THE CIGARETTE GOBLINS

White Ribbon, Volume 33, Issue 382, 18 May 1927, Page 10

THE CIGARETTE GOBLINS

Janies had been given a cigarette by an old, old man. James said, “Daddy says cigarettes aren’t good for anybody, and he’d sure whip me if I smoked.” “Why I am eighty-two and I started to smoke when I was seven. You will be an old man like me if you start right now. Your daddy doesn’t know’ what he’s talking about.” So Janies smoked the cigarette for a while, but he soon threw it away because it made him feel sick. He went home and excused himself from supper because he had a headache, and wasn’t hungry. He went to bed and went to sleep and dreamed that he saw all the cigarettes get out of the gutter with goblin faces and arms and legs, and sit on the curb. The goblin that Janies had smoked said: “An old man gave me to a nice little boy and told him a lot of things that were not true. For instance, he said that he was so old because he had smoked. I made the boy sick and he threw me aw r ay; that is why I am so tall. We ought not to be given to little boys.” Half of the goblins agreed with him, and one said, “A young man threw me away because he could not get w’ork. So many of the companies

will not employ smokers. 1 think they are wise.” James’ goblin said, "Tobacco is not good for people; it makes them nervous." "That shows how stupid you are. Tobacco soothes the nerves,” said a short goblin. "So does chloroform soothe the nerves; it doesn’t take much to soothe them for good. Tobacco seems to soothe the nerves at first, but it finally weakens them, as well as the heart, and the man dies of some disease caused by tobacco.” "But how about the old man?” "Scientists say some men can adjust themselves to tobacco and live to be old men in spite of tobacco.” “The paper we are wrapped in is poisonous,” said a pinkish goblin. “We are the cause of many fires," said another. “We are dropped any place while still burning. Many forest fires are started like that.” “Let’s go and see how James is," sit id James’ goblin. James saw the curb blur and change to the foot of his bed with all the little goblins sitting in a row and staring down at him. He heard one say: is likely to become a smoker like many other boys. There is always someone to give him a cigarette and advertisements are e\ery where.” It seemed to James that it was nearly morning before his goblin said, “Hadn’t we better be getting back to the gutter? James might wake up and find us.” As they trooped out, he called back, “Beware, James, ‘the gobbleuns’ll get you ef you don’t watch out!” James woke up and decided then and there never to smoke another cigarette and he never did.