The sun., 1894-09-30
THE WOMAN WHO SMOKES.
MORE AND MORE SHE SEEMS 70
DE IN EVIDENCE.

standing in front Of the Fifth Avenue Hotel,
and asked for his cigar 10 light her cigarette.
This was chrpnicled at the time In THB SuN,
and II drew attention TO the matter OF cigarette
smoking by women up 10 date, and also To the
tremendous increase Of women smokers during
the last two years. It Is about four years ago
since Mr.. Gladstone was asked:
"IIow long should the interval be between =
gentleman smoking and going into the presence
| of ladies2"
That old time English gentleman, in an after
dinner speech, told Of his reply:
mot less than four hours"
What ia the situation today Not that . man
should wait four hours after smoking before he
approaches the fair sex but rather that he
should offer his arm, lead the way TO the smok-
ing room, and gallantly offer avery fine grade
cigarette 70 her. Times have changed almost
| in night.
| When the waldorf Hotel was FIRST opened the
one place which seemed to attract the fair sex
| was the cosey little smoking room and cafe, be-
hind the great sheet of glass, where men were 70
| conRrcgate and enjoy themselves" and several
| of the women inspecting the sumptuous sur
| roundngs were heard 10 remark that IL was to-
| had that all the cunning" places were htt
| up for the men. Judging from what II
| lowed. II would seem almost that even
early In the campaign fair woman had her
| on that smoking room with the design of pf
emptlng at least part Of II. Gossps say that
was not long before some OF the English visito
of the fair sex found their way in there VIE
| their husbands and brothers--ju Just TO loo
at the place, you know-and then. n
ono knows how exactly, an occasional wov
man visitor lit a cigarette while In the smok-i
ing room with her male friends, just 10 keeV
the smoke of the others from annoying her. SOY
IL became whispered about that occasionally
there might DO seen at the Waldorf, especially
after the theatre or on a Sunday night, somg
woman smoking. as one may say. in public:
That settled i'll The mere rumor was sum-
cient and woman decided that IL was all right,
and that there was no earthly reason why she
should not smoke IL she wished to in public. 40
many OF them had long done in private. That
is probably the cause.-the Fifth avenue woman
was tho effect! Once started. the ball rolled
along merrily until It has now reached the
stage Of q smoking room to which ladies are
admitted" and which. Judging by the
fittings and furnishings, is evidently ins
tended to attract women and be used BY
them a smoking room proper. This
is at the Westminster Hotel this city. tho seq
ond on the list for women cigarette smokers,
In the main corridor, leading to the dining roon
and the stairway and elevator. there was forA
merly n recess or wide passage which had door!
ways opening into the vestibule. and which was
practically waste room. This has been taken
in, enclosed to the height of i've or ak feet. 80
as TO produce good ventilation and no drausht,
and 1t has been hung with portieres of tho
Orient and adorned with rugs. Palm ferns nod
in the corners. and other green growths
fll vacant hooks; divans, lounges, cosey
chairs. settees, cushions, arc there In
plenty. and a lot of those quaint but handy
occasional tables OF the Oriental type which one
sees in pictures of Turkish Persian interiors.
There is a decided odor of the Orient there, and
the place is flooded with soft electric light.
1t would have been very foolish to pretend
that all this was done for man, because
the very face OF It carries the stamp Of
"woman-her nook" In attendance Is bright
negro boy, who has the gift of silence com9
bined with celerity. and he pulls up to the via
itors' feet the occasional table, and takes the
order for the black coffee or the demi- -tasse of
one almost as soon us the order is given. Then
Shortly after dinner the other night syS re-
porter followed the crowd leaving the dining
room. and with two men and a woman entered
sisted bsds her and dfS,fNseY New Yoff
friend. The woman sank down In one OF the
from view. One Of the men drew q silver cigar
cite case from his pocket and said they would
cigarette. Tho men lit theirs from matches on
cigarette OF her husband. Another % woman
pHssed along the s9n5ridor stepped IN II.
Then ssrera men and the ssT woman asnS PS
The theatres We're out, there % were four 's womea ]
IN the Turkish room. all accompanied by men.
conversation passed between tn them % The The womsS sof
wese all smoking with their escorts.
was sitting in the room or looked very Closely as
he passed through. y would DO almost impossiS
not. The cigarettes smoked were q high grade
d turkish tobacco and they, were smoked
Could have wa IL rS% s
rh.re, was nothing, 70 note beyond the bare faci
m hat they were smoking. there was no straining
ona hss they yTSeFs
vas no loud laughter, but simply subdued
Of OF f0Ss ss Hnd the NECESSARY sf
vas dropped or another cigarette lighted,
Oo, oI course to 2 g question as % whether the
management reply that II Is designed for tho
9amfort OF women who do not care TO have the
dor or smoke in their apartments all night, and
orts 10 smoke by tfemseiyes There Is iittis
he women OF the day are 10 some extent in
ayor OF smoking. Those who have smoked In
manner. This View is is TAKEN BY by several hotel
,leil' who are prepared to meet any demand In
Al the Brunswick the manager said:
," Yes, have heard something OF the matter.
nT gigantic sdss @ of ste years Sy %s
! Canada year or SO ago, at the Windsor In
lontreal, and assure you that saw a number
{ very ine women stroll across 70 the cgas
and In the rotunda. buy some cigarettes, Light
ne, and vanish up stairs | also saw them on
he platforms of the railroad stations smoking
company with their husbands, So that Won ses
. are really a little behind the times ia New
ork, II anything! Will the brunswick put in
ladies' smoking room III you had asked me-
We years ago II any woman would ike ID 10 he
nown that she smoked, should have said ceT-
'lniy not, Yet to-day they are smoking The
lture will care for itself"
At the Holland the question as 10 a smoking
'0m for women made the MANAGER raise his
'ehrCws RS he answered: 49,
- 10 u possible that ladies are really smoking
public! Ia private IL one thing but in pul,lio
quite another OF course do not wish 10 ap-
.Hr - Grltlclse the course OF any hotels They
III follow tho demand OF their guests; but
sure you that, ~ a woman were 10 enter The
huA'4g room OF the Holland House and begin
/. .Inks cigarette; ! should feel IL my duty 10