MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VIEW. 187 



An eminent divine relates that at one time when 

 walking the streets of the city where he resided, 

 with a cigar in his mouth, he met an infidel ac- 

 quaintance who burst into laughter. On being 

 challenged as to the cause of his merriment, he 

 replied ; — " Oh, I was thinking how you would 

 look going up to meet the Lord amid wreaths of 

 tobacco-smoke, and with that cigar in your mouth." 

 Neither the infidel nor anyone else ever again saw 

 a cigar in that man's mouth. It was a case of in- 

 stant conversion. 



To show to what grievous indecorums even a min- 

 ister who is in bondage to tobacco may be driven, 

 one or two instances are related. 



At the close of a revival meeting in some town 

 in Illinois, the preacher who was conducting it 

 made the following appeal : " As I am a great lover 

 of tobacco, I would be very thankful if some kind 

 friend in this audience would present me with 

 twenty-five cents or a half dollar that I may supply 

 my wants in this direction." Had tobacco killed 

 his religion, and his common sense as well? 



A negro preacher in Richmond, Va., thus 

 sets forth his view of heaven : " My brethern and 

 my sistern, you ain't a gwine to have to pay no 

 ten cents a plug for tobacco there, you kin get 

 jist as much pure Golden Leaf as you wants, and 

 a little more ; and you kin chaw and chaw and 

 chaw all day long, and it won't cost you a cent." 

 " Not a cent ! " came exultantly from all parts of 

 the little church. 



