The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-02-01
WIZ he DIDN'T SMOKE.

{ ASAA NEGAf NuC
with one Of his young friends, and hi!
stay was prolonged into the evening
during which come male friends o
the family dropped in. The boy
withdrew with the bsekgammon-boS
into the recess Of the bay window a
the end of the room, and the gentle,
men went on chatting about the mos
important matters ofthe day, politics
etc. Still apparently enjoying tbC
game, the two boys yet keep theil
ears open, as boys will, and, takinl
their cue from the sentiments ex
pressed by their elders, indorsed one
or the other as they happened 10 sgret
with them.
Gentlemen, Will you smoke p
asked Mr.. Benedict, the host. A
simultaneous thank you went round,
and q smile Of satisfaction lighted al
faces but one. Not that he was
gloomy, or drawback on the rest,
but his smile WAS not one OF assent.
A box Of cigars was soon forthcom.
ing, costly and fragrant, as the word
4 goes.
'fFine cigar" said one, as he held
it 70 his nose before lighting. "What,
Linton, you don't smoke ~
I'm happy to say do not, was the
firm rejoinder.
"Well now, you look like a smok-
ing man, jolly, care-free, and all that.
I'm quite surprised" said another.
1--WE are hardly doing right, are
We" asked rubicund-visaged man,
who puffed away heartily, ito smoke
in the parlor ? l condone that much
to my wife's dislike Of the weed.
She makes q great ado about the cur
tains, you know"
"For my part, that's q matter I
don't trouble myself about, ;" said the
host, broadly. There's no room In
this house too good for me and my
friends to smoke in. Ny wife has al
ways understood that, and she yields,
of course.
"But you don't know how 1t chokes
her," said young Hal Benedict, soto
UOce. "Yes indeed, it gets all
through the house, you know, and
she almost always goes into Aunt
Nellie's when there are two or three
smoking. There she goes now" he
added, as the front door shut.
"Why, it's absolutely driving her
out of the house, Isn't It 2n asked
Johnny. "Too bad P'
"Why don't you smoke, Dalton ?"
queried one Of the party "fraid of 1t?
Given It up lately It don't agree
with some constitutions"
"Well, If you want to know why I
don't smoke, Friend Jay" was the
answer, 81 will tell you respect
my wife to much"
"Why, you don't mean" stam-
mered his questioner.
81 mean simply what 1 said.
When 1 married l was addicted to
the use of cigars. / saw that the
smoke annoyed her, thongh she be-
baved with the utmost good taste and
forbearaDce, and cut down my ci-
gars 30 as to smoke only when going
and returning from business. I then
considered what my presence must
be to delicate and sensitive woman,
with breath and clothes saturated
with the odor, and 1 began to be dis
gusted with myself, so that finally I
dropped the habit, an d can't say
Pm sorry"
81 shouldn't be, 1 know" said an
other, admiringly. "rm candid
enough to own It, and / think your
wife ought 10 be very much obliged to
you"
"On the contrary, iE is I who ought
ton, while the host smoked on in ST.
lence, very red in the face, and evil
IDENTIFY wincing under the reproof
that was not meant.
81 say, that Dalton's q brick"
whispered young Benedict, as he
swept his men off the board first.
"He's splendid ?" supplemented
Johnny, who was thinking his own
thoughts while the smoke was really
getting too much for him, and pres
emily he took bis leave.
The next day Johnny was thought
ful, so quiet, indeed, that everybody
noticed it, and in the evening, wheD
his father lighted his pipe with its
strong tobscco, Johnny seemed on
thorns.
81 can't think that you don't re-
spect mother" he blurted out, and
then his face grew the color OF
scarlet flannel.
"WhAt do you mean ?" asked his
father, In q severe voice. '1 say
what do you mean, sir ?''
because mother hates the smoke
so because it gets into the curtains
and carpet, and-and because l heard
Mr.. Dalton last night give as reason
that he did not smoke that he respect
ed his wife too much"
"Pshaw Your mother don't mind
my smOkIng-dO you, mother ?" he
asked, jocularly, rs his wife entered
then.
"Well-I-I used to, rather more |
than do now. One could get accus-
toned to anything, l suppose, so I go
On the principle that what can't be |
cured must be endured"
Nonsense you know I could stop |
tomorrow il 1 wanted to-" he laugh
ed.
"But you won't want tc," she said,
softly.
don't know whether Johnny's |
father gave up the weed. Most likely |
not; but if you want to see what !
really came Of it, will give you q |
peep at the following paper, written |
some years ago, and which happens |
to be in my possession:
"I, John Lord, of sound mind, do |
make, this first dsy Of January, 1851, |
the following resolutions, which 1
pray God may keep:
"F5rst-I will not get married till I |
own a house, for expect Uncle Hem |
~ Lake will give me one, one OF
these days, because my mother says |
be will.
"Second-I will never swear, be- !
cause it is silly as well as wicked.
t'Ihird-I will never smoke, and so |
make myself dissgreeable to every
body who comes near me, and 1 will
keep these words as my motto after
l am married.
"I don't smoke, because 1 respect
my wife, Mr.. Dalton said that, and
l will never forget it. Signed, etc."
Isn't that boy all over? But John
ny kept his word like hero Youths
Companion.
D.-DOmestIc DImcuITy.