830 



Cil.EANlNCJS IN J5EE CULTUUE. 



Xov. 



5f0B^cc0 C0ii«W. 



ONK WHO HAS USED TOBACCO FORTY YEAKS; HIS 

 IMIMiOVEMENT SINCE HE QUIT TWO YEARS AGO. 



fRlBNDKOOT:— In September 1st Gleanings 

 you ask to hear from those who have aban- 

 doned the use of tobacco, after lia\'ins' quit 

 — their condition physically, morally, and 

 financially. Perhaps yon remember that I 

 said to you J had been a slave to tobacco for more 

 than fifty years. 1 do not know liow old I was 

 when 1 began chewinj.'-, but perliaps not more tlian 

 Hvc or six years old. I know it was when I was 

 considered too young' to g'o to school, for my first 

 teacher tried to hire me to (|uit, and gave me a sil- 

 ver dollar. 



1 have read Gleanings most of the time since 

 lS8".i. Your Home readings and Tobacco Column 

 always attracted my special attention. The more I 

 read, the more 1 was convinced that the use of to- 

 l)acco was useless, and morally wrong-, because it 

 was e.\pensive, troublesome, filthy, disgusting to 

 nice peojile, defiling- to the house of God, and had a 

 tendency to genei-ate many diseases. It is now a 

 few days over two years since 1 last tasted tobacco 

 in any form, Sept. 8, 1885. Had you seen me before 

 that date, and see me now, I opine you would not 

 hesitate to say that 1 am much better off physical- 

 ly. I weigh 15 to ail lbs. more, and have much bet- 

 ter health While using- tobacco, I was subject to 

 headache, hcartl)uri), piles, nervousness, and occa- 

 sionally vertiao, none of which trouble me now. 

 1 suppose my tobacco cost me, for forty years, 3 

 to 5 cts. per day, say 4 cts. average. This is for 

 chewing- and smoking. I used the pipe evenings 

 and mornings in winter; very seldom in summer. 

 Calculate 4 cts. for o65 days, $14.60. Multiply by 

 forty, and we have $.584— enough to buy a splendid 

 home in this country, for a one-horse man. 



Now, as to whether I am bettered morally or not, 

 1 will not pretend to say; but I will say that I try 

 often to induce others to quit; and within a few 

 weeks past I have heard one friend say, " 1 have 

 quit." A few days ago I heard from a lady friend 

 who has quit. This lady chewed e(iual to some 

 men, and made no secret of it. Her husband did 

 not use it, but furnished her what she wanted. I 

 talked to both these individuals on the subject, but 

 don't know in.\- talk had any thing to do with their 

 (juitting; but 1 am satisfied to know they have quit. 

 Another old man of my age. or older, has also quit, 

 but not through my influence, I suppose, for 1 do 

 not know that he has heard that I have quit. You 

 said in one of your Home talks, perhaps in 1884 or 

 '85, " It is an easy matter for any i)erson to be- 

 come a (Christian if he wants to be one " (this is the 

 substance); so 1 argue any one can (juit the use of 

 tobacco or whisky if lie ivantii to. 



Did I quit without an effort? i\o, sir, I didn't; 

 but I icfuited to quit, and by the help of the Lord 1 

 was determined to do it. Even now, after two 

 years, I dream of using tol)acco; and in my dreams, 

 so positive am I that I am chewing- tobacco that I 

 resolve there and then to pay Mr. Root for that 

 smoker. But chewing tobacco in dreams does not 

 obligate me to pay for the smoker, does it':' I told 

 you once you need not expect to get pay for that 

 smoker, and I here reiterate it. .1. .M. Hahius. 



Cedartown, Ga., Sept. 10, IssT. 



We thank you, friend H., for your very 

 valuable testimony, which I am sure will 

 strenpjthen and encourage otliers to mider- 

 take the task. And so, my good friend, you 

 are honest, even in your dreams. I think 

 there is a good point here. Shortly after my 

 conversion I used to dream of going back to 

 the old life ; and over and over again I 

 would wake up and thank God that it was 

 but a dream. Sometimes in my dreams the 

 remoise because I felt I liad been led away 

 again by Satan was terrible. But these 

 dreams were the means of strengthening 

 me ; for the memory of how bad I felt made 

 me more earnest in saying to Satan, '' Xo, 

 no : I never want any thing, purchased at 

 sudi a price."' Well, by and by I dreamed 

 of getting down on my knees, and wrestling 

 in prayer that (Jod would deliver me from 

 Satan's wiles, and this ended it. Satan 

 seemed to have abjindoned persecuting me 

 in my dreams, when he found that even 

 there I was a praying man. " Behold, he 

 prayeth." 



Please -end my neighbor, W. B. Marshall, a smok- 

 er. He has quit using tobacco. If he commences 

 again I will see that you get pay for your smoker. 



Horatio, Ohio, Sept. lia, 1887. Noah Thomas. 



1 have (juit the use of tobacco, having used it 40 

 years out of 54. If I should use the weed anymore 

 I will send you the money for the smoker you send. 



Sharon, Wash. T. Grant S. Roderick. 



A friend of mine, Mr. J. J. Hughes, has quit the 

 use of tobacco. Please send him a smoker. If he; 

 ever uses if again I will pay you for the smoker. 

 W. H. Cottingham. 



Pleasant Valley Mills, Ky., Sept. :.'6, 1887. 



1 have quit the use of tobacco (smoking) for some 

 time, and so I for one claim a smoker. If I ever use it 

 again, I will pay promptly for smoker. 1 am on my 

 second year with (.lk-Vnings, and like it more and 

 more. Ge(j. W. Wal/,. 



Scranton City, Iowa, Sept. 3, 1887. 



I began the use of tobacco when about seven 

 years old, and was an almost constant user for 14 

 years till one year ago, when I gave it u|). If I am 

 entitled to a smoker, send me one; and if 1 ever use 

 tobacco again I will pay you for the smoker. 



Colgate, Wis., Aug. 2:2, 1887. A. L. Greengo. 



ONE WHO wishes to CONTRIBUTE TO THE SMOK- 

 ER FUND. 



Please find inclosed two dollars— one to renew my 

 subscription for Gleanings, the other to be credit- 

 ed to the smoker fund. 1 feel that you should have 

 some help in this good work that you are doing. 

 When you ttrst made the offer of a smoker to any 

 one who would (jUit the use of tobacco, I was one 

 among the first to claim one, and 1 have never 

 t(juched the weed since; but now I feel that, in- 

 stead of being paid to give up such a filthy habit, 

 the pay should come the other way. I fully realize 

 the great good that you are doing. May God bless 

 you, and may assistance come from all directions 

 to help carry it on. M. G. Conden. 



Clinton, Mo., Sept. 14, 18S7. 



