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begin inhaling the smoke of your own pipe or cigar as a cigarette smoker does the smoke of his cigar ette, and you know what will be the result. But what of this inhaled smoke? Does it do any harm? Let us see: The most delicate tissues in the body are those of the air cells in the lungs. So delicate are they that the poisonous contents of the blood oozes through them by what the doctors call “osmosis.” Now, inhaling this smoke, what follows? In the first place, there is abnormal heat taken into the lungs, which, persistently being kept up, leads to thickening and congestion of these tissues, thus permitting easy transmission of the impurities of the blood and also the impurities of the atmos phere for blood building. This, you will easily see, will account, in part, for the peculiar, sallow look that the habitual cig arette smoker has. But not only is this true, the hot smoke, poison ed by arsenic and opium, with the oxygen of the air, oozes through those delicate membranes, and comes in contact with the blood. Not that portion that goes simply to the extremities, but that which also goes to the brain. The result is, that the man, who habitually smokes cigarettes, in post-mortem, shows brain tissue saturated with this damnable stuff. Character Destruction. Now, any man who knows anything about the science of which I am speaking, knows that the first effect of chronic arsenic and opium poisoning is the destruction of moral character. This is why every opium eater is known to be a liar. There is not a court of justice in the world that would take his testimony. There isn’t a doctor, who knows how to give bread 'pills, that does not know that this is true. The use, then, of these drugs in the way describ ed, accounts for the break-down of the moral cen ters of those who habitually use them. I maintain that the man is a simple idiot who cannot see through this entire process when he has been prop erly informed. It is not a criticism against tobac co; that might be entirely legitimate, but in this sense that is not the one to make; it is a criticism against a poison in the nature of the cigarette, brought about both in its contents and the method of its use, the latter being equally as important as the former. The Opinion of Experts. But let us see something of how the thinking part of the world is regarding this evil today. I refer to the evil of the cigarette. In the catalogue of one of the greatest business institutions of the day, a business college system that embraces more than twenty branch colleges throughout this country, there recently appeared this communication: “Os the many, many thousand students who have attended our colleges, we have never had one who proved to be an excessive cigarette smoker to make a success of his work. Even the progress of the mild cigarette smoker is retarded in proportion to the extent of its use. It seems it is impossible for them to retain, even while students, the knowledge they are supposed to acquire while in school. Those who smoke cigarettes and complete the course, sim ply drag through in a half asleep way. Another great disadvantage is, that many firms, under no consideration, employ a young man who smokes cigarettes to any extent.” Are not these words entitled to some weight? Should not the man who is at the head of a great institution like this, with thousands of students under him, know something about this matter? Could he have any earthly reason for mistaking facts? But he is not alone. I have talked with scores of college presidents and superintendents, and have not yet found one that did not say that he could spot every cigarette smoker in the college or school by the way he made his classes. The presi dent of one of the leading institutions in this state, said to me not long ago: “I have never known a habitual cigarette smoker make his degree in my school.” Everywhere today the brand is being put on the cigarette smoker. Great railroads all over this The Golden Age for October 11, 1906. right to smoke them during the hours of work, but when they are on the streets. Likewise, great business houses are taking the same stand. Why? Because they have seen that character is dethroned, and a man without charac ter is not wanted in any place but the brothel and hell. The Mathematics of the Cigarette. Listen, will you, to this closing word: I have recently been in conference with this cig arette demon. I have heard his pretense, and • his deception. Boldly he makes his brags that though I am not a mathematician, I can add to a man’s nervous troubles. I can’t work subtraction, yet I can subtract from a man’s physical, mental and moral energy. I can not multiply; I know not the multiplication table, yet I can multiply a man’s aches and pains. I can not work division. I know neither long nor short, but I can divide a man’s mental powers. Interest I know nothing about, but I can take a man’s interest from his work, from his home, from bis church. I know nothing of discount, how to bring it about, how to get at it I do not know, but I can discount a man’s chances for success in all the departments of his life. Unconscious Beauty. By Margaret A. Richard. Dimpled cheeks and wavy hair, Eyes that like twin-stars appear, Queen of beauties everywhere— Does she know' how fair she is? ♦ Lips that match the crimson rose Ere a flower full it blows; Skin that like the sea-shell glows— Does she know how fair she is? “Does she know?” Ah, I who dare Love her with a love as rare As her peerless self, declare She knows not how fair she is! ’Tis her sweet, unconscious grace Makes unique her winsomeness; She would have a rare charm less— Did she know how fair she is! Traveling Through the Storm. (A graphic account of a trip from Atlanta to New Orleans through the recent storm; from a per sonal letter by a lady passenger.) “New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 30, 1906.