Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-11-23
WOMEN AND TOBACCO.
SOME OF THE REASONS WHY sMok-
ING MAKES WOMEN ATTRACTIVE.

hardt and Rosa Bonheur.
Was it not Thackeray who said that a
woman hated a cigar because she recog.
nized In 1t her chiefest rival? 1t Is mere
jealousy that is all. She does not hate II
In and for itself. Convert the rival into an
ally and she will learn to love and bless IT,
In the better regulated households where
men are allowed to smoke in the presence
of their wives and sisters and sweethearts
this conversion Of an enemy into friend
has already been effected II hath even
happened to some favored ones among us
to have our cigars lighted for us by a fair
one imbibing the first puff and leaving a
kiss behind
And this opens out wider query. When
the rival has become an ally shall we allow
IL TO become something nearer and dearer
still-shall we sit clamly by and watch II
turn gradually into companion? In other
words, shall we suffer women to smokeY
Most men would answer unhesitatinply
no. Most women would echo the no. In
deed 1t Is because men are so certain of the
echo that they are 30 bold and positive In
their negative
When we say most women, we mean of
course most women in this country. But
in the continent which contains this coun-
try-in North America-there Is another
large country, Mexico, to wit, where the
fairest and stateliest danes and damsels
do not hesitate to puff the dainty cigarette
in the presence and with the full consent
OF their husbands, fathers and brothers.
Still farther south there is a continent as
large as this, and in all the countries which
diversity the surface Of that continent the
L..
manner, for in Spain ladies have smoked
since tobacco was first known to man. In
Italy also, in Turkey, in Russia, in the
east, women Of all classes smoke as mat
ter Of course
female traveller IN Italy tells Of taking
Venetian gondola at twilight and skim
ming under the walls overhung with
sweet smelling vines, where the Expresses
rise black and straight above the white
arches Of the water gates. MARX" she
cries enthusiastically, how the tiny red
lights glow among the silent leaves, NOV
ing quickly hither and thither, while white
draperies shine through the dusk and the
murmur Of voices mingles with the swash
Of the water against the wall below"
And what arc these tiny red lightsi Fire
flies, glowworms' Neither. It is only
the proud ladies Of Venice, the descendants
Of doges and merchant princes-they who
dwell in the hanging gardens above the
canals, who are smoking their evening
cigarettes or cigars, while the "Angelus"
rings over the city and tho air grows
heavy with the night sweetness Of flowers.
In the album Of the Marchesa Brignole,
at Genoa, there is written this sentiment,
THE smoke Of fame IS not worth the
smoke Of pipe, " and the signature TO the
sentiment is George Sand" The mean
ing Is trifie ambiguous. Does George
Sand mean to say that fame il evanescent
as smoke, worthless as some might deem
the smoke Of pipe TO be worthlessf Or
does she mean that sweet as fame may be.
there is a still more grateful sweetness
lingering In the fumes that hover about
the meerschaum and the brierwoodi
Probably the latter, for George Sand was
avaliant smoker. In her hot youth, when
she wished to emphasize her hatred Of con
ventional restraints, she had smoked pipes
and cigars. In her mellow maturity, when
she smoked for pleasure and not for glory,
she confined herself entirely 20 cigarettes
Mrs. Orr in her Life Of Robert Brown
ing" tells how the poet, with that other
poet, his wife, called upon George Sand 10
Paris and found her smoking a cigarette
Mrs. Browning was charmed with the
grace and delicacy exhibited by this vota-
ress Of the weed in the pursuit Of her IA
vorite Amusement. She enthusiastically
declared that in the hands Of a true devo-
tee Of the better sex a cigarette might be
made as potent an instrument Of coquetry
and fascination as the fan is In the hands
Of a japanese beauty.
AT present in the more or less Bohemian
circles Of artists, writers and actors, smok-
ing is very widely tolerated among Partisan
women. Marie Bashkirtsef smoked, IL
will be remembered, and she was more Of
Partisan than a Russian. Even the staid
aud highly respectable Rosa Bonheur
knows what it is 10 enjoy a quiet Whit
from Turkish or a Spanish cigarette. As
TO Sarah Bernhardt-of course she smokes
1t Is her delight 10 dress herself up In
mems clothes when at work In her studio,
and TO assume all other masculine habits
with her pantaloons. In the days Of the
empire smoking was even more prevalent
than now. Did not the empress herself-a
Spaniard TO the core-set the fashionf
Is then the supposed indelicacy Of femi-
nine smoking a matter OF latitude and
longitudei BY no means. IL is a matter
Of epochs Time was when no one held
the habit to be unfeminine. Two centuries
ago no geographical divisions marked
where the lady must cease 20 smoke or
cease 20 be lady. Then the most highly
born, the most gifted, the most charming
ladies Of England smoked openly. Later,
with the same openness, they used tobacco
in other forms.
Master Prynne, the well meaning Puri-
tanic imbecile who in 1888 wrote an attack
upon the stage called "Histriomastrix, T"
informs us that in his day ladies at the
thsater were offered the tobacco pipe in
lieu Of apples, which appear 70 have been
the staple between the acts refreshments,
and a French traveller, one NJ. Torevin de
Rochefort, WHO published bis Journal in
1917, informs us that he found smoking
was general custom in England as we'll
among women as among men, both sexes
holding that life would be intolerable
without toba co, because they say 1t dis
tipates the evil humors Of the brain"
After the ladies stopped smoking they
took 70 snuff Women Of uualitv a cen