186/3 The Puritan Conscience 



early acquired a dislike for theological discussion, be- 

 lieving that it dealt mostly with unrealities negligible 

 in the conduct of life. Consequently I never had to 

 pass through a painful transition while acquiring the 

 broader outlook of science and literature. 



But both my parents had the Puritan conscience 

 and were very rigid as to personal conduct, depre- 

 cating all forms of idleness and dissipation generally. 

 We children naturally developed a similar attitude, 

 I suppose because we were " built that way." 



The fact that other boys were doing any particular Personal 

 thing had not the slightest influence with me. My morals 

 father, as I have said, and my brother Rufus also, 

 did not smoke or use alcohol in any form. I myself 

 never even once tried to smoke. My only lapse in 

 this regard was in taking a single whiff of the Pipe 

 of Peace or Calumet passed from the senior to the 

 junior class at Cornell in 1872. Many years ago I 

 formulated my views on smoking as "Three Counts 

 against Tobacco": 



First, nicotine, the essential content of tobacco, counts 

 is a deadly poison, acting in small quantities against 

 as a nerve irritant under the guise of a sedative. Any tobacco 

 drug, however, which affects the nerves tends to put 

 them out of order, thus deranging the most delicate 

 of all machinery. Second, nicotine retards the 

 development of the growing boy, and weakens 

 virility. Third, the tobacco habit begets a lack of 

 consideration for the rights of others, pollutes the 

 air, and causes much discomfort to those not hardened 

 to it. Furthermore, to be hardened is not a sign of 

 strength, but rather an indication of loss of sensi- 

 tiveness on the part of nerves which should be 

 delicately alert. The advice given by Professor 