—When we left Atlanta Wednesday afternoon how confident we felt that our arrival here would be prompt, and what a contrast to this idea was the real trip! We got on splendidly, it is true, until we reached Mobile during the night, or rather the early morning of Thursday, and we were quite “on time” at that city, but there the storm began and it was merciful that the train succeeded in gaining many miles from there as the worst of the storm was felt at Mobile. We got as far as Scranton, Miss., but could go no further as the track was washed away for miles. We had to remain there until Friday afternoon and all kinds of rumors were afloat. At one time we heard it would take a month to repair the damage both before and be hind us, and in the meantime, of course, we would have to reside in Scranton! But we were fortunate to be there and to thus avoid the starvation that w’as feared, as we could and did get something to eat at Scranton. The hotel, however, was too far from the train for many to walk, so some meals 'were brought on board. The situation was most trying, but I can only thank God it was no worse. The principal thing that worried me was the knowl edge that I could get no message of my safety to my dear ones either in Atlanta or New Orleans; this was far worse than my own discomfort. Well, to make a very long story short, the railroad peo ple succeeded in getting us transportation to Biloxi and to that place we went on a barge drawn by two tugs. The trip lasted four and a half hours and L. declared he really enjoyed the sea trip! It was a most ludicrous sight to see all the passen gers from the crowded cars—79 in all—sitting among the baggage and taking just whatever places they could get; mine was on top of the immense mail bags with my back against a suit case. We reached Biloxi at 8:30 and after spending the night there left at 6:19 for New Orleans. I didn’t be lieve that we could make the trip, but I was agree ably surprised, for at the appointed time we were again “all aboard,” bound for the dear Crescent City. I cannot say I enjoyed a feeling of perfect security, for I trembled in every limb as the weighty train crossed the long bridge that had been nearly washed away by the storm. We seemed to creep along and I was so glad at this evidence of carefulness. All along the route the scenes of devastation were appalling—not a town escaped the ravages of the storm—one of the most terrible in the history of this locality. The accounts from Mobile are perfectly heart-rending and they in clude great loss of life. How lucky we were not to have been there! My heart is full of most grateful thinks to the Almighty for our safety, for we did reach New Orleans about 10:30 Satur day morning, just 52 hours after leaving Atlanta! Our reception there was a dramatic scene, as the anxiety for our safety had been very great. What an experience it all was, but I kept well and have not suffered at all from the long, dangerous jour ney.” The Beauty and Duty of Organized Charity. (Continued from page 2.) Often many cases of destitution were reported by school teachers, and these cases have been proven to be among the most deserving which the Associa tion reaches. Often little girls, not more than ten or twelve years old were kept at home in order to maintain entire families, and many sad facts are revealed through the agency of the school teacher who at once refers the cases to the Association for alleviation and investigation. The cause of practical education has no more useful agent than this great body of men and women who are work ing together for the common good. Judicious Charity. Just as civilizing as is the effect of judicious char ity, so degrading is the result from heedless giving, and most persons are in actual need of instruction on this point, ft is a temptation to relieve seem ing distress by carelessly dropping a coin into a street-beggar’s outstretched hand, but it is to avoid just such heedlessness that the N. Y. A. I. C. P. is constantly striving. The public is urged to give alms, it is true, but to do so through well directed mediums, and in thus giving, to be assured of act ual aid reaching truly needy cases—each case tnat can be mentioned on request, and the entire history of the use to which any individual offering is put, may be had on request. Charity in the South. Almost every Southern state has some such or ganized body for dispensing charity as the one mentioned which is doing this noble work in New York, but in many instances our methods are as primitive as our means are limited. In Georgia, however, the children of the poor have found a faithful friend in the person of the Rev. J. R. Gunn, General Manager of the Georgia Industrial Home, at Macon, Ga. For years Dr. Gunn has labor ed for the betterment of the people, and, especially, for the small children of today, who form the per sonnel of the great commonwealth of tomorrow. A similar philanthropist is Judge John C. Feris, of Tennessee, who has placed thousands of homeless little ones in good homes, and who has done much toward the founding, support ami improvement of the Tennessee Industrial Home, at Nashville, Tenn. Industrial education is the most advanced form of philanthropy which we know, and the South is rich in such evidences of her people’s 'efforts to give needed aid. We welcome all such signs of an advanced Chris tian spirit, and we give it support, encouragement and commendation now and for all time. 5