Year: 1878

nuisance in the busy part of the house, and
unmstakably one of those times is after din
ner Only womans charms can exercise
that gaunt spectre-a deserted dinner table,
with its dsnantled skeletons and hungry
ghosts of what has been and even if the
weaving of this spell eau be safely deputed to
servants, there is still the little nap which is
TO so many Of the fair ones nepenthe as
longingly coveted as is his pipe by the old
smoker. No, we are not ungallant if we leave
the more ETHEREAL half Of the domestic econo-
my to their own resources, while we offer
homage to our In6 an Goddess. who rises like
n shapely phnnx from the first delicate ash
that flakes the fraukincense in our censors.


1t may wei be considered our misfortune,
rather than our fault, that custom and preju-
dice force the deyotecs of tobacco to he exclu-
siye. The presence of woman alone is need
ed to make the smokers sauctum n small par
adise Probably it would be difficult to find
any one quite prepared TO argue in favor of
smoking MS regular practice for the ladies',
especially in these days Of vigorous feminine
crusades against indulgenccs of appetite that
are somewhat violently denounced as either
abnormal or unlawful or both. Still. | must
frankly own that there is nothing very shock
ing to my finer sensibiities and ideas of pro-
pricty in II lady with cigarette between her
lips. recall, just now, charming little din
ner party at the cosy home of celebrated
English actor, in Bloomsbury Square, Lon
don. When the cloth was removed, the Ia
dies dcmurr,d ut the stereotyped edict of ban
ishment during the reign of the havana de
claring that they would for once remain and
share the "wickednsss' of post-prandial mas
culine gossip. And one of them, Mile. R,
an ac 'omplished and travelled French woman,
took from her pocket pretty little Russian
cigarette case, daintily extracted thorefrom
cigarette, and with polite permit me,
lighted it and joined the smokers without
shadow Of embarrassment. No apologies
We're made and nobody seemed terrified A
new zest rather, was added to the occasion,
and Mt the end Of a prolonged siesta, it was
declared by an to have been unusua'y de-
lightfu


1t was indeed memorable III more respects
than one. For gayest Of the gay, wittiest of
the witty, loyingest OF the loving there. was
the admirable wife Of our courty host, an
actress wen known to the last generation of
play-goers, who has since said good night for
ever and passed behind the mystery Of the
Unknown


The truth is, that, in these matters the Mt
most individual freedom should be allowed.
Nobody would like to see Il woman putting
cigarette along the street or in Il theatre lob
by between the acts neither is it in good
taste for men to smoke at n times and ON all
occasions An instructive sense of decency
and good behavior regulates such things The
genuine smoker is man who INDUCES in all
Injuries tempeately and philosophically, new
er infringes willingly upon the rights and
comforts of non-emokers and never makes his
(so-called) slavery offensive in any degree.
No house is too small or too neat TO spare
nook for him, and if he must go away by
himself the companionship of his pipe or ci-
gar beguiles him from loneliness, and COM
persates for the time being the loss of human
sympathy.


Must there, then, be always warfare be-
tween sybarite and ascetic Nay. nay, old
pipe, you and shall be neither, but instead
seek to discover in our daily communings how
We may best overcome our own weaknesses
and overlook those of our neighbors. Chari-
ty charity charity. Come let us go and
seek for it in the highways and byways, and
wherever We find it we will mark the spot
whore dwell in sweetest harmony, happiness
and contentment