Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-14
TALES OF FOUR GREAT MEN.
Macready, Carlyle, Tennyson. and Ho'
Huxley Learned to Smoke.

Il happened that on the revival Of
Shakspeare's Henry WILL" with
Macready as Cardinal Wolsey, the part
of Cardinal Campeius was allotted to
Mr.. Wynn. 1t had been represented to
the manager that Mr.. Macready's cos
tune would be correct and splendid,
more especially as regards some mag
pificent point lace which he intended
wearing. and it had been suggested that
something extra should be done to
make the other cardinal respectable.
But the manager thought some old scar
let robes Judged up from the wardrobe
would suffice; and as to point lace, sill
yer tissue paper, deftly shipped and
sewed on, would have much the same
appearance when viewed from dis
tance. At the dress rehearsal. Mac
ready, enthroned in q chair Of state,
had the various characters to pass be-
fore him. He bore all calmly, until.
clad in the scarlet robes, bordered by
silver tissue paper. and wearing an
enormous red hat, Wynn approached.
Then. clutching both arms of his chair,
and closing his eyes, the great TRACE
dian gasped: Mother Shipton, by
The crowds of children growing up
in London affected Carlyle with real
pain. These small plants, each with
its head just out of the ground, with
whole life ahead, and such q training!
Noticed another trait, too! Scotch thrift
showing itself in hatred of waste. II
he saw a crust of bread on the roadway
he would stop to pick it up and put it
on step or railing. Some poor devil
might be glad of 1t, or at worst dog
or sparrow. To destroy wholesome
food was q sin. He was very tender
about animals. especially dogs, who,
like horses, If well treated. were types
of loyalty and fidelity. Horrifed him
with story of my Oxford days. The
hounds had met at Woodstock. They
had drawn the covers without finding
a fox, and. not caring to have q blank
day, one of the whips caught passing
sheep-dog. rubbed its feet with aniseed,
and set it to run. 1t made for Oxford
in its terror, the hounds in full cry be-
hind. They caught the wretched crea-
ture in field, and tore it to pieces. l
never saw Carlyle more affected. He
said it was like human soul flying for
salvation from a legion of fiends.
Mr.. Gladstone "detests" tobacco,
Mr.. Matthew Arnold 'sbj jures" it. Mr..
Ruskin hates tho man who "pollutes
the air of the morning with cigar
smoke" But are we not consoled for
the abstinence of those great men by
the devotion of others of eminence?
Thackeray once declared that he did
not despair to see q "bishop lolling out
of the Atheneum with cheroot in his
mouth, or, at any rate, pipe stuck in
his shovel hat" Even q bishop might
sometimes fall before the seduction of
a good cigar, q cozy chair. and q French
novel. But if we have not q smoking
bishop, We have q smoking poet lau-
reate, familiar with tobaccos-Latakia,
Connecticut leaf, Perique, Lone Jack,
Michigan, Killicinick, Highlander, .'or
any of the English brands" How does
he take the gentle weed? At his feet
is box full Of clay pipes. Filling one
breaks it in twain, and throws the frag-
ments into another box prepared for
their reception. Then he pulls anoth-
er pipe from its straw or wooden in
closure, fills it, lights it and destroys it
as before.
For years Prof. Huxley, like Charles
Lamb, toiled after tobacco ''as some
men after virtue" At "a certain debate
on smoking he told the story of his ear
ly struggles in a way which utterly put
the anti-tobacconists in confusion: "For
forty years of my life." he said, '.to-
bacco had been deadly poison to me.
Loud cheers from the anti-tobacco-
nists. In my youth. as medical stu
dent, | tried to smoke. In vain! At
every fresh attempt my insidious fos
stretched me PROSTATE on the floor.
Repeated cheers l entered the navy.
Again tried to smoke. and again met
with defeat. l hated tobacco. l could
almost have lent my support to any
institution that had for its object the
putting of tobacco-smokers to death.
CVociferous cheering. A few years
ago was in Brittany with some friends.
We went to an inn. They began to
smoke. They looked very happy. and
outside it was very wet and dismal. l
thought l would try cigar. Muir
murs. l did so. Great expectations ]
smoked that cigar-it was delicious.
[Groans.l From that moment l was
changed man. and l now feel that
smoking in moderation is comfortable
and laudable practice, and is productive
of good. Oismay and confusion ofthe
anti-tobacconists. Roars and laughter
from the smokers.l There is no more
harm in pipe than there is in cup OF
tea. You may poison yourself by drink
ing too much green tea, and kill your
self by eating too many beefsteaks. For
my own part, 1 consider that tobacco
in moderation is a sweetener and equal
izer of the temper" Total rout of the
anti-tobacconists and complete triumph
of the Smokers. Yates RecOL.