Telegram-herald., 1891-07-20
Aso SO 1T eoss


xhs p4zals rosSecs fsaas HAT IL Kill
isg ~ hiiiisas
I've com. 10 tbs eoaeln-ion that il l.
better not u kalOke at all
lie ssttlod himself comfortably IN one
of tlss cazsrs IN the kasssii House TO
tanda anl aeed the tlss II hls fingers
together as he spoke.
Il ayre. with everybody who says
moderate sluoking Is harmless" be con-
uAa. II kaow ali about that.
know all about ihe power VI good cigar
10 cheer the heart II lonely man too.
Oftea | have thought whsn sitting with
INV evening clgsr that the weed acted ~
a disinfeetant. carfyiag away in its curl
ing blue smoke all the biae thoughts aud
blue feeling within me. And the burn
ing of cigars Ia a eong-niai conapsny If
men promotes good fellowship OF
course It does. II adds 10 the enjoyment
Of social life.
He checked an involuntary movement
Of his right hand toward his upper vest
pocket, aud then no remained silent for
a moment. with his eyes bent on the
floor.
But when you've come 10 realize all
this" he SAID after a while, you're
slave. l began by smoking brand OF
little. stubby, rough cigars that cost
four cents apiece. 1 remember that ci-
gar perfectly, because I've never found
its equal since az any price. smoked
about one of these a week. sitting on "a
rail fence ia the darkness OF night and
sneaking up the back stairs TO bed after
ward. holding nv breath for fear some
body would smell il.
After awhile went to the city and
there / smoked a cigar after supper
every night. Then / began to smoke
once in q while as / walked 10 the store
in the morning, which established the
habit of smoking after breakfast. / in
dulged as moderately as this for three or
four years and fondly believed that
would be my limit through life. As
got my wages raised began to smoke
higher priced cigars, which always
tasted better for little while and then
became as unsatisfactory as the others.
"In the course of time took to smok-
ing mild cigar after lunch at midday.
Finally smoked after eating anything,
even cracker. From four cent cigars
had advanced to twelve cents by the
box, and how many l smoked day do
not know. Mind / do not make the
costliness Of the habit an argument by
itself, because I believe that anything
which adds to the innocent enjoyment
of this short life is worth its cost. But
the trouble was, the more | smoked the
less l enjoyed it. One cigar a day. per-
haps two, would be enjoyable. The
others would taste rank, and would
throw away one half smoked and light
another hoping it would be better.
when you've got well beyond the
ehadowy line between moderate and i'm
moderate smoking you find that your
pleasant indulgence has given place to a
morbid appetite. Still, you can stop if
you want to-of course.
'And now, leaving the individual
alone, how about the general public?
My wife requests me to smoke in her
presence because she loves the odor; calls
it fragrant. To most women think it
Is offensive, nothing more nor less, and
it is the same to many men. And yet
people smoke in promiscuous crowds,
they smoke on the decks Of steamboats,,
they smoke on the platforms of street
cars, they puff away in the ends Of parlor
coaches on railroad trains until the air is
dense with the vile smoke of cigars and
pipes, which oozes through the separat-
ing doors and floats through the whole
car, annoying, il not sickening, the
other helpless passengers, who may lump
it if they don't like it. 1t makes Inc hot
to think that in every street car, in every
ladies' waiting room, in every restaurant
where ladies 90. such signs as this must be
tackled up, Smoking Positively Prohibit
ed Good heavens! Why isn't it neces-
sary to say. 'Treading on Ladies' Feet
Forbidden
"a man who can understand the effect
OF cigar smoke on some women would as
soon think of doing that as to smoke In
their presence. But smokers don't un.
derstand. Their habit has made them
selfish and inconsiderate to the last de-
gree. 1t is shame" The man gazed
out the window for awhile in silence be-
fore he concluded
$50, while all said at first about the
pleasure and comfort to be derived from
moderate smoking is strictly true, there
are other considerations which it seems
to me should have greater weight than
these"
80 you have decided not TO smoke at
allT' said the man TO whom all these
words had been addressed.
Il did not say that" replied the other,
taking cigar from his pocket and re-
fectively biting off the ead II said
had come to the conclusion that it is
better not to smoke at all May trouble
you for lightT-Morris Waite in De-
troit Free Press.