The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-28
SOME swEAR-oFF STORIES.
The Moral of Which Is That While
Many Swear OF but Few Stick.


Many Swear OF but Few stick.
From the Mobile Daily Register.
st once swore off smoking" said the
Club man. "That was when 1 was younge
and did not know myself. I swore off with
a friend, and the penalty was a suit of
clothes 10 cost $50. The condition was
that we were not to smoke in town. When
travelling or hunting fishing-out of
town, in fact-we would be allowed to
smoke The scheme worked well for some
time; then l began to want to smoke.
batt.ed with desire for several weeks each
day of the period becoming a harder trial
than the preceding. At last, when the
longing became too great, I went to see
my partner in misery to tell him that we
had better call the contract off as 1 could
not stand it. He was not at home. He
had gone out of town a week before and
would be absent another week. Then l
broke down. The thought of the party
of the second part smoking himself blue in
the face while what l suffered was unbear-
able. So with the fine of $50 staring me
in the face, l bought a cigar and smoked
it. 1t was worth $50, l thought But /
did not die for a lamb only; l smoked
vast quantity of cigars before he came
home. Then l went to him and told him
to go order the suit, that / had broken
the contract. He smiled quietly, as if to
himself and then said AN right, old
fellow but do not be disturbed about the
suit. kept the contract just three days"
Another man said: There were two men
in this town who swore off, the breaker OF
the contract to pay the other for $40 hat
Finally one of them weakened. saying to
himself he did not mind giving $40 for
smoke. When he meditated over the mat
ter, however. he thought out q scheme TO
save himself on the hat. He went to the
hatter's and bought a $40 hat and had II
charged to the other fellow. Then he call
ed on the other fellow, and, pointing to
the hat, said: See that hat, old boy? It
is one l have just had charged to Won
on that swear-off contract. The other fell
low cried out: How in the dickens did
you find out had been smoking?' Never
mind said the other, "A little bird told
me- e."
well, I swore off," said another club
man, land to make the matter memorable
I handed dozen fine Havana cigars to a
friend, telling him to smoke them. as
had sworn off l was like the man who
found the first day pretty bad the second
horrible and the third no trouble at all.
because he began again to smoke. About
the third day my resolution died out and
then l thought of the fine Havanas. 1
met my friend. Where are those twelve
cigars ! loaned you? l asked. Here he
said: / knew you would want them
again And he took one for deposit
charges. l smoked the rest"
Il swore off once" said another club
man, land II was just as easy as anything
you ever heard of. l did 1t by logic |
found I was smoking one cigar after an
other and never getting enough. so I said
to myself that If I had to deprive myself
at some time | might well begin with
the first as with the steenth cigar Thus
I convinced myself I would have no
greater difficulty than in refusing the
steenth cigar, and such proved to be the
case. l had not the slightest longing for
tobacco after had made up my mind that
I had quit. kept box of cigars on the
mantel. for I said I might want to smoke.
and l did not intend to treat myself as
one whom 1 had no confidence.
Now mark what happened. About a
month after l had stopped smoking ] be-
gan to have periodical indigestion, follow
ed by cramps, which came on at a GER
tain hour of the evening of each day and
grew worse and worse until they were
quite serious. | tried all kinds of diet.
and even starved myself but without re-
lief. At last, on the night of a strikers
ball, was actually unable 10 go out. al
d LnOuBn udu uldut d great eHOfl ana sue
ceeded in dressing for the entertainment.
/ lay in bed and groaned for several
hours. The next day was New Years
and Of course there was a holiday dinner
at my house Said J. I have dieted and
starved myself and Il is doing no good.
will eat one good square meal and then
die So ] sat at the table and ate every
thing in sight-made regular feast of It.
Then. as l was booked for the grave. or
thought / was, said would make com
plete Job Of it and smoke a cigar. / did
not feel the want Of a cigar The taste
had not plagued me In the slightest all