Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-10-28
Fltsl cigar.

The time had come in our
boyhood which we thought de-
demanded of us capacity 10
smoke. The old people could abide
neither the sight nor the smell OF
the Virginia weed, When miniaters
came there, not By positive injunc-
ton, but by sort Of instinct as to
what would be safest, they whiffed
their pipe on the back step. If the
house could not stand sanctified
smoke, you may know how little
chance there was for adolescent
cigar-puffing.
BY some rare good fortune, which
put in our hands three cents, we
found access to atobacco store. AS
the lid of the long, narrow, fragrant
box opened, and for the first time we
owned a cigar, our feeling Of elation,
manliness, superiority and anticipa-
tion can scarcely be imagined, save by
those who have had the same sensa-
ton. Our first ride on horseback,
though we fell off before we got to
the barn, and our first pair Of new
boots Geal squeakers), we had
thought could never be surpassed in
interest; but when we put the cigar
to our lips and stuck the lucifer
match to the end of the weed, and
commenced to pull with an energy
that brought every facial muscle to
its utmost tension, our satisfaction
with this world was 80 great our
temptation was never to want to
leave it.
The cigar did not burn we'll; it
required an amount of suction that
tasked our determinati N to the ut
most. You see that our worldly
means had limited us to a quality
that cost only three cents. But we
had been taught that nothing great
was accomplished without effort,
and so we puffed away. Indeed, we
had heard our older brothers in their
Latin lessons say, omnia vincet labor;
which translated means, if you want
to make anything go, you must
scratch for it.
With these sentiments, we passed
down the village street and out
toward our country home. Our head
did not feel exactly right, and the
street began to rock from side 10 side,
80 that it was uncertain to us which
side of the street we were on. So
we crossed over, but found ourself on
the same side that we were on before
we crossed over. Indeed, we imagin, d
that we were on both sides at the
same time, and several fast teams
driving between. We met another
boy, who asked us why we looked so
pale, and we told him we did not
look pale, but that he was pale
himself.
We sat down under the bridge
and began to reflect on the prospect
of early decease, and on the un
certainty of all earthly expectations.
We had determined TO smoke the
cigar all up and thus get the worth
of our money, but were obliged to
throw three e-fourths of it away, yet
knew just where we threw it in case
we felt better the next day.
Getting home, the old people were
frightened, and demanded that we
state what Kept us 80 late, and what
was the matter with US. Not feeling
that we were called to go into par
ticulars, and not wishing to increase
our parents apprehension that we
were going to turn out badly, we
summed up the case with the state
ment that we felt miserable at the pit
of the stomach. We had mustard plas-
sters administered, and careful watch
ing for some hours, when we fell
asleep and forgot our disappointment
and humiliation in being obliged to
throw away three fourths of our first
cigar. Being naturally reticent, we
have never mentioned it until this
time.-Rev. II. Dewitt Talmage.