A Better Man For Smoking

When the bishop of Manchester lived in Melbourne Victoria his open air study and smoking den was in his garden, under the shade of a giant blue-gum-tree. A lady visitor having once suggested that tobacco was of satanic origin Bishop Moorhouse replied: "Pardon me, madam, I smoke, and I am a better Christian for doing so. Do you read my letters in the papers?" The lady answered that she did, with pleasure. "Do you ever see anything discourteous or unkind in them?" "Certainly not; I often remark how often you keep your temper." "Well, madam, the first drafts of these letters contained the most cutting thing I could think of. Then I would go sit on the butt of that old gum-tree, light my pipe and have a quiet smoke. After that I would return to the house and strike out every line that might give pain to others. So you see, smoking makes me a better christian."