Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1904-05-18
a Parable on Tobacco.

be likened unto grain of tobacc,
seed. which, though exceed,ngl,
small, being cast into the earth,
grew exceedingly and became a grea,
plant, and spread forth it's leaves
rank and broad, so that the large
and vile worms, with horns on their
tails, came and formed habitation
thereon, and did crawl all over and
leave their slime and filth thereupon.
And 1t came to pass in those ,'ays
that the sons of men did look upon
this rank and filthy plant, and were
very much enamoured herewith and
did think it was beautiful to behold.
and plant to be very much desired
TO make lads big and manly. And
1t farther came to pass that men.
claiming to, be nice men, did put
torth their hands and pulled the heads
on these filthy looking worms, and
LETT their bodies still sticking on the
tobacco leaf, so that the leaf might
be made rich 10y the juice thereof,
ana having cut these filthy plants
and smoked them, even with an ex.
ceedingly great smoke, and cured
and stripped and wrought the leaves
into curious shapes and forms, and
the sons of men gave gold and silver
for 1t, and did chew thereof. And
some that chewed thereof il made
sick at their stomach, and others il
made their heads to ache, and still
others to vomit most tiIthily; but for
all this they continued to chew there
OF and 1t came to pass that those
who continued to chew became OK.
ceedingly unmanly, and exclaimed ::
We are enslaved, and cannot cease
from chewing.
And the mouths of all who were
enslaved became exceedingly filthy
ana foul, insomuch as they were
seized with violent splitting; and
they did spit even In ladies' parlors,
and on their floors and carpets; and
being wholly abandoned to the plant,
they even invaded the sacred pre-
clncts OF the house of the Lord; and
there with prayers on their lips and
tobacco in their mouths, they sang
and prayed, and preached, and
chewed, and spattered the filthy
juice on the floor of the Lords house.
and under the pews, and against the
walls, and in the pulpit, and did
drop quids of tobacco all over the
floor of the Most High God, and
would return home and say: owe
have worshipped God today"
And in course of time it came to
pass that this rank and filthy plant
was ground into dust, even the
stalks and stems and filth thereof
and was called snuff. And IT came
to pass that ladies did make unto
themselves brushes and mops, and
dipped the same into tho filth called
snuff, and did put these filthy mops
INTO their mouths, and rub and scrub
nightly, and spit and snecze, and
called the same dipping.
And again it came to pass that
the leaVes were cunnlngly wrought
into little round rolls called cigars,
and the sons of men did set fire TO
one end thereof, and put TIE other
end into their mouths and suck
yea, even as calves suck
and did look very grave and calf
Ike and the smoke of their torment
assembled forever and forever.
And the cultivation Of the plant
became a mighty business on the
earth, and merchants IN 4 speculltors
waxed ricn thereby. But some Of
the sons Of men were not pleased
with such conduct, but the chewers
cared not for these things, aud con
tlnued to chew and spit where they
listed. Aud still tie folly continued.