Evening journal., 1893-04-14
II IS EASY TO QUIZ SMOKING.
An Engiishman's Interesting and Instruct
i've TNperioncc.


i've Experience.
What like about the habit Of smoking
is the ease with which it IS abandoned.
Many vices. such as opium eating, whisky
drinking, lying or reading newspapers, once
acquired, obtain a certain hold on man
that is difficult to shake of Not so with
smoking. The most inveterate smoker can
quit it without the slightest trouble and
does-often. have been in the habit Of
ceasing to smoke about once every three
months, and always swear Off on New
Years day / think the smoker who does
not occasionally resolve never again 70
touch tobacco lacks some of those noble
qualities which have made our nation SO
bright and good and causes us TO be the
envy Of foreigners.
This commendabie resolution should be
made frequently, and with constant prac-
tice the abiuring of tobacco becomes an
easy and pleasant exercise Of the will.
Neither is the resumption of smoking at
tended by any serious difficulty. | have
often quit smoking forever in the forenoon
and begun again in the afternoon without
experiencing the slightest Inconvenience.
| Once / deserted tobacco for a week. wish
/ could record for the satisfaction Of those
who purpose a like desertion the effect the
absence of the narcotic had on me, but the
fact is / did not feel well that week and so
neglected to notice whether l suffered from
the abstinence or not.
| My impression is that did not, but then
| was hardly myself that week, and it was
scarcely a fals test / wandered aimlessly
about like lost spirit l constantly felt
my pockets In an absentminded way and
lit matches merely TO blow them out again.
These unexplainable symptoms disappear
ed when / took on" tobacco again, and so
/ am forced to the conclusion that smok-
ing is good for the health.
To enjoy tobacco thoroughly you must be
moderate in its use. Put a limit on your
self and see that you don't exceed that linn
il. This exercises the will and makes a res
olute man Of you. / never allow myself to
exceed the limit, no matter how strongly
tempted may be. If find myself yearn-
ing to smoke more than my allowance,
merely raise the limit,n which phrase is, ]
am told, also used in the wicked but fas-
cinating game of poker. This is a simple
and easy thing to do. Say your limit is
ounces of tobacco a day, and you find by
constant experiment that duty impels you
to use % ounces, then raise the limit to
ounces, which leaves margin for accidents
Every man, patriotic man, has his re
sponsibilities TO his country. and If every
body suddenly stopped smoking and drink
ing what would become Of the revenuei
Looking at the matter, then, from the lofty
standpoint Of love of country, every mar
should fix his limit as high as his conscienc'
will let him. i place my limit at l35 ciga
rettes day, and never exceed It. l have
however been gradually compelled to raisl
the limit from the simple box Of 10, a
which l began, to the number just men
toned, as l acquired greater and create
facility in the use of the cigarette.
This shows what may be done by constan
practice and assiduous attention to the tasl
undertaken. ! set down these simple fact
with no desire to boast It is not genius o.
my part at all, but simply dogged persevel
ence. Any ablebodied man may accom-
plish the same degree of moderate perfes
: tion merely by putting his mind to it.
| Robert Barr in Idler