The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-07-23
tt BAY ST LOUIS, MISS, SATURDAY. JULY 49, 1892

one evening, and tor three mortal hours
was importuned by Dolly with requests
70 make George stop smoking. How
could promise such Q thing when %
pipe was my bosom friend and / count
ed cigars as familiar acquaintance.
However, few days later George re-
fused my proffered weed with the re-
mark that he had told Dolly he wouldn't
smoke for week as trial. 1t was a
trial to him, poor fellow. He looked
like consumptive at the end of six
days, and the, glance that followed the
line of BLUSH vapor from my cheroot
was pitiful to see. That night he fell
II tell you, old man," he said, ''it
was only one day more, anyway, but
that one day would have landed me in
the hospital, SO did take cigar from
Dolly's father and broke my promise to
her"
Once war was declared it was evil
dent that there was to be no let up un-
til one party surrendered. He was
penitent for the broken promise, and
she was forgiving, SO the field was still
unwon. But fortnight saw another
trial in progress This time he held
out manfully for ten long days, but it
was his misfortune one night to board
the grip-car with brawny son of Erin's
black dudeen directly to windward.
This was too much for the weak flesh
and he again succumbed. So it went
on for six months-a series of endeavors
and defeats.
One day Dolly came to the office and
finding George absent we spoke of her
trials and tribulations proceeding from
his one bad habit. 1t was almost with
tears in her eyes that Dolly recounted
the many attempts she had made to
have him reform. Now to console her,
and in sheer desperation, 1 proposed a
plan, thought of on the moment, and
which, knowing George pretty thor
oughly, | hoped might work My propo-
sition to Dolly was that she reverse her
former tactics and, instead of fiattering
him in the belief that he could accom-
plish whatever he had set his mind to
do, to allow him to accidentally over
hear her remark that men were by far
the weaker sex, and that their much
Wanted will-power was mere delu-
sion; that She had repeatedly seen it
tried and found wanting.
She strongly protested against such
an imposition being practiced on ''poor
George" and it took me fully half an
hour to overcome her scruples. This
finally succeeded in doing, and the lit
tie woman went away planning the
ambush into which the poor man was
to be decoyed, While your humble serv-
ant turned again to his work with a
sigh for his friend at having such a
wifes and two for himself for not hay
ing one.
George left our Office that week, and
] saw neither Dolly nor him for over a
year. When at length we met once
more it was at the railroad depot; and
after the old-tirne custom held out a
handful of Havanas. Smoker
"No!' "No?" "Nor'
Refusal, question and reiterated re-
fusal took exactly three seconds. had
to have. an explanation of this, and as
we took our seats in the carl asked him
If he was again trying to- swear off and
at the same time praying the Lord that
he mightn't.
mo, old man, it is sure thing this
time, l haven't drawn whiff since last
September, and its ten months ago this
week. You remember the bluffs used
to make at it, for you struck the nail
on the head a moment ago. Well l
must tell you how made up nv mind
to break off for good. One afternoon
went home unexpectedly and found
Dolly had a five o'clock tea with a half
dozen of her lady friends. They were
talking about men, and of course didn't
know that one of the odious creatures
was listening. My Dolly, my own,
sweet little wife, actually spoke out
and said she didn't believe men had
any will power, anyway-tha she, her.
self, had only been married a short
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