Rev. Mr.——, now of Boston, formerly of a neighboring city, is a most excessive smoker and chewer, so much so that it was a matter of notoriety and remark among his congregation and acquaintances of his former residence. He was a very agreeable man in other respects, but his study, his library, and every thing about him were so completely saturated with tobacco smoke, that the ladies of his church rarely made him a call, and more rarely borrowed a book from his extensive and excellent library.—Is it not time for clergymen to reform themselves in this particular, and then consistently to set about reforming others.
I have recently learned that many ladies are in the habit of chewing snuff! Some of them become so addicted to it as to use enormous quantities in this way. "One of these snuff eaters," I was told, "was accustomed to take herself by the under lip with one hand, and with the thumb and four fingers of the other to fill in an embankment between her lips and teeth." Shocking! Yet, what young lady who carries a concealed snuff-box, can be sure of not coming to this?
I saw a woman who commenced with chewing snuff, and is now a regular tobacco chewer. She said however, that she intended to give up the habit and refrain from tobacco in all its forms.
Unless something is done to check the evil, who can say that we shall not become as bad as the inhabitants of Cuba, where, according to Rev. Mr. Ingersoll, "not only men, but women and children smoke, and some at a large expense." And according to Rev. Dr. Abbot, "it was the common estimate that in Havana, there was an average consumption of ten thousand dollars worth of cigars in a day."
Boston, July, 1842.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
From the Rochester Observer.
"Fowler on the Evils of using Tobacco.—'A disquisition on the evils of using tobacco, and the necessity of an immediate and entire reform,' by Rev. Orin Fowler, of Fall River, Mass. This is a very valuable and instructive discourse. We have for two years or more been fully convinced that the use of tobacco, in its three common forms, ought immediately to be abandoned; but never were we so fully sensible of the alarming extent and tremendous ravages of this evil, as when we had read this production. We think no christian, who is willing to know and do his duty, can read this pamphlet, without saying on the spot, if he uses tobacco, (except it be judiciously prescribed by a physician.) the use of this poisonous, deleterious weed is a grievous sin, and I will abandon it immediately and forever.