Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-05-10
A HINDO0'S CLEVER TIP.
Shows Value of Mental Suggestion
in SWearinS Off.

h ONNuiuuS VII.
Do you wish to stop smoking or even
drinking? Have you tried and failed?
Don't despair; it is the easiest thing in
the world to give up the weed, or any
bad habit for that matter. Will power
has nothing whatever to do with it: it
is mistake people make. They try to
cure themselves of bad habits by will
power, but they can never succeed in
that way. All you need is a little men
tai suggestion.
A fewyears ago avery talented young
man was going to pieces because of his
insane desire for whisky. He realized
his condition, did everything he could
to stop, but to no purpose. Friends
deserted him; his talents served him no
longer, and the street seemed to be his
only refuge. One day he found himself
IN Boston, after a stolen ride on a
freight, and, while wandering aimlessly
through the streets, an amiable old man
stopped and talked to him. The old
gentleman had seen at a glance that
ability and refinement, but on whom
the strong hand of drink had taken hold
so tightly that wreck and ruin were
upon him. The old man learned every
thing of the young mans desire to stop
drinking and his utter lack of power to
do so. He said to him:
Don't be discouraged. IN take YOU
to man right now, Hindoo philoso-
pher, who will tell you how to cure the
drink habit without difficulty and m
very short time.
They were ushered into a room, where
the Hindoo, tall, dignified man a little
past middle age, met them. He was
man who believed that clean habits
brought the most happiness and that
mental suggestion was great aid in
bringing about such a condition.
Young man, you have exhausted
your viii power, said the Hindoo, after
hearing his story. What you need is a
little mental suggestion and you will be
new man in a short time. You can
apply such suggestion yourself. Let
me tell you how! Now, keep right on
drinking, but whenever you are about
to swallow glass of whisky think of
something nasty, disgusting, and dis
agreeable in connection with drink. You
see, bad habit is usually based on the
false principle that you are getting en-
joyment out of it. Now, the next drink
you take, just think of something very
unpleasant in connection with it. Think,
If you will, of the starving mother and
children waiting at home for the drunken
husband; think of what a disgusting
thing a drunken man is to the person
who is sober. Think of yourself, of
what your end will be if you continue.
Think of what you might be if you let
the liquor alone. Just do these simple
things, and in a very short time you
will have no more taste for liquor. Use
no will power whatever. 1t isn't neces-
sary, and it will do you no good"
Such simple advice at first made the
young man laugh, but the earnestness
of the Hindoo and his new-found elderly
friend impressed him. Itwas so simple
andit cost nothing to try He would do it.
That night he earned dollar doing
an odd job for a saloon-keeper, and he
proceeded at once to spend the money
at the bar. With his first drink of
whisky he thought of the degradation
of drink, the poverty, the wretchedness.
and the vice which accompany it. He
kept on drinking with the same mental
pictures before him. Still he drank
until he was too drunk to stand and
was kicked out of the place, only to be
arrested and put in a cell.
He was discharged, and again sought
the saloon. Those ''drink pictures
were still with him. He persuaded the
bartender to give him drink of whisky,
promising to sweep the floor or do any
little job for him. Strange to say, he
felt disgust for that whisky, but he
drank it down, anyhow.
Later in the day he again went into
saloon to get another drink. He filed
the glass, put it to his lips, but could
not drink it. 1t seemed like a miracle.
but it was nevertheless a fact. From
that day on that man has never touched
drop of liquor, and he stands today
high in his profession, honored, and
reyered by all who know him."
"Well," said the newspaper man,
when heard this story thought l
would try it and apply it to my smoking
habit. Really / did not think very
seriously about it, but my curiosity was
aroused and I wanted to see what there
was in it anyhow.
$50 every time lit cigar thought