ke, friend Jay," was the
answer, "I will tell you, I respect my wife too much."

"Why, you don't mean--" stammered his questioner.

"I mean simply what I said. When I was married I was addicted to the
use of cigars. I saw that the smoke annoyed her, though she behaved
with the utmost good taste and forbearance, and cut down my cigars so
as to smoke only when going and returning from business. I then
considered what my presence must be to a delicate and sensitive woman,
with breath and clothes saturated with the odor, and I began to be
disgusted with myself, so that I finally dropped the habit, and I
can't say I'm sorry."

"I shouldn't be, I know," said another, admiringly. "I'm candid enough
to own it, and I think your wife ought to be very much obliged to
you."

"On the contrary, it is I who ought to be obliged to my wife," said
Mr. Dalton, while the host smoked on in silence, very red in the face,
and evidently wincing under the reproof that was not meant.

"I say that Dalton is a brick," whispered young Benedict.

"He's splendid!" supplemented Johnny, who was thinking his own
thoughts while the smoke was really getting too much for him, and
presently he took his leave.

The next day Johnny was thoughtful, so quiet, indeed, that everybody
noticed it, and in the evening, when his father lighted his pipe with
its strong tobacco, Johnny seemed on thorns.

"I can't think that you don't respect mother," he blurted out, and
then his face grew scarlet.

"What do you mean?" asked his father, in a severe voice. "I say, what
do you mean, sir?"

"Because mother hates the smoke so; because it gets into the curtains
and carpet--and--and because I heard Mr. Dalton last night give as a
reason that he did not smoke that he respected his wife too much."

"Pshaw! Your mother don't mind my smoking--do you, mother?" he asked,
jocularly, as his wife entered just then.

"Well--I--I used to rather more than I do now. One can get
accustomed to anything, I suppose, so I go on the principle that what
can't be cured must be endured."

"Nonsense! you know I could stop to-morrow if I wanted to," he
laughed.

"But you won't want to," she said, softly.

I don't know whether Johnny's father gave up the weed. Most likely
not; but if you want to see what really came of it, I will give you a
peep at the following paper, written some years ago, and which happens
to be in my possession.

"I, John Lord, of sound mind, do make, this f