Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-05-20
COMMU.NlCATED.
SERMON ON THE HALF.SHELL,
By DEACON DIoGENEs.

TOBACCO.
Brutes refuse what many men will DO,
10 soil their mouths filthy weed TO
chew,
Man. learn from them, the goodly lesson
heed,
Discard the noxious, nauseous weed,
Nv Brethren-He who uses tobacco
has perverted his appetite, and with
selfdestroying hands grasps the struct-
ure of his health, and drops money INTO
the breeches pocket OF foollshnesS tnat
should be spent for hecessaries OF lie,
or sent TO convert the heather.
Tobacco is an evil of rather modern
invention, and has become as popular
as many older evils.
When we see a man fashioned in the
image of his Maker, with attributes lii
tie less than angels, from whose eyes
CLEAN the bright rays of an intelllgence
which marks him the noblest work OF
God and lord Of all nature, chewing The
live long day as cow chews her cnd,
with the nasty juice trickIing down his
chin, with bosom soiled, as he empties
his mouth of the filthy stuff in a man
ner similar to the discharge OF boys
squirt gun, we are painfully reminded
of that familiar couplet-
"Tobacco is m evil weed.
Twas the devil Sowed the seed.
Why the devil should so long have
delayed the cultivation of his crop we
cannot say, but we do know, that as an
evil, tobacco is complete success, and
we suppose meets the most sangu'ne
expectations of His Sulphuric Majesty.
We have known men 10 invest fifty
cents in tobacco, weekly, when they
sadly needed shirt at the cost OF TWEEN
ty.fiye. Others will uselessly spend
quarter for the weed and scold the wife
tor extravaganza if she invests few
cents occasionally, in gum drops tor the
children. Some men will 90 10 church
and squirt the filthy stuff over pews and
floor and retnse to drop dime III The
contribution box to aid the extension ot
the gospel. We see men in railway
cars, stage coaches, concert halls and
other public places, relieve themselves
of their masticated weed, regardless OF
their own gcntility or the comfort and
cleanliness Of Others.
We have known men to use their
Jaws all day chewing the evil, who con
sidered it waste of time to repeat the
Lords Prayer before retiring at night.
We have known men protesting chris
tianity, offer up the prayer Deliver us
from evil" with breath fouled aud
teeth discolored 10y this weed grown III
the devils garden patch.
Brethren can we believe that n prayer
waited heavenward will ever be admit
ted through the outer gates OF purity
on breath so offensive that man turns
from with disgust? Is the love OF
wife, sister or sweetheart increased after
pressing the lips of man whose breath
is freighted with the odor Of black strap
tobacco? ? Is the parent proud OF his
boy when his mamma finds bit Of to-
bacco in his pocket with bis marbles,
strings, etc' We think not; but that
fond father will contiscate his boys
stock, and attempts 10 convince hlm OF
the enormity of his wrong in manner
so forcible that the lad agonizlngly i'm.
agines that a whole nest Of bundle bees
has migrated up his trowsers leg and
he is incapacitated from engaging in an
innocent game OF marbles for a week.
Brethren, there is the smoker, 1t he
can puff fragrant Havana he foollshly
spends more money to CRAFTY useless
appetite than he who can only smoke
an old chalk pipe. They both make
smoke fues of their mouths and poison
the pure l;fe sustaining air they should
breathe. Imagine man holding be
tween his lips an old pipe discolored by
long use, with enough concentrated poi
son in the bowl and stem to kill an
army of healthy cats, taking into bis
mouth volumes of impure smoke, raIs-
inc cloud thick enough to hang an
umbrella upon, sitting himself, and
foulug the nostrils of others, aud then
ask yourselves it in the future, saints
will be made of such material.
Some persons make tobacco shop
of the nose, thereby outraging a law
Of nature by snutiIng injurious matter
instead of blowing it out, thus inJuring
the membranes aud olfactory nerves IN
a manner sinful and suicidal.
We have seen women use rag
wrapped round stick something after
the style of gun mop, and they dip
this rag in the pulyerized weed and Wig
orously swab the mouth. Oh, shame
that woman's mouth should be polluted
by the stuff! Oh, shame, that woman
should pu, between her lips a weed
from which all animals. save man, turns
from with loalhing and disgust!
Each user Of tobacco should be taxed
yearly, ard this tax should 60 TO the
Board of Foreign Missions, TO civillze
aud christianize the helpless heathen
whose desires Fever go out for filthy
''chaw."
Brethren let US sing.
HEgolsM.- instance Of reinarka-
hla h.rosso, was disnlayed on one Of