail ignominiously every
time he undertook it. But Smikes wanted
to show his wife how easy he could quit.
So Monday morning he remarked carelessly
to Samantha that he guessed he would
stop using tobacco, Samantha said she
was glad of it, and added impetuously,
what she had never said before, that it was
a vile habit. Smikes appeared little
nervous and confused when Samantha
said this, and mumbled out something
about being glad he had never got into it
himself. In his agitation he pulled out
his tobacco box and was just about to take
a chew, when he recollected himself and
plunged out of the front door, forgetting
his umbrella. About half way up to the
Office, he met Jones, with whom he was
having some business transactions. While
they were talking the thing over, Smikes
got little enthusiastic, and he had almost
reached the Office before he noticed he was
rolling an uncommonly plump quid around
his mouth like sweet morsel. How it
got there Smikes did not know. He puz-
zled over the little thing all the rest of the
| forenoon, and at last he took it out Of his
mouth and threw it away, satisfied that he
must have taken it while talking with
Jones. Twice that afternoon Smikes took
out his tobacco box and looked at it. Once
he took off the cover and smelled OF the
tobacco. 1t smelt SO good that Smikes
felt impelled to remark TO himself that IL
was the easiest thing in the world to STOP
chewing. He congratulated himself again
and again that day that he did not become
entangled in the meshes Of the filthy vice,
and he alluded to the matter three or -four
times that evening at the tea-table, til
Samantha marveled grealy at the firmnesi
Of Smikes. She had always heard, she said
that 1t was a hard thing to leave off. But
Smikes had told her and kept telling hel
that it was "jus as easy" and her rever
ence for the yirile strength and indepen
dence Of character Of Smikes. grew like I
gourd. VI hst.aar AK a......f
That night Smikes had the nightmare
He Thought that a legion Of foul fiends ha'
got him up in the corner of the back yard
and had rolled upon his belly mopstrou
quid af dne ont, as largo around as
aeart-wheel, and that they were trying +
fcfco II iAto liiB mouth. smikes strue
gled vigorously, and when Samantha shool
him and asked what was the matter hi
only reply was that sas' q. anybody could sto
6hewine If they Aasup their mind to it.
The next day Snakes was, little nervous
He told everybody who came In what
simple thing II was TO stop lebewipg- Th
third day he harped about II all day long
I lie told one man about it three, iifteren
!. times, and whens that much ihfernied tiI
i. "a 4