The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-07-05
From the London I'all-sfal, Gazetse.l
Smoking.

s@sSs Snl0kluks 81 81 s
Madame de SeYigne is stssi laughed ut for
having prophesied that coffee would go out
OF fashion. Perhaps at this time. when to-
bacco brings a revenue OF eS,e00,000 to the
exchequer, 1t would be hazardous TO predict
that smoking viii ever tall into disuse. Yet
it must be remembered that in the last
century snuf.taSing was universal, and
that it has now diminished TO such an eX-
tent that The sight OF q snufi-box in an old
gentleman's hands has become rarity,
while no young man would venture to
sport such a thing In society. Snuff-taking
began to decline when ladies, after trying
it themselves, had the courage to declare
it an unclean habit; and a time may well
come when they will set their faces once
more against smoking, or at all events in
sist that il should be indulged in with more
moderation than at present. Men are now
smoking to excess, which 10 possibly re-
action on the social prosecutions with which
tobacco was so long visited. Not to talk OF
Sultan Amurath w., who sentenced smok-
ers to death, and Of James l., who wrote
his Counterblast" against men "who
made chimneys OF their MOUTHS" one has
only to recall the not very distant days
when a gentleman was held in very evil odor
who entered a drawing-room with perfume
oftobacco hanging about his clothes. tits but
very recently that mcnarchs and statesmen
have begun to use cigars. Napoleon Ill.
set the fashion in France, and pulled cigar
cites at Cabinet councils; but neither NJ.
Theirs nor NJ. Guizot ever smoked. In
England, the late Lord Clarendon was, we
believe, the first Minister who was great
habitual smoker, but bis example has not
been followed by Lord Beaconsfeld or Mr..
Gladstone. Prince Bismarck, on the other
hand, transacts most of his official business
with cigar in his mouth; and in the
Memoirs Of Herr Maurice Busch, his late
secretary, may be found characteristic
anecdote OF how this Prussian statesman
claimed and enforced his privilege OF
smoking at the sittings OF the Military
Commission Of the Diet at Frankfort. The
story is given in the Chancellor's words
"While Rochow represented Prussia at the
Diet, Count RechbcrS, the president. who
represented Austria, was the only member
who smoked at the beard. Rochow, who
was a great smoker, had often longed to
light cigar, but did not dare. When 1
arrived, however, I asked myself why
Prussia should not do as Austria did! so
ut the first sitting drew out cigar ana
asked Rechberg for light, which he gave
me, stupetied nj my GOODNESS. Inc otner
delegates were not less amazed, and wrote
10 their respective Governments for lnstruc-
tons: but the subject was serious one,
recurring reflection; so six months elapsed
without their obtaining an answer. Mean
while Bothner. the Hanoverian, who was
a great friend Of Rechberg, took the liberty
OF lighting up TO be even with me, seeing
which the Saxon Nostitz produced cigar
to stand equal with him. There remained
now only the delegates Of Wurtenber9 and
Darmstadt: but these two were not
smokers. What was to be done? Could
they let their colleagues blow clouds in
their faces without blowing back? The
Wurtcnbergcr was the first 10 decide that
the honor Of his country was involved, and
he brought out cigar in his turn. think
| can see it now-an undetnable cigar,
pale-yellow, thin, tapering, and enormously
long. He smoked it brayely, with. all bis
might, and almost to the stump, thus giving
q magnificent example OF devotion to his
country"
There is in fashions, as in religions, three
phases-the first, OF persecution, when the
new thing is cried down rs abominabe;
the second, OF reaction, when the oppressed
become dominant and persecute in their
turn: and then comes the third phase,
when the fashion, or religion, dies out or
becomes settled as al established thing,
neither prosecuting nor prosecuted. IL
looks as If we were ut present in the second
phase OF the tobacco fashion. Smokers
have conquered the right to blow their
clouds in railway carriages, cafes, billiard
rooms, passages, music halls, anu even IN
some coifee-rooms; but they are making
push TO win other fields, and ladies' are
ceasing to offer much opposition to habit
hnl, 10 no NJ
the happiness Of man. II smoking be
necessary for men, however, it may soon be
found that it conduces to woman's happl-
ness too. Already the ladies OF Turkey,
Russia, Spain, and Hungary smoke cigar
cites: and indeed in hungary and the
Dauubian countries it is not rare TO find
ladies' of ripe age smoking full-tlaVored
cigars by their own firesideS with apparent
relish. How long will it be before Eng
fish women smoke? Possibly mot many
wears for il men continue TO aromatic
the atmosphere ut the present rate Wo-
men will be led to do the same IN
self-deience. People who do not smoke
generally abhor tobacco, and must either
overcome their dislike to it by learning to
smoke, or else shun the society OF smokers.
The neutral position Of not smoking and
not Directing TO tobacco is one which ladies
have found it polite to adopt, but which IS
copscientiouslv untenable, except on condl.
ton OF having very little smoke to endure,
and that OF the best quality. Try any male
non-smoker in railway carriage where half
q dozen other men are smoking, OF turn MN
into German brauerei, where fifty students
are pulling pipes, and see how soon he
Graves for fresh air. Add to this that even
smoker often finds the smoking OF other
IL xYh 81 n 1SS,ar th4f
rank smell OF stale tobacco which hangs
about q room which was smoked in over
night. How much more, then, must ladies
dislike it? 1t has been noticed that men
born blind never smoke, which would seem
to prove that the pleasure OF smoking con-
sists less in inhaling tobacco than in lighting
The weed, seeing its fumes curl, and knock
ing away the ashes. One may so further,
and say that with many persons smoking IS
simply habit, which yields no definite
endowment, but helps to make the time
pass and gives the hands something
10 do. Certainly TO man who smokes in
moderation an occasional cigar or pipe is
highly pleasurable. But what Of the third,
fourth, fifth cigar or pipe? When the
palate is cloyed; when clothes, hair, aud
mind are saturated with the fumes OF nico.
tine; when the air in the room is as thick as
river-fog; and when the man with the
weed has pulled himself into drowsy
state, in which he is unfit for work and can
only talk in lnonosyllables-then the plea
sure OF smoking is mere delusion. It is
only the pleasure Of being idle.
II ever English women take to smoking,
as their ancestors did to snuff, men may be
led to ponder sorrowfnlly on tue nuisance
OF excessive smoking. Meanwhile it should
be owned that men who are always
sp,olr;p,y and who eypect ladies tn like