Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-11-21
SMOKING I'm sELF-DEFEHsE.

The habit of smoking is usually acqulr-
ed in defiance of the protests of the stom-
ach, and persisted in in defiance OF the
smokers female relatives. The weed
ought 10 give its Votary great enjoyment
in order 10 repay him for the domestic
trouble in which it often involves him.
According to the smokers view, 1t dis
charges its duties fully. In promoting
good fellowship, in soothing sorrow, IN
calming worry, in putting man Ia gqoa
humor with himself and the world, Il mas
no rival It is true that the habit is eX-
pensive. and is sometimes unpleasant to
other people, and often injurious to the
smokers own health. But most personal
pleasures. it is replied, are costly, and oc-
casionally displeasing to the people who
do NOT have them, and hurtful to health,
Smoking may be naughty, but is certainly
nice. When men have to choose between
society and cigars, they are apt to prefer
the latter. Rather than be driven, as
ThAckeray says he was, to smoke up the
chinneY at home, they have built BONES
of Their own, sacred to the Goddess Nlco-
tia, in the shape of the great clHb-houses
of London aad New York.
There is one EeY, however, that goo9
deal of male smoking might be stopped
practice themselves. Husband and lovers
who infect their breath with the tlmes OF
tobacco and bring themselves into the
r,resance of wives and sweethearts, would |
he oravnIv disturbed if they found their
aTa1,nIe followed by the other sex.
SmoLin0 is no more masculine per see,
e.. drinking. Ifwomen and men to-
o-o'ber sip sherry and claret, why
S5ot together smoke cigars and cigarettes?
We ret most of our fashions from Europe,
wby not import one from Spain?
4sbe dark-eyed train of the maids of Spain
'Rsath their arbor shades trip lightly,
While cleaning cigar, like newborn star,
'TwfE5 the lips Of each burn brightly.
Spanish women are not supposed to be
more sicl0Ey than their sisters of other
nationalIties. though perhaps not so
pleasant to kiss. Tobacco does not seem
10 hurt them. Nay. II the argument was
to be patterned after, the nltra-prohibi-
tionists of our little creature comforts, we
might say, Spanish women smokei they I
are famous for beauty; therefore smoking
makes women beautiful.
10 continue the GrgNHentWn Gd hOEni-
men, there are some reasons why smoking |
would be an especial advantage for wo-
men. Their lives are made up Of an in
inity ofsRall cares. They would find
that q thousand little petty troubles
would vanish in the cloud curling up
6rom a good cigar. The departure OF the
cook three hours before a dinner party
would be viewed with less poignant re-
gret if seen through hlueish'gray maze
Of tobacco smoke. Sorrow over a cnlmney
that won't "draw," can be eogn'erneteu r1
bv iov over a cigar that VIII: amen,
when the DAVIS work is done and h1Soanu
and v;fe are sitting costly together by the
6re a mutual smoke would bring them
cIoser N each other, and would tend to
oroste between them that hearty good-tel-
iaU,ship which is now sometimes wanting.
Ponular prejudice forbids woman to
nnif cigar on the street, or anywhere in
pnblic. but individual prejudice keeps
great many men from doing the same
thing. It is doubtful whether any one
has a right to pollute the air OF place
set apart for public use. But in the prl'
yacy of home, or at the close OF dinner
party, why should not both sexes indulge
In The universal narcotic stmuiantt !
Would not the ordinary chatter OF society
be changed into something better under
the influence of the grave kindliness that
Is born of 8 quiet smokeS And then, as q
self- defensive apparatus, as the husband
often eats onions because the wife does,
would It not be perfect