The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-09-25

ana down, Trying to get the "a
that insatiate appetite for the weed
nicotian. / seek my couch early, but
Morpheus refuses to be wooed. toss,
tumble, fret and fumc. and finally.
about three o'clock in the morning. ar
rive at the conclusion that i love my
pipe more fervently than l love Miss
kittie American. | steal cautiously
down stairs, capture my meerschaum,
and returning to my chamber. | enjoy
long, lazy, delicious smoke.
"Oh, drug more potent to sOothe my
| fretful nerves than the far-famed mar
cOtic of the Orient! | revcl in one
long, continuous dream of delight, but
my appetite is no sooner satisfied than
am seized with terrible rpmorsp. l
have broken my promise, anI have
shown myself 10 be a mscrably weak
man. | sit upon the edge of the bed
and calmly think the matter over;
finally / arrive ut the conclusion that
stimulant must be opposed by stimulant
and satisfied with this theory, I get
into bed and fall peacefully asleep.
In the morning after breakfast !
sally forth and procure q bottle of the
best brandy i can find This stuff. |
for tobacco, as am not in the habit of
using stimulants of this character. l
can easily dispense with it when it has
accomplished my object. take the
liquor to my room and indulge in it
more or less during the day. l aston
ish Bessie and Basil in the evening by
appearing Grabbed and sour and talk
in u boisterous, incoherent manner.
| ~ n or lnS- ,l,Art in
fuence of brandy during the whole
week. have so far realized my con-
dition that | remain away from Mrs.
Americans entirely. Finally, Basil
tells me l am fast goinr to the bad.
and Bessie implores ME with tears in
her eyes to save myself from certain
ruin. / send for the doctor, who doses
me with bromide and '.tiXrS lne up all
right" rs he terms it, and return to
my pipe again.
go to see Kittie and expostulate
with her; try to reason with her; but
it is all of no avail she only replies TO
whatever have to say
Il told you l did not believe YOU
could abandon it; you are too much its
slave"
1t is evident she despises me for
hearted and despairing and seek solace
and sympathy in my old mccrschaum.
One morning 4 bright idea strikes
me. take my pipe and pouch and
walk about three miles TO the summit
OF Il high hill, vulgarly called Goose
Hiil;" l sit down on an old stump,
take Il farewell smoke. deposit my
pipe and tobacco ou the stump. and
rel homo ftsn1 nj. Il
during the day and during the night
also. but / mold steadf;lst until the
next morning. when my feet bear me
against my will in the direction of
Goose H,l," and l fail from grace
again.
Thrice in the space of three days l
take that absurd journey, and then ]
give up. | 90 to Kittie and tell her
candidly that l have over-rated my
strength. that it is impossible for mo
to abandon the habit, that even the
physician, on account of my intensely
nervous organization, advised me not
to attempt it unless did so gradually
and that would be Il matter of months.
perhaps years; but she remains i'm
pregnabie 50 far rs argument Is con-
cerned.
surd vow, dearest Kittie?" / eXclaim.
II will not smoke in your presence any
more than L do now, or not at all, if
you so desire it,
"And why will you not abandon
that absurd habit?" she answered me.
''There is no earthly use in our arguing
this question:" she continued.
If you do not give up tobacco, you
must give me up"
'.Kittie, do you not love meP' l ask
as Il dcrMier resort-a final appeal to
her heart and affections.
You know L do, Dick" she con-
fesses, the rosy color mantling her
cheeks; "but if you love your nasty old
pipe better than you love me, | can
never marry you. My resolution is un-
| adorable"
Before she Is aware of it. l catch her
up quickly, kiss her passionately upon
the lips, and rush out of the house. l
reach my room, l know not how,
hurriedly pack my valise, rush down
stairs, tell my aslonished sister that
important business in connection with
our property at the North demand my
immediate presence there, kiss her
good-by and hurry away.
Before can scarcely realize it am
on the cars, being whirled away toward
New Jersey. disappointed lover. and
a disheartened consumer of the divine
plant" l reach my old home the fol-
lowing day and take lodgings with my
tenants. | revisit the former scenes of
my childhood, wander aimiessly about
the country, accomplishing nothing for
the first Two weeks; thon / begin to
pick up and 60 to work in earnest; and
thus three months slip away.
One sultry day in the latter part of
August l receive short letter from
Bessie. My hand trembles and pale
little as peruse it. 1t contains the
news of the approaching nuptials Of my
cousin Basil and Kittie American.
| Well, we'll, Basil is not a devOtee of
the weed, and take him all in all, the
boy will doubtless make her n better
husband than l ever could have been
sit in the fast fading twilight, en-
veloped in a cloud of azure smoke, and
l soliloqu.zs thus, as l study the ever
circiing rings
"A pipe of tobacco is mans great
est consolation. but can it ever COM
pcnsate for the loss of fair woman S
heart?"