Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-08-30

H,sroRy OF ToBAooo.-A new volume has
inst appeared in London, to be added to the num-
beress treatises devoted to the history of tobac.
co and to anecdotes connected with it, Mr.
Fairholt, the author of the work, goes gossip
ingly through the story of tobacco and the three
centuries of possession which it has held since
certain Europeans first beheld few American
savages ''enjoying pipe". Not many months
since, q gania de Paris, not above half q
dozen years of age, entered one of those shops
which deal in sweet temptations to the youth
full palate, and proceeded to negotiate a pur-
chase. The luxuries were above his means OF
attainment, and the little lad disappointed of
bonbons, bought pipe and tobacco, and went on
his way, smoking. Unconsciously, he exhibited
therein one of the uses of the plant. He found
in it consolation for his disappointment; his
irritation was calmed, and his sorrow was veiled
by the smoke of oblivion. Here is Whit or
two from Mr.. Fairholfs well filled pipe:
Oflterary men Goethe hated tobacco, q very
extraordinary thing for aGerman to do. Helm
rich Heine had the same dislike. Of French
literatuers Balzac, Victor Hugo, and Dumas, did
not smoke; but the smokers are Alfred de Mus
SET, Eugene Sue, Merimec, Paul de st. Victor,
and Madame Dudevant, better known by her
sobriquet George Sand, who often INDUCES in a
cigar between'the intervals of literary labor, as
the ladies of Spain and Mexico delight in doing
at all other intervals. Charles Lamb, "the gen
tie Ellis" was once great smoker. In letter
to Wordsworth, he says: tobacco has been my
evening comfort and my morning curse for these
five years. have had it in my head to write
this poem for these two years CFarewell to To-
bacco;) but tobacco stood in its own light,
a. do hot cd M
singing its praises" Lamb once, in the height
of his smoking days, was putting coarsest weed
| from long clay pipe in company with Parr,
who was careful in obtaining finer sorts, and the
Doctor in astonishment asked him Eow he ace
quired this "prodigious power" Lamb an
swered "by toiling after it, as some men toll
after virtue"
Of other literary smokers in England we may
note Sir Walter Scott, who at one time carried
the habit very far. So did the Poet Bloomfield.
Campbell, Moore, and Byron delighted in its
temperate enjoyment, as does our present Laure-
ate Tenneyson, who has echoed its praises with
! Byron 10 immortal verse Robert Hall, when
at Cambridge, acquired the habit of smoking
from being in PARIS company; and being asked
why he had commenced, 81 am qualifying my :
self for the society ofa Doctor of Divinity, and
this (holding up the pipe) is the test of my ad-
mission" When presented with Clarke's pam
phet on "The Use and Abuse of Smoking" he
said, NJ can't refute his arguments, and | can't
give up smoking" The "learned in the law" as
well as the dignitaries of the Church have
smoked Lords Eldon and Stowell, and Lord
Brougham in early life, INDUCED thus. The late
Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Devonshrt
gave it aristocratlc sanction, aud George ~ roy
ally patronized it..
Thus, from the throne to the cottage, the pipt
has been solace; it has aided soldier and sailor
in bearing many hard privation. Many would
rather 60 without their rations than their pipe
and endure any hardship with it. Here is {
modern instance from the late Orimean war =
"a lady told Inc story of man, NJ, il
her division, which shows how much some o
them will venture for a smoke. He had jus
had one of his toes taken off, nnder the infuenc,
of chloroform. 1t bled profusely, and the sur
geon, after binding it up, went away, giving he
strict injunctions not to allow him to move, ant
ordered him some medicine, which he would
send presently! She was called away to an
other patient for few minutes, and went leav
ing NJ. with strict orders not to put his foo
down. On her return to his bedside, to he
astonishment be was gone, and after sowt
searching she discovered him by the traces o
blood on the stairs and corridor, sitting down il
the yard, smoking his pipe with the creates
sang troid. She spoke to him seriously abou
disobeying orders and doing himself an injury
but be was perfectly callous on the subject .
his toe. She succeeded, however, in working
on his feelings at having dsf cured the corrido
. with blood, and he came back, saying, "Indeed
main, could not help going to have pipe, TO
that was the nastiest stuff ever got drunk OF
| in nv lifen--alludng to the chloroform.