Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-12-12
CHARACTER IN SMOKING.
snncifuI Theories About Habits of
Tobacco Users.

\ man may possess n most seCretive
nature; he may have n face as desfitVte
Of meaning as Il stone wall anc a manpcr
Of speech absolutely n~oncomwittal, but
watch him over his cigarette: note his
manner OF holding it between his lips or
his fngcrs: SEQ how be puffs the smoke
ont of his mouth, what he does with the
ash, if he consumes the cigarette to a
mere stump or throws it away half fin
ishcd, and, sure as fate, you will read his
character like a book. Cigarette. | said,
for n cigarette and n cigar i'm a lesser
degree are much better character reveal
crs than a pipe. \ man sticks a pipe in
10 the side of his mouth and puffs away.
and there's an end of IT.. You discover
next TO nothing unless indeed he happens
10 puff very violently, which is a certain
indication Of n nervous irritable temper.
From the filling of a pipe, to be sure,
many luminous little hints may be gath
cred. You see a man stuff his bowl
quickly and lavishly, letting loose threads
of tobacco dangle over the brim while lie
applies the match. If be be not good
natured, generous to a fault, careless, in
dolent, quick to make friends, quick to
forget them, | shall be much astOuished.
One notices men very often taking their
'AHAIo " on hHPNA NNA"NN'0A PENhN
into which they have been stuffed. Too
poor to buy then selves a cigar clscE Not
n biz % it. but too untidy % keep one or
too lazy to arrange their cigars into one.
And the same men almost Invariably bite
the tips off their cigars instead of using n
~penknife or a cigar clipper, a shocking
habit that not merely fills the mouth with
tobacco grit, hut disarranges the outer
leaf. often spelling an otherwise excellent
smoke.
The cigar once happily prepared for
smoking, observe how your man holds it
between his teeth. But stay, The oper-
alton Of lighting has also its interest.
The tobacco cpicure grips his cigar not
merely with his teeth when applying the
match, but with the finger and thumb OF
hi- left hand also and between every
tlirl puff draws the weed from his mouth
and examines the glowing end in order to
make sure that it has been ignited equal
iy all round.
Tho majority of men hold their cigars
with the front teeth and puff the smoke
out on either side Of it. \ large minor
ity hold them in the corner Of the mouth,
SO that il you happen to be walking be-
hinl them on q dark night You catch
sight Of the glowing end p%rotrudins just
below the ear. Others, a~gain-and these,
as a rule. are persons of viyacious tenn
perament-scldom keep their cigars for
two consecutive moments between their
lips. They take a few puffs, and then
the cigar is given a rest between finger
and thumb.
A man Of determined character. ener-
getic, pugnacious, inpatient. often be-
trays himself by giving his cigar an up-
ward tilt while consuming tia f~avorite
method with the Yankee. 10 whom the
above epithets are distinctly applicable.
The contemplative, dreamy individual
will let it droop toward his chin, while
level headed persons-ant fortunately
they form the vast majority hold theirs
horizontally. Naturally i~nsoinut people
frequently omit TO remove the cigar from
their mouths when speaking to you,
while others Of 4 Suiien, Lrooi.n: disro-
sition chew the end into horr.A.c pulp.
And is there anything more eloquent of
stingincss than the habit, largely In
dulGcd' in by Germans, Of sticking the
stump of n cigar on the small blade If a
pcnknife and consuming it Na,il the glow
almost touches the lips:-Hoyal Maga'
zine.