One morning when I took my leave from home on my regular trip and had smoked two cigars, the silent messenger came to me: "Stop smoking;" and then error asserted itself and said, "There is no harm in smoking, and you take pleasure in it, and why not allow yourself this one pleasure?" Then the thought came: "Keep count how many cigars you smoke to-day," and as I had smoked two I put into my left vest pocket ten cents, and every cigar I smoked I put into my vest pocket five cents; at the time of retiring I had just seventy-five cents, which represented fifteen cigars. "When I got up in the morning a silent voice said, "Don't smoke." I obeyed. Many times error said, "Smoke, there is no harm in it," but Truth said, "Don't," and I obeyed. This continued for five days, a battle between Truth and error, but by always obeying the voice of Truth I was completely healed, and error gave up and Truth was triumphant.
I say healed, for in my case it was a disease, and a very bad one, as I had used tobacco for thirty-two years, and it had such a hold on me I did not wish to retire at night, for*I wanted to smoke, and the first thing in the morning was smoke, and it required about four cigars before I was myself. Now my intellect is bright and not clouded as it was before I was healed of the habit; my appetite is good, I relish many things I never could eat before. I feel like a new man; I feel younger, and my friends say I am looking well, and I have never since I left off the use of tobacco had the least appetite for it any more than if I had never used it.
Some time ago I was at a railroad station awaiting the train to carry me to the next town. I was relating what Christian Science had done for me, and how effectually I was healed of the tobacco habit. Perhaps there were eight or ten gentlemen present; they appeared to be much interested. Some six or eight weeks from that time, while I was on one of my regular trips to that place, a gentleman came up to me and said, "Do you remember a short time ago you were giving a few gentlemen here at the depot your experience of Christian Science healing you of the tobacco habit?" I said, "Yes, sir." "Well," said he, "I was one of those who heard you, and I have never used tobacco since, and I have had no appetite for it since that day, for which I am very thankful, and I would like to know more of this Christian Science." I told him to get Science and Health and study it, and he would find what he was seeking for. He asked me where he could get it; I told him I would bring it to him; he said, "I wish you would." I did so. The seed is sown in good soil, and the harvest will yield a bountiful supply.
