Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-07-03
Frankie's Lesson in Smoking.

| frankie was nearly nine years old
He was tall of his age and growing yery
, fast, and this made him feel as if b,
/ were almost a man. So he took Ions
strides when he walked with his hand:
stuck in his pockets and spit goot
deal, and wondered sometimes If he wa
not old enough to learn to smoke. HI
had an idea, however, that his mother
would not be pleased with that, anG
this kept him from it long while fol
he loved his mother dearly.
But he thought it was no harm tc
, smoke grapevine and paper cigars, and
, so he did that. suppose if any one
. had asked him why it was nice to burn
a stick or piece of paper under his nose
he could not have told, only that it was
like what the men did.
His mother saw it all. She was one
of those dear, wise mothers, that just
look into their little boys hearts, and
lure them away from every thing bad,
and so one Saturday morning, when he
was lighting bit of grapevine, she
said to him pleasantly, aFrankie, you
would like to smoke, wouldn't your"
frankie, looked slyly up in his moth
ers face, but he saw only there the
kindness that always made his heart
open right out to her like boys conf
dence, "Why, yes, mother, think so
sometimes when I see the other boys
smoking.
"Well, frankie, you may if you wish
to.'
"What, mother, really smoke tobac-
coz"
Yes, frankie, isn't that what you
would like to smoke?''
81 don't know. 1 didn't suppose you
would like to have me do that" Then,
after little pause, "But when can be-
gin, mother?"
"Begin to-day, if you wish. ! wish
you to hep me this morning with my
baking; to bring in wood, and pick up
chips, and go ON errands but this after
noon when we get the work all done up
We will try it,
frankie was delighted. He picked
up basket of chips with unusual alac-
rity.
"But MOTHER" he said, where will we
get the tobaceo?'
go, there is some on the shelf in the
cellar-way; some that grandpa left last
winter, and his pipe, tool We will get
them out and see that they are dry"
The afternoon came at last; just such
a quiet afternoon as frankie had often
spent in his little chair reading to his
mother while she sewed. He was rath-
er glad that his sister Jennie and his
father were both away ;he watched with
the greatest interest while his mother
shaved up the tobacco, and filled the pipe
and lighted it, and then seated him in
the chimney-eorner, and placed it in his
hands.
COuld he draw the smoke?
o, yes, just as easy as could bel He
had practieed on the grape-vines. So he
drew it in and puffed it out with sub
lime satisfation.- This world seemed
perfect. Everybody was good as could
be, and his mother was the best of ALL
He had not taken half-a-dozen whiffs
before neighbOr came in, and down
went the pipe ont of sight, though still
in Frankie's hand. Why he should be
ashamed of it he did not know, especial
ly as his mother hadkgiven him permis-
sion to smoke. He supposed when he
grew up he should smoke right along
before any one. As the man sat there
talking, frankie wondered if the fire in
his pipe would go out ;and finally he did
not care if it did. He did not feel very
well. .t
When at last the man went, and his
mother told him that he might now
smoke again, he could only gasp that he
did not want to smoke any more; and
then he was so, sick land he grew worse
till he thought he should die. He vom-
tied, and retched, and groaned, till he
felt so week he could hardly stir.
His mother watched over him, and
waited on him, as only such a mother
can, and finally got him into bed. He
did not sit up any more that day.
The next morning he was better.
though he had a miserable, wretched
headache. He could not go to church
nor to Sunday-school, and his mother
at home with him, read to
him and amused him. Three or four
lays after that, when he began to feel
like himself again, his mother took down
The pipe from the mantel-piece, and as
ked, "What shall | do with this Frank
e? When shall you want it again."
II guess never,' he said with little
shiver. "Wasn't it that made me so sick
every likely it was. There is poison
enough left in the pipe now 20 kill you
il you should swallow it-''
"what made you let me take it them"
he asked.
because, my son, saw that you
would surely try it some time, and L
knew that it would make you sick, and
wanted you where could take care
,f you. More than that, l wanted you
to try it for yourself, so that you would
Know what it would DO to you.'
''But it doesn't do so to everybody,
loes it,"
at does unless they have inherited
m unnatural taste for it. 1t is a terrible
poison, and it hurts everybody that
takes it, though after a while they do
not feel it in the same way that they do
at first, and so they fancy that it does
not hurt them. wanted you to try it
by yourself, when there were no bad
boys around to tell you any lies about
It."
"Well I've had enough of it mother,
You needn't be afraid for me now.
never shall touch it again."
frankie is man grown now. A
fine looking man as you will see in
lays walk. He has never used tobae-
co since that one pipeful, and it is not
very likely that he ever will. He says
that he never can be thankful enough
to his mother for taking the trouble to
give him the first lesson in its use
YOUTHS Compaaion.