Smyrna times., 1873-06-04
The Vile Weed.

Smikes made up his mind to stop chewing.
He never was much of a chewer, anyhow, he
said. He hadn't 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
1t there was anything he abhorred it was to
see a man become a slave to a bad habit He
had used the weed some, to be sure, but there
had never been time during the last ten
years when he could not stop at any moment.
But so long as he did not become habituated
to its use he did not care to stop. He could
break off at any minute, and it was q great
satisfaction to feel SO.
Thompson, he thought, was an abject slave
to his pipe, He pitied Thompson, for he had
seen Thompson try to stop smoking several
times, and fail ANONYMOUSLY every time he
undertook it. But Smikes wanted to show
his wife how easy he could quit. So Monday
morning he remarked careIessly to Samantha
that he guessed he would stop using tobacco
Samantha said she was glad of it, and added
impetuousy, what she had never said before
that it was vile habit Smikes appeared
little nervous and confused when Samantha
said this, and mumbed out something about
being glad he had never got into it himself
In his agitation he pulled out his tobacco box
and was about to take a chew, when he recol-
lected himself and plunged out of the door,
forgetting his umbrella.
About. half way to the Office he met Jones'
with whom he was having some business trans
actions. While they were talking the thing
over Smikes got little enthusiastic and be
had almost reached the Office before he noticed
that he was rolling an uncommonly plump
quid around his mouth like a sweet morsel.
How it gotS there Smikes did not know.
He puzzled over that 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 smeled of the tobacco. Ii
smet 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 eHtsngled in
the meshes of the filthy vice, and he alluded
| to the matter three or four times that evening
at the tea-table, till Samantha maryelled greatly
| at the hrmness of Smikes. She had always
| heard, she said, that il was hard thing TO
leave off. But Smikes had told her and kept
telling her that it was ''just as easy" and her
reverence for the virile strength and indepen-
denee of character of Smikes grew like a
gourd. That night Smikes had the night,
mare. He thought that legion of foul fiends
had got him up in q corner of the back yard,
and had rolled upon his belly monstrous
quid OF, ,"hne-cut,' as large around as a cart
wheel, and that they were trying to force il
into his mouth. M rf.,s.l -. ,.....' +.
Smikes struggled vigorously, and when
Samantha shook him and asked him what was
the matter, his only reply was that anybody
could stop chewing if they only made up their
! mind to it," The next day Smikes was q