New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-21
ENGLISH SKOKING-ROOMS.
Enm The london Globe.

London 6tObe.
One element of cosness however, We nave which
our ancestors had nUt-the smoking room: ana we
take IL that no house, especially II IL no In tne
country, can lie deemed complete without us smok-
IN y-room But OF coarse there are smoklng-r rooms
and smoking = rooms. but IN one respect sllok
inc room owners aRieed-ln the ldea That there
sbould not be the smallest attempt at f0rmalIty or
rigid arrangement about them THAT Just as ais
ionted, easy flowing. spontaneous smoking room
chat is the peasantest OF all conversation. SO Tue
careless unmethOdlcal appearance vi smohlhg,,
RON, ~ most soothing 10 the wearled with toll
or pleasure. Its chars are INTENDED To Q sdt III
one may move about without Oeng III conslah'
dread of shatering costly ornament or oil dls urO
ing the automatically precise arrangeinent OF
furniture; one may laugh or sing, or whistle, OF
dance If feels so disposed-n TACT. one may act
AS free agent, unbound by formailty, OF etiquette
or euactments of society. mans real nature
comes ont In his smoking room decoration Just as
In his smoking room cnat. Men VINO nave NJ ,n"Ie
alton high art than their dogs, are Obliged
to conform to popular iashiSn, and to iurnish thclr
drawing and dining rooms III hlgh-art style or
Gorglns Midas Grams his keepng-rooms with
costIv plmcrackery about whlc.. he knows or cares
as little as about quadratic equations. Mrs. smith
must overload her walls with narm"nies Hud sym
pbOnies simply because Mrs Brown does; Dut
mans smokl ug room 10 generally pretty accurate
index OF his nature and character often we may
read the whole history OF mans l,ie III the nec1-
ration of his smok room as clearly as IN BOOK
Uerh will be fOunu the Athletic trophies oil MS
Youthful days-the wel-pegged cricket-Dat oil
which he made 10 many "ionrs OF sehool the
goblets he upon the rum lng-path; the travel
stained flag which waved at the bow OF the iour-
oar ne srOked OIL Thames, Severn, seine anu Lore
the .lpepstock branded with the names OF genuine
mountain conquests old football caps; his AGA
demic mortar board; cnriOs picked up In all
parts az the world and hundred other odd tribes OF
90 yalue as the ad vertIsements say to anyone but
the owner. Trophies of the chase may adorn the
walls or hunting sketches, or specimens OF I'M own
amateur handwork bauished from other domestic
reoions by the severely trained Judgment OF his
hetterhaf or photographs OF himself IN every varl-
ety of nostu:e and ostume but those sanctioned IN
The album on the drawing room table. As to Looks
we'll # there are any they are only OF the very
liQhtest calibre and generally IN yrLow-back
form. !, , +,
A man IN his smoking room is what no rarely is
else W bere-his own self. lie IL absolute monarch
hetw these four walls his tongue moves freely.
his IDEAS run smoothly, he is neither better nor
worse than anyone else the laugh rises heartily to
his lps his stories twice as well told as else
where his jOkrs twice as pungrnt-and, perhaps
best of ALL he may dress exactly as ho leases. ana
NAV produce himself in the most comfort inducing
attitude without any fear oil violating the pro
prieties. With what peDume Joy does ne. when
the formal dinner party is over, cast OH MS war
paint" put on his seodlest shooting Jacket and his
oldest slippers. and with a choice crOny or TWO al
journ to tho smoking ROOM for an hours uuro-
strained chat! After good run with the mounds.
or even hours striding ovci moor or stuObIc, or
a long wet days rushing about the CITY, ne counts
the very minutes until the happy hour OF smoking
comes The enemies of nicotine may thunder Their
scien life arguments and pour forth their diatTDes
bat 30 long as Englishman' houso is MS castle
so long will the invuneraD)e keep OF that castle
In n,oki inc