304 



GLEANIKGS IK BEE CUJLTUEE. 



Junk 



one name in that. Then it came to me, as it has be- 

 fore, " Better tell how jyou stopped using' tobacco." 

 Really, I am not writing this for a smoker, but for 

 the glory of God. Yes, praise his name for what he 

 will do when we ask him ia simple faith. I com- 

 menced to use tobacco when a boy, nearly 30 years 

 ago; my health has been very poor far the past 3 

 years, and my physician toll me it was no use to 

 doctor, unless I would stop using tobacco. Says I, 

 " Doctor, I have such a tas.e formed, and the habit 

 is so old, that when I stop for one day I am so dizzy 

 that I stagger and reel like a drunkard. I have tried, 

 time after time, yes, very many times, and shed 

 tears over it, used thoroughwort in its place for 

 some time, yet with no success. 1 "hankered" after 

 it more than for my meals, or any thing. None but 

 one who has had the experience can have any idea 

 how much I suffered. Last August I went to one of 

 these noisy (bless God) Free Methodist camp-meet- 

 ings, where the minister said, " We do not run this 

 meeting with whisky nor tobacno." After preach- 

 ing, all who wanted religion, and all who wanted 

 more religion, were invited to come forward to the 

 altar. The Spirit of God that was sent into the 

 world to convince men of sin, righteousness, and 

 judgment to come, said to me, " Thou art the 

 MAN." Pride said, " You! an old professor, belong- 

 ing to a church of another denomination for 20 

 years? yes, and here are lots of them besides, and 

 some who have been in j-our B ble-class. You will 

 make a pretty show! A nice representative from 

 our church;" yet the Spirit said, "You are a sin- 

 ner; go fDnvarcl." And I started (praise God, I feel 

 the Are welling up now). When I got to the altar, 

 the first thing I said, and that just as soon as I got 

 there, was, " Lord, take away all desire and appetite 

 for tobacco, for I have done the best that 1 can to 

 stop;" and in that very moment I was cured. It 

 was my extremitJ^ Bless the Lord, I haven't want- 

 ed it yet, neither did I feel any of the former effects; 

 for when I stopped, no dizziness nor any bad eflfects 

 followed. My wife asked mo the next day if stop- 

 ping would not make me sick. No, it did not, and it 

 never has since. Wm. H. Balch. 



Oran, N. Y., April, 1883. 



I presume, friend B., you must have had a 

 journa], a part of which was carelessly omit- 

 ted ; but if such accidents always broua^ht 

 letters like the one you have given us, I do 

 not know that I should feel so very badly 

 about it. When a revival brings us a relig- 

 ion that makes men give n\) their sins and 

 bad habits, the world, with almost one ac- 

 cord, decides it comes from God. When 

 noisy meetings will lift us up to as good a 

 purpose as they lifted you out of your bond- 

 age and slavery, by all means let us have 

 the noise. I feel like grasping your hand, 

 and saying, "Bless God" too, brother B. 



If j'ou will make me a present of a smoker, I will 

 promise you faithfully that I will stop using tobacco 

 hn- ever. I am not able to buy one, for I have been 

 saving up for a long time to get money enough to 

 buy those things. J. M. Conningham. 



Uniontown, Pa., March 20, 1883. 



Why, friend C, it don't seem as if you had 

 been saving at a very lively rate, or you 

 would have cut off the tobacco ere this. 

 Well, now, you will kill two birds — get a 

 smoker, and save your money too. 



Send me one smoker, for which I will pay you 

 when I resume the use of tobacco, if not before. I 

 have used the weed 35 years, except about 5 years 

 during that time; and for the last six weeks, your 

 writings have caused me leave it off, and I hope 

 many others will be led by you to leave it off, for it 

 is injurious to the human race; and may the Lord 

 help them to quit it. A. AV. Matthews. 



Pott's Station, Ark , April 18, 1883. 



Amen to your closing remarks, friend M.; 

 and if I get poor in furnishing smokers, I 

 can feel that it was in a good cause. 



I saw in one of your Gleanings that if any one 

 would quit smoking tobacco, you would send them 

 a smoker; so, away goes the pipe and the tobacco; 

 and if I turn to the habit again, I will pay for the 

 smoker. E. A. Mumford. 



Annawan, Henry Co., Ill , April 31, 1883. 



All right, friend M. ; and may God help 

 you to hold out ! 



I sec you have a tobacco corner. May I give the 

 experience of one who began its use at 11 years of 

 age, and left off at 05 years— not in my own strength, 

 for I had tried several times, but always got back 

 again; but in the strength of Jesus it was dropped 

 from me like an old garment. Now don't put this 

 into your Tobacco Column. I may give my experi- 

 ence ill meeting some time, but not now. J. L. L. 



But, friend Ji., we can't well excuse you, 

 for your experience has something in it that 

 I know will be helpful ; and, even if you do 

 " speak in meeting " S( me other time, we 

 want this from you now. Our evil habits 

 should drop olf from us like an old garment, 

 when we commence in real true earnest to 

 follow the Master. 



Please let me in the tobaeeo class. I am a young 

 man; began 3 years ago to use cigars as a kind of 

 way ot putting on style. The appetite thus created 

 led to the use of the pipe. 1 have made up my mind 

 to appli' for the smoker, and bid adieu to the whole 

 tobacco business. I have, in parinership with my 

 father, GO stands of bees. We wintered in a pit in a 

 sandbank; lost none. Bees all wintered well in this 

 section. Had a very mild winter. 



McE. Stewart. 



Orion, Kichland Co., Wis., April 5, 1883. 



There you have it, boys. AVhen a young 

 man commences to smoke, he does it because 

 he wants to put on style. Friend S., we re- 

 joice that you have had tlie manliness to 

 come out and own up your fault. We pray 

 that God may help you to have a higher mo- 

 tive in living. 



Please send me Clarn's smoker. 1 will never use 

 tobacco again. I will pay for 20 if 1 do. I will pay 

 the postage at Louisville. John B. Cox. 



Louisville, T.'nn., Feb. 34, 1883. 



May the Lord help you, friend Cox, just as 

 he helped friend Balch, in the other letter; 

 and be assured he will, if you tiust him, and 

 fight it through as he did. 



I had been a great slave to tobacco for 23 years, 

 but I have not touched it since the 15th of Decem- 

 ber, 1881; and by the help of God I will let it alone. 

 Johnson Wilson. 



Rockwood, 111., April 13, 1883. 



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