Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-03-21
MR.. BOWSER SWEARs OFF.
Not a Difficult Task to Quit the Ex-
pensive Habit of Smoking His
Strength of Character.
From the New York Advertiser.

Strength of Character.
From the New York Advertiser.
"Mrs. Bowser,n began Mr.. Bowser
the other evening as he hid aside his
paper, shave you missed anything in
particular to-night?"
"You haven't smoked since dinner,
and | was wondering if you didn't feel
well," she replied.
"No. | have not smoked since dim
ner, and | shall never smoke another
cigar. l have been figuring. Mrs.
Bowser-I have not only been figur-
ing, but I have been to a doctor and
had a long talk and learned I'M
thing new"
"You are not going to give up
smoking again? You know how it
always affects you when you try to
stop"
81 know nothing about it," he
stiffiy replied. 81 have never tried
to give up smoking. If l had deter
mined to abandon the habit | should
have done So"
"But on twenty different occasions
you you"
"Never mind whaU have tried to do
on twenty different occasions, Mrs.
Bowser!" he interrupted, with a wave
of his hand. GAS / said before, | have
been figuring. My cigar bill will
average So per week"
"But you enjoy smoking"
''That has nothing to do with the
matter. Three dollars per week is
S156 per year. In the curse of ten
years l throw away about 81 1000. If
| smoke for forty years, which is
quite probable, l have burned up the
sum of 8 1000. Not only that, but 1
have meanwhile paid the doctors at
least $1,000 to cure ills arising from
the habit. There you have it, Mrs.
Bowser-1O,0Oo big dollars gone up in
smoke!"
!1But you take such comfort in
smoking" she persisted.
"What if l do?" he replied. "No
man has a moral right to throw away
s10,O o Smoking is a vice-a habit.
No man who is a nan should let a
habit make an idiot of him. l had a
long talk with the doctor, and he told
me that smoking begot about forty
different ailments of the human sys-
tenn. 1t also shortens human life by
from five to ten years. My mind is
fully made up"
"And you will quit smoking?"
81 will quit"
"But can you?n
"Mrs. Bowser," he said as he arose
and stood before her, with his thumbs
in the armholes of his vest. 81 am a
determined man. There is no such
word as can't in my vocabulary. l
shall quit smoking. have quit. The
| SO which / have heretofore wasted,
| and worse than wasted, will hereafter
be handed to you every Saturday. 1t
will buy your hats, hosiery and gloves.
For the last fifteen years have been
an idiot. I am an idiot no longer"
81 wouldn't try to break off all at
once" she replied as he promenaded
around the room.
"That's where my strength of char
acter will come in, Mrs. Bowser. No
man car break off a habit by degrees.
l have put my foot down, and there it
will stay. 1 will conquer or die, and
don't expect to die. AS l had neg
lected to state, the doctor gave me
something to take three times a day
to remove the desire to smoke. l
will now take the first dose. Have
the girl bring me up a little water in
a glass"
"You-you won't blame me-"
queried Mrs. Bowser as she pressed
the button.
"Blame fiddlesticks! That's Il nice
way to encourage a husband to pre-
serve his health and save money! How
can l blame you? contract the
habit of smoking ten cigars a day. !
am a fool. make up my mind to
smoke no more. | get over being a
fool. What is there to blame you
about2n
"But every time you have tried it
before you have"
"Never tried it before-never, ]
am now trying for the first and last
time. Here goes for the dose. A-h-h!
That instantly quits the craving for
the weed! Ten thousand dollars saved
and ten years added to my life!"
Mrs. Bowser had no word of en-
enlargement. She had been through
the mill about twenty times, and the
result had always been the same. Mr.
Bowser sat down again and tried to
read, got up and wandered around the
house, was moody and taciturn for the
next two hours and when ready fol-
bed complained of cramps and dizzi-
ness. He dropped to sleep soon aftel
tumbling into bed, however, and i
was midnight before his doleful sigh
and groans aroused Mrs. Bowser. Shit
lay quiet and let him go on, and wa
not at all surprised when he finally
crept carefully out of bed, fumblet
around in a drawer of his dresser for
cigar, and having lighted the weed sa'
down by an open window and puffet
and grunted in his enjoyment.
'Mr. Bowser," she suddenly brok,
in on him, you are a desperate man!
He gave a sudden start, but sanl
back in hopes she was talking in hel
sleep.
"You will conquer or die. For IF
teen years you have been an idiot"
He vas fairly caught, and for a min
ute he made no reply. Then he sud
denly remembered that there was
loophole for escape, and he walked
over I o the bed and lowered above ne
and said:
woman, were you silly enough Il
believe | did't see through your per
fidious scheme7"
What perfdious scheme?"
Never you mind. 1t was as cleai
q, ,pa as TayVfuhf and wouEd hay.