116 TOBACCO. 



cigar; if 8 burden weighs heavily, he takes to his 

 cigar ; and thus, as occasions multiply, his smoking 

 is more frequent and prolonged, till at length it 

 becomes an imperious necessity, against which, 

 bitterly as he may regret it, he has no nerve to 

 contend. Or, perhaps, under some crushing blow, 

 he surrenders absolutely to the tyrant, and dies 

 its victim. 



Xow, why should he venture at all on this 

 enchanted ground? Besides, as the very atmos- 

 phere of the noxious weed is not only extremely 

 offensive, but positively injurious to many, and 

 moreover, since the example of the moderate user 

 is an incentive to the young to follow in his steps, 

 will not the broad law of divine charity lead him 

 to sacrifice the small and doubtful good, thereby 

 to save others from incalculable harm? 



A beautiful illustration of this law of charity 

 is the case of the well-known philanthropist, 

 S. V. S. Wilder, who was a snuff-taker. When 

 asked by a brandy-drinker, with whom he had 

 been expostulating on his habit, whether he 

 thought tobacco did him any good, Mr. Wilder 

 explained that he took snuff by the prescription 

 of his physician for feeble eyes. "Well, sir," 

 responded the gentleman, "your case is exactly 

 like mine. I have a feeble stomach, and have 

 long been compelled to take an occasional drop of 

 spirits for its relief and restoration." "Is it 

 possible," Mr. Wilder asked himself, fr that my 

 taking snuff should serve as a pretext for drunk- 



