The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-06
Cigars At Central Park Garden.

So complicated are the considerations which
arise when the question OF cigars or no cigars is
presented in relation to the concerts at Central
Park Garden that the conscientious man hest
tates when asked for his opinion. Whichever
way he decides wrath and desolation await
him. To give the preference to the ladies and
to pronounce the Punishment Of nicotine re-
quires a moral heroism which we confess we
do not possess. Nor are we quite bold enough
to espouse the other remedy, and to suggest
that ladies who dislike tobacco are at liberty
to remain in the garden portion of the estab-
lishment. The case is very sad one, and
we own frankly that we do not know
precisely what to say. Since more
gentlemen than ladies attend these
concerts the greatest happiness of the
greatest number would seem to require
that smoking should be permitted ad kbitum,
and that those Of the fair sex who did not like
it should have the alternative Of staying away.
But then the ladies might declare, and prob
ably would, that if smoking were prohibited
they would come all the more-an advantage
which gallantry forbids our saying is question
able. The question then seems to narrow
itself down to this:-Which is preferable, no
smoking or no women? Now we dare say
many an admirer of woman may Justly be
suspected of feeling that, much as he loves
the sex, he loves the cigar more. The garden
concert band is good and the music we'll
chosen but think what it would be to pass
whole evening at beer table, beneath the
arabesque convolutions of Mr.. Thomas baton,
with not so much as Whit or smoke wreath
For our own part we had almost said it
was the smoke that constituted portion of
the charm of the garden concert It casts q
gentle, romantic haze over the ensemble, and
the faces Of our friends seen through it look
like those idealized Photographic heads sur
rounded with clouds. Danish smoke and you
Danish beer; Danish beer and you Danish the
delights Of drink in general, and then you are
at once reduced to prim propriety, bearing no
more relation to q genuine garden concert
than medieval heaven does to o Moham-
medan paradise-and Of the two we think the
Mohammedan paradise would be considered
by the modern easy-liver much the jollier
place for q time. to say nothing Of eternity.
But we have fairly reasoned ourselves, quite
against our expectations, in favor Of the
smokers Besides, since there is nothing more
ennobling than the overcoming Of prejudices,
let that selfish sex which would deprive
meek and unofending male of his tobacco in
dulge in an occasional cigarette itself, grazing
the practice with all those dirtations and fas-
cinations it knows SO well how to employ, and
it would soon acknowledge that the essence of
garden concert enjoyment consists in freedom
to smoke, drink and follow the musical pro-
gramme simultaneously. Who does not enjoy
ssThe Wanderer' all the better for pull OF
the weed and the weiss beerp We have no
wish to become misogamists and even if we
had, should never think Of saying, with Ten
nyson:-
Woman is the lesser man, and all her passions,
matched with his'n,
Are the cause Of all the troubles which have ever
yet arisen.
Give the male visitors Of the garden concert
their cigars and they will go on contentedly
applauding the music of Wagner. as it swells
and sinks in strains quaint as an Etruscan
vase, dreamy as the slumber god and de-
lectable as 'tsocal topic from the Saturday
Reuie,c.