The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-04-30

what reparation he could to his parents.
So proceeding directly to his mother,
whom he found alone, he said, Mother,
feel that by my actions of yesterday
have lost the confidence that you and
father have had in me. 1t makes me so
unhappy that can bear it no longer. If
you will only forget that weak act of
mine, will prove to you that have
more strength Of character than you now
think possess. confess l have bad q
great weakness in regard to smoking. 1t
always seemed such manly practice to
me, but think can safely say that my
first smoke shall be my last"
As Mrs. Strong looked into Joe's face,
so earnest in its expression, she knew he
meant all he had said, and laying her
arms around his neck, said, al can't tell
you how glad 1 am, Joe, that you have
manliness enough to make this confession.
1 have been deeply grieved at this show
of weakness on your part. could not
but fear that If you yielded to tempta-
tions and INDUCED in such practices
while 80 young, the same weakness would
lead you into other evil habits as you
grew older, and might eventually end in
running both your health and character.
1t is our strong love for you, Joe, that
makes us 30 solicitous for your future.
We would have you abstain from every
habit that would prove injurious to you
in after years" r5,t~
al was never more convinced of yours
and fathers love than have been to-day,
mother. That is one thing that caused
me to view my actions in the light l do.
l could not help thinking how truly un-
grateful have shown myself to be. While
you were working for my happiness and
doing all in your power to show your love
for me was doing the very thing that 1
knew would give you pain. Aud while l
forfeited and lost the great pleasure you
had intended for me, feel that the loss
was nothing less than deserve"
A few days later, Joe received pamph-
let written by an eminent physician,
containing some well authenticated facts
in regard to tobacco. He had no clue as
to the sender, but strongly suspected it to
be the kind-hearted old doctor. There
were marked passages in the pamphlet
which Joe read with the deepest interest,
and which greatly added to the feeling
of disgust which he had formed for the
poisonous weed, and helped him in faith
fully keeping his promise through all the
years of his life.
We will quote few paragraphs from
Joe's pamphlet, hoping that they may be
of some benefit to other boys who have a
foolish admiration for the practice of
smoking: y'- .2qss4s
Chemists, botanists and physicians
unite in pronouncing tobacco to be one of
the most deadly poisons known. No other
poison, with the exception of prussic acid,
will cause death so quickly, only three or
four minutes being required for fatal
dose to produce its full effect.
1.-THE poison contained in a single
pound of tobacco is sufficient to kill three
hundred men if taken in such way as
to secure its full effect. A single cigar
contains poison enough to extinguish two
human lives il taken at once.
"The fact is established beyond the
possibility of successful controversy, that
tobacco is poison, deadly in large doses,
pernicious and harmful in all doses. 1t
taints the breath, ruins the digestion, OBJ
literates taste and smell, spoils the blood,
Expresses the brain, depresses the heart,
irritates the nerves, wastes the muscles
obstructs the liver, dims the vision, stains
the skin, and deteriorates and contami.
mates every organ and tissue with which
it comes in contact in the body. Its in
fluence is to lessen vitality, to benumt
the sensibilities, to shorten life, TO KILL
Nellie Burns. in Christian at Work,