Evening star., 1905-11-05

and those of the most exclusive set calmly
smoking with their coffee and calling out
no attention whatever from those at other
tables, who are probably doing the same
thing.
The matter is not noted, and 1t therefore
becomes less significant as vice. II vice 1t
be, and, impossible as 1T sounds to an
American. an English lady loses no jot of
her distinction daintiness of manner
by the action, which in any one of our
large hotels would not be allowed for a
moment.
We have not reached the point of coun-
tenancing the notion of smoking in public
although we do not in the least mind 1t
at our little dinners. In this we must not
consider ourselves more moral than the
English women, although many of US do.
1t is custom rather than innate delicacy
that rules us In this as in more important
things.
After all. it is the degree of crime that
always counts, isn't it? There is every
thing in the way thing Is done. Jones'
who never takes his dinner without "a
drink or two beforehand looks on Brown
as quite dissipated because he takes his
! before breakfast. Mrs. Brown auburns
her hair shockfngly, saying that it is every
woman's duty to be beautiful. but she Is
stricken with horror when she speaks of
Mrs. Jones cigarette.
So in regard to the lady and the smoke
tiISiC oic Sciiic WIZ piolcSS uolHifS DuI
disgust at the idea, when in reality they
arc themselves guilty of worse sins. ex-
cept that custom has rendered some
breaches Of behavior more usual than
others.
The lady who made up her face was
| twenty or thirty years ago relegated to the
| ranks of the impossible, but there are few
| women who do not powder their noses to-
| day, only they do it in a way and it has
| ceased to be an unforgiveable crime
The cigarette represents to some the
| acme of immortality in this era and carries
| such an exaggerated atmosphere of sin
| fulness about It that it has become quite
| vogue, when If it had been ignored in
| the beginning 1t would never have gotten
| any further than the boarding school
| spread where it is always the piece de
| ress tance
| Once we begin to understand the fem
| mime cigarette as a symbol rather than a
smoke all will be well with the alarmists
| and Col. Watterson will rest easy The
| cigarette merely represents what women
| wish to suggest-the opposite Of the old
fashion Of angelhood. the deadly dull and
| the out of date, but above all the angel!
There will always be people who see ruin
and deprayity in things. The waltz at one
| time was deemed to be a most pernicious
| dance. Clergymen mounted their pulpits
condemn waltzng. But how the wicked
| ness of the waltz has been condoned, Just
| as dancing generally is now recognized as
| a pleasant, healthful amusement
|
| A ballet dancer once stood for the very
| extreme of awfulness. Stage productions
in which girls wore tights were spoken O,
| In whispers. And about the same time
| those brave and undaunted women who
set out to fight for female suffrage were
| looked upon as unsexed and unseemly
| creatures seeking for notoriety at the cost
OF modesty and womanliness.
| How time has made heroines OF then,
| just as It has robbed the waltz of its de-
pravity! And tights have grown SO tame
| that all the sextets are wearing skirts
while the awfulness Of the ballet dancer
has become one OF the jokes of the ages.
| How hldeously commonplace all this
ranting Is at things and customs and sins
| In their newness without waiting for the
friendly nfsts of time to enwrap them OF
| to blot tenn out as they deserve!
j If the lady must have her smoke she
probably will have 1t. just as in the past
she has had many silly, harmful things
that she made the fashion. Yet she has
cast away her old errors. especially the
error of angelhood. So we need not fear.
II the question OF the smoke came to a
vote and we had to choose In its place
| one of the vulgar old vices. the tilted heels
the tight corset, the padded hips. the ohig-