“Y” BRANCH.

White Ribbon, Volume 16, Issue 189, 16 March 1911, Page 8

“Y” BRANCH.

A Girl s Influence. A College Girl Gives Her Own EX PERI KNCES. A girl can always greatly influence a young man, either for good or evil. I never fully realised the trutli of this until a short time ago. An interesting experience of my own lias slmwn me what the girls could do if they would. I v\as visiting friends in another city, and was invited out one evening to a party. At the gathering I met a young man in whom 1 was at once deeply interested.

He looked very delicate, his voice was husky, and every now and then he coughed. We began to converse, and after a few questions from me, he told me that he was only eighteen, hut that he had smoked cigarettes for four years. He added that they had ruined his voice. He said that the girls of the crowd had never objected when the boys wished to smoke, and that some of the mothers would even ask the boys to the smoking room. Here was a boy who seemed to have had good home training, but who had started to smoke at an early age, and who had unfortunately been throwm with a crowd that encouraged him in what was wrong. Here was a case where girls had permitted themselves to exert a bad influence.

We discussed the cigarette question for some time. He finally confided to me that he wished he could “ break of!.’ Then he hesitated and said: “ I wish some nice girl in the crowd, one whom I liked would only take a stand against smoking, and help me to stop. 1 really need encouragement.” These few earnest w’ords, spoken by a cigarette-loving boy, ceitainly show what influence the girls could have, ilns boy had been in the midst of a smoking crowd for four years, and yet a few of the right kind of words had made him wish to “break of!'.”

We continued to talk, and he finally told me that he would stop the i ext day, and would not smoke for a year. I encouiaged him all I could. Of course, he may not be strong enough to keep his promise, as the old influence may sweep liis good resolves away, but, be that as it may, 1 feel very well repaid for my efforts, and shall continue to try to exert the best influence I can. Oh J that all the girls in our country would form a mighty brigade and help to banish the deadly cigarette from our glorious land. A Coll bo k Girl, Chicago. —Maryland Herald.