[Illustration:  “Became the associate of fast young men and learned to drink.”]

Here again the old desire to be like men influenced him.  They had cigars, he must have one; they smoked, he must do so.  This conduct had its invariable effects.  He became the associate of “fast” young men—­got into debt—­learned to drink—­stayed out late at night—­and before his apprenticeship had ended, was ruined in health; and but for the indulgence of his employers would have been discharged in disgrace.  Was that acting the part of a man?

This happened many years ago.  Last week amidst a crowd who surrounded a polling booth, there stood a man about forty years of age—­he looked twenty years older.  On his head was a battered hat; he wore a seedy, black coat; both his hands were in his pockets, and in his mouth the stump of a cigar which had been half-smoked by another man; his face was bloated, his eyes bleared and languid.  Even the vulgar crowd looked at him with contempt.

I looked into his face thinking there was in it a resemblance to one I had known.  Slowly and painfully came the sad truth, that the drunken creature was Dick Harris; he had become a man but he was a lost man.

It has often been said, “How great a matter a little fire kindleth.”  The spark which kindled a blaze among Dick’s evil passions, was the spark which lit the tobacco pipe at school.  Bad habits are easily acquired, but they are hard to get rid of.  See what smoking had done for Dick.  It led him to drink, and the two habits have left him a wreck.

But you say to me, “There are many thousands who smoke, and yet are strong men.”  It is so.  But in almost all cases these strong smokers did not begin the habit while they were boys; if they had done so, the likelihood is, they never would have become strong men.  Besides, how much stronger they might have been if they had never smoked!

[Illustration:  “The drunken creature was Dick Harris.”]

Many who smoke and still appear strong, have nevertheless undermined their constitution, and when an unusual strain comes upon it there is a collapse.

“But again,” you say, “all who smoke do not learn to drink, and so lose true manhood.”  That may be; and yet there is a significant fact that a confirmed drunkard who does not smoke can scarcely be found.  It has recently been shown that the great majority of those who break their temperance pledge are smokers.

Smoking and drinking are branches of the same deadly tree whose leaves curse the nation.

And now, my lads, “Quit you like men, be strong.”  The next time any one says to you, “Have a cigar,” say “No!”

If he says it is manly to smoke, say “No; it is manly to exercise self-control; to act from principle; to have cleanly habits; to be unselfish; to pay one’s debts; to be sober; and to have the approval of one’s conscience.  Now, I might lose all these elements of manhood if I learned to smoke.”