MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VIEW. 205 



gross, who, from having been a man of force and 

 fearlessness, became, to use his own words, w Sick 

 all over, and timid as a girl." Though he had long 

 been a practising lawyer, he had not nerve enough 

 to present a petition to Congress, and still less to 

 say a word concerning it. Indeed, he grew to be 

 such a coward that he was afraid to be alone at 

 night. 



Tobacco-fetters ! oh, it makes one's heart ache 

 to witness the vain stru^oles to break them ! I 

 have known a young man of line natural instincts, 

 under a strong pressure, resolve over and over 

 again to burst his chains. It was pitiful to note his 

 struggles and his falls, with his keen self-abase- 

 ment at his repeated failures, till finally, in a sort 

 of moody despair, he gave up the attempt. 



A deacon, on his death-bed, exclaimed: "I 

 thank God that, as my last sickness has come, I 

 shall be rid of this hankering for tobacco." 



M You are wasting away under it," pleaded one 

 minister with another. "Alas! my brother, it is 

 true ; but I cannot help it." " Would you take 

 that excuse from a sinner?" "I cannot answer 

 you. I cannot leave it off. It is out of the ques- 

 tion ; I cannot. I feel what you say ; but — " 

 The poor slave to this appalling appetite died soon 

 after. 



THE YOKE BROKEN. 



In contrast with this melancholy instance it is 

 cheering to read the experience of Dr. S. H. 

 Cox : — 



