'
"'Did you ever know of his favoring schools or churches by gifts or
otherwise?'
"'No,' said the stranger.
"'There,' said Trask to the audience, 'this man's testimony only
strengthens what I have been attempting to prove here this evening,
that tobacco shortens life. This Castalia centenarian is dead to all the
demands of society and humanity, and his corpse should have been buried
half a century ago.' So the laugh was on the voluntary witness."
"Hold on, my friend, your Castalia centenarian proves just what I said at
the outset, that the use of tobacco prolongs life, but I am half inclined
myself to feel that the less tobacco active Americans use, the better."
Then throwing his cigar away, he said good-night and left the smoking
room.
Others stacked their cards, smoked cigarettes, and then sought their
staterooms, and finally the ship's bell rang out the last patron and
announced the midnight hour; the steward was left alone. He had been
unusually busy all the evening furnishing ale, porter, and beer, a few
only taking wine. The steward was glad to complete his report of sales
for the first day out, and turn off the lights and seek his berth for
the night.
The "Majestic" shot past Cape Cod and was plowing her way towards the
banks of Newfoundland.
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