San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-01-09
MENTAL ANGUISH.

"You smoke very strong tobacco"
said to him as we passed through Tun
bridge in the tidal train for Folkestone.
"They are strong" he replied, "bu
they are uncommonly good. Won't 20,
try one?" and he opened his case, which
was filed with the strongest Of strong
Trichinopoli cigars.
But declined. The essential oil seemed
to be oozing out of them; they were blacl
and shiny.
"They must be stronger than thu
strongest pigtail," I remarked.
"They are strong, and that's the
TRUTH" said the man with the immense
beard who had offered me the cigar; "but
they are the only weed I can taste.
wish hadn't smoked so much," he SAID
with groan, "It's been my great mis-
fortune"
"You must have smoked very expen
sive cigars then," said with laugh.
cit wasn't the value of the cigar that
once ruined me-" said the bearded man
sit was my cursed habit Of smoking"
II don't quite see how it could have
ruined you," said l, incredulously.
"Don't you," said the bearded man.
"Then I'll tell you how it came about.
It'll be rather a relief to me to tell the
story. I'm DOCTOR" he began. 81
didn't see that there was much good to
be done by young doctor in England
competition among us medicos is very
keen here, and young man in the pro-
fession who hasn't money has little or nc
chance, so I went off to America to seek
my fortune. You can get a good cigar
in America; you have to pay for it, but
you can get good cigar. did fairly
well In New York. took an office, as
they call it, in the business part of the
town. saw patients from till 4, and
I advertised the fact in the newspapers,
as is the custom in America.
II smoked all day long; used even
to smoke at meals, and I smoked while
I saw my patients. They were all men,
SO it didn't matter. My income ex-
ceeded my expenditure; had crowds
of friends, and I was perfectly happy
till I met Aurea Van Spool, young
lady from Indiana. She was the love-
Hest girl I ever saw in my life; q bru-
nette with great masses Of blue black
hair with wave In it, great glorious
black eyes that set your heart going
pit-a, pat when they fell upon you,
little aristocratic aquiline nose, lips that
were ruddy and kissable, teeth like
pearls, a charming delicate color that
went and came with every changing
thought, a rounded chin with dear
little dimple in it; her figure was per-
lection, and she got her dresses from
Paris. 1 fell madly in love with Aurea
Van Spool. The Van Spoofs came orig
inally from Holland; they were very
rich, they were proud Of their old Dutch
ancestors, and they were very much re-
spected in New York.
"But Aurea Van Spool came from In
diana; her grandfather was one of the
First settlers in that state, and her father,
when alive, had represented the state In
congress. Aurea Van Spool, then, to
out it shortly, was wealthy orphan Of
appearances; she was willful
.s well as wealthy, and, quite contrary
20 the wishes of her relatives, Aurea
Ind 1 became engaged to be married.
The only stipulation she made was that
should become an American citizen,
md the only thing insisted upon was
hat all her money should be settled |
lpon herself, for 1t was Aurea / was in |
owe with and not her fortune. We |
vent to Wayne, her native place in Indi-
ma, and there we were married, and j
lon't suppose there was happier couple
n the United States of America. Still,
Aurea had what is known as temper
The hated tobacco. and I was a slave
o it.
"Now, in order to please Aurea, when
was paying my addresses to her, 1 had
,iven 1t up altogether; but after the
was over allowed myself a
igar a day in the open air; and that
ingle cigar day made my pretty wife
cry angry indeed. She declared that a
nan who smoked degraded himself be-
DIV the level Of the brutes. / differed
nth her; and, TO show my independ-
nee, 1 started the practice OF an after
inner cigar.
Then Aurea demonstrated very seri-
usly.
"'Jack,' said she, your dreadful
abit is causing me intense mental an
uish.'
mental anguish ! replied, with a
Iugh; how can my smoking cause you
rental anguish
You'll find out she said mysteri-
lsly, If you insist upon smoking in the
Juse.'
Il continued my smoking, and for
eek my wife didn't speak 10 ne Then
vent for a three days fishing excursion 3
a neighboTing lake. When returned
me my wife had DISAPPEARED, and }
ss served with q cifztion and q copy q
rstftion for divorce In The Indiana e
gh c1urt, On tie grand q my having
used mv wife intense uentsl anguish. :