Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-10-03
Anmuruus department.
HOW sMIKEs STOPPED CHEWING.

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 fix
ed, and if there was any thing that he abhor-
red, it was to see a man become slave to q
bad habit. He had used the weed some, to
be sure, but there had never been time du-
ring the last ten years when he could not stop
at any moment. But so long as he did not
become Aabituated 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
Thomson, he thought, was an abject slave to
his pipe. He pitied Thomson, for he had
seen Thomson try to stop smoking several
times, and fail ANONYMOUSLY every time he
undertook it. But Smikes wanted to show
his wife how easily he could quit.
So Monday morning he remarked careless
ly 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 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 about to take a
chew, when he recollected himself, and pluug-
ed out for the front door, forgetting his um-
brella. About half way to the Office he met
Jones, with whom he was having some busi-
ness transactions While they were talking
the thing over, Smikes got little enthusias-
tic, and he almost reached the Office before
he noticed that he was rolling an uncommon
ly plump quid around his mouth like sweet
morsel. How it got 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 smelled the tobacco. 1t
smelt so good that smikes felt impelled to re-
mark to himself that it was the easiest thing
in the world to stop chewing. He congratu-
lated 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 teata-
BILE, till Samantha marvelled greatly at the
6rmness of Smikes. She had always heard,
she said, that it was hard thing to leave of.
But Smikes had told her, and kept telling
her, that it was "just as easy" and her rever-
ence for the virile strength and indepen-
dence of character of Smikes grew like a gourd.
That night Smikes had the nightmare. He
thought that legion of foul fends had got
him up in corner of the back yard, and had
rolled upon him a monstrous quid of '6ne
cut" as large around as cart-wheel, and
that they were trying to force it into bis
mouth. Smikes struggled vigorously, and
when Samantha shook him and asked what
was the matter, his only reply was that "any
body could stop chewing, if he only made up
his mind to-
The next day Smikes was little nervous.
He told everybody who came in what sim
pie thing it was to stop chewing. The third
day he harped about it all day long. He told
one man about it three different times, and
when that much.informed individual ventured
the opinion that he would be chewing again
in less than week, Smikes Indignantly ejac-
ulated:
"Mr. jenkins, when make up my mind
to thing that is the last of it."
The fourth day, Smikes heard that camo-
mile blossoms were sometimes used as SUBJ
stitute for tobacco, and Just out of curiosity
he devoured couple of ounces of them. He
said to the druggist when be bought them
that it was easy enough to stop the use of to-
bacco. On the fifth day, Smikes got sick.
His nerves gave out. He snapped something
at Samantha at the breakfast table, upset his
inkstand, burnt his fingers poking some Gin.
ders out of the CRATE, and had no appetite for
dinner.
That day the devil whispered to Smikes
that tobacco was really beneficial to some
temperaments. Smikes had a temperament
of the kind. The sixth day, Smikes felt like
murderer. He seemed to himself to have
become transformed into Modoc. His
mouth was dry and parched.
A stout, healthy-looking old gentleman
came into Smikes office that day. He was a
great friend of Smikes', and as he drew forth
his silver tobacco. box and daintily shook out
small morsel of the pungent weed, Smikes
felt his mouth water. He remarked to Mr..
johnson that he had not chewed any for six
days, and that he had refrained so long just
to satisfy himself that anybody could chew
or leave it alone He was fully satisfied that
it could be done, but he rather thought that
his was one of those temperaments that are
really acted upon in beneficial way by the
temperate use of tobacco. Mr.. johnson said
he thought so, too, and as he handed Smikes
his box, remarked that he had chewed regu-
larly for thirty years, and didn't know as it
had damaged him any. AS Smikes rolled a
large quid back into his left cheek, he said he
thought there was q difference in men. He
was satisfied that he could stop chewing at
any time, but there were some temperaments
TO which gentle narcotic or opiate was real
ly a blessing.
How He CURED HIMsELF.-"For many,
many years." said the man with the bad eye,
II was troubled, annoyed, positively afflicted
with raging, burning thirst for strong drink
and alcoholic beverages. Isought the advice
of physicians and the counsels of friends. |
tried various cures, recommended by the news
papers, but none of them seemed to do me
any good"
"And by what MEANS" asked the clergy
man, in the tall hat, "did you at length sue
ceed in allaying this terrible thirst ?"
"Well," said the man with the bad eye,
after moments reflection, 81 found that old
Crow whisky, as steady thing, kind of soft
ened it down and quieted it about as much as
anything 1 tried. When l found the thirst
and the burning desire for drink coming on,
l would 20 and take about three fingers of old
Crow, and the thirst would pass away, and"
But as he looked up he saw that the audience
had also passed away, and the young clergy
man was looking back at him with sad,