The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-04-05
THE RING BLOWING HABIT.
The Sad Spectacle OF . Dcpraved Young
Smoker Observed by q Reporter.

The Sad Spectacle Of n Dcpraved Young
Smoker Observed by q Reporter.
Thcy were sitting in the veranda of the
pavilion Mt Staten Island, gazing dreamfly
at the lights Of the Brooklyn bridge be-
tween tho mosquitoes and the wrcaths of
their smoke when the elder of tho twain
observed his companion blow ring of
cigarette smoke from his lips and watch
Il float upward into the dir with an ex-
preston Of mingled contentment.
"Foolish boy" he remarked pityingly.
"Why foolish, doctors What have !
done nowi''
"Yon are destroying all your pleasure
In smoking, if any who smokes cigarettes
can take pleasure in smoking"
"How soi don't see that am taking
less pleasure than you are"
but you are," returned the elder,
'tmuch less. Now warrant you didn't
see that pretty girl who passed by mo-
.ment ago, aud as for that yacht with its
gay lights which just steamed down the
kill, It might rs we'll have been a coal
barge for any pleasure you took cut Of the
sight"
-''What girl?' exclaimed the youth. 81
didn't see any. Neither did l see the
yacht. But he continued pcttishly, 81
can't bc looking out for such things all
the time. Life is too short and pretty
girls and yachts too plenty"
"Truc, but they were not put in this
world to he neglected, and you will con-
tnuc to neglect such beautiful sights sc
long ns you persist in the useless and
.p~raie;ous habit Of blowing smoke into
those s:bsurl rings
"EinGsf W,ct on earth Go you mean?''
"Just what l say. The effort it tai-cc
You to curl your sn,oke into circles dc
stroys all the pleasure which tobacco gives
10 the smoker. You judge Of tie excel
lcncc Of cigarette CT cigar by the mum
Der Of rings it contains to The inch. Your
mind is upon the smoke, not upon the fra
GRANGE Of the weed''
~ don't see it exactly in that light
"Of course not. The habit is selfish
and insidious one. 1t grows upon its
victim imperceptiby. 1t makes one
morose and unsociable. 1 have noticed
half a dozen times tonight that you were
paying no attention whatever to my re-
marks, watching those silly rings you are
putting your manners away in. Not only
have you been inattentive, but have seen
you suddenly stop in the middle of SEN
tence and make frantic and undignified
effort to send a second ring through the
center of ono you have just blown as a
circus tumblcr risks his neck to eclipse his
previous effort son,ersaulting. Then, too,
if you were not addicted to this foolish
habit you might smoke cigars and be an
agreeable member of society. l have
noticed that most ringsters are dcvotees to
cigarettes simply from this sad craze.
Give it up, my hoy, and be sensible man.. -
'I-don't- know but-what volt
are-right," replied the youth slowly, his
right cheek expanded to its limit with
smoke which he pulled forth in series of
perfect circles.
''1'm afraid you are beyond redemp-
tion," replied the elder, after a short
pause.
"Pcrhaps-you puff are-right," re-
piled the young man, absent mndedly, as
he watched the ring collide with mus
quito and scatter into fleecy clouds over
his head. "I'm tired; suppose we go to
bed. New York Mail and Express.