The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-19

why it should be thought masculine
There is nothing rough or assertive in
smoking. l know quantities of women
who smoke who are neither fast nor com
mon. They like their post-prandial ciga-
rette just as they do their cups of coffee
and l really cannot see the harm. AS /
say. I do not smoke myself. but it is not
because l distinctly disapprove of 1t; it
is simply that l am too conventional to
do, or let my daughters do, what has not
become a general habit"
Il know a saint" said her neighbor, "a
woman whose life is devoted to doing
good, who is in the north, but not of it,
and she actually smokes big, fat cigars
Her daughters disapprove of the habit
and she rarely does it in public. but one
day, when there was a house party stay
ing at her place over Sunday, one of the
guests left the rest who were sitting on
the beach and went into the house for
wrap-and there, placidly reading her
Bible, with fragrant Havana between
her lips, was the Sweet-faced old lady
enjoying the peace and quiet of the Sun
day evening after her own fashioni 1t
took away forever my prejudice against
women smoking said the man who told
me the story, and whenever the question
is mooted l always say that there is no
reason whatever that women should not
have the solace of a good cigar "
For my part 1 think it is such a dirty
habit to smoke cigarettes" interpolated
another speaker, it stains the fingers
and the teeth-that alone would, in my
H.
should be daintily clean-handed with all
that the word implies-it is that very dis
tinction which commands the respect and
reverence of the opposite sex. 1 remem-
Der once seeing a beautiful Russian, who
was a most attractive woman until she
smiled, and then she was quite spoiled
by her yellow teeth. She was an invet-
crate cigarette smoker, and one day when
the subject came under discussion she
advised me strongly never to smoke. 1T
is so bad for the nerves. she said, and
then-what 1 must confess influenced me
against II more than anything else-she
added 'C'est ca qui mia jaunit les dents
Her teeth were the most efficacious warn
ing l could have had"
The habit of smoking is undoubtedly
largely on the increase among women
of society. In many of the smartest houses
cigarettes are invariably passed with the
after-dinner coffee, and ii Is no longer
considered either odd or reprehensible to
aVow frankly prediction for tobacco in
the form of cigarettes. That women in
tend to have their social right however
Indifferent they may be in regard to their
political ones, seems without question, but
whether the new woman will be as true
and as tender and as wise and as capable
as the old remains to be proven. With
her bicycle riding, her cigarette smoking
her love for all outdoor amusements the
fashionable woman of to-day is as differ
ent a person from her prototype of twen-
ty-five years ago as it is possible to i'm
agine In many ways the modern woman
ish fine lady of yore-certainly in physi-
ca! development, If in nothing more. And
there is always this to be said of Ameri-
can women-they are naturally too refined
for the license of the present time to
coarsen them. AS French diplomat
remarked not long ago, "Ze American Ia
dies may endeavor to be fast, but zey can
nevare succeed; zey have not re animal
in zere composition"
It is recorded, says the Gentleman, that
one of the w4ttiest and best known of our
lady writers was once in the company of
a very sentimental and romantic. but
somewhat elderly lady. The conversa-
ton in which many Of both sexes joined
turned, as II often does when the COM
pany is mixed, upon love and death. The
Question was mooted as to what would
be the pleasantest manner in which TO
depart from this planet, and the senti-
mental tea-gowned lady said, as she 1ut-
tered volume of poetry on her knee: ITO
be kissed to DEATH that is the only poetic