EATING THEIR CIGARS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 60, 12 March 1887, Page 4

EATING THEIR CIGARS.

A ceut.u* English lard, having received^* from Sir Francis Drake a present of «MMW| of tho first cigore imported into Earop&jg •nvitcd to dinner hie farmore, ns well as ~;,) tho Mayer and corporation of tho adjoining cii market town. After a succession of coutteß,!;!'.« to which tho bucolic appetite did ampler justice, n dish containing the finest prodtto-;?«| tiona of Havana was piaced on the table.:*'*?f Tho dish waa handed round. The farmers,/^ looked aekance at each other, wondenor i*,; wliere those little, dry, brown stioks.;.w:.;.W asparagus came from, but not daring gojgj question thoir Amphitryon or foar of a«'fffl playing thoir ignorance They nudged oacn M| otber with their elbow?, and, as ■nobody.;*'! except tho host knew whan to make ofthea ,«§ new dish, everyone waited tor his nelgn-aI'^ hour to mako n start. At last tho Ma>or,-J<>W feeling himself called on to set the examplenO;. by virtue of hU office, took hio ci^ar_be- y,«W twaen hie finger and thumb, dipped it nwo^l *! a salt-collar, and put it into hia mouth. Is A« fim ooco tho town councillors and farmers began I'm to crunch the strange article of diet, to MO ,m groat amusement of their host, who wittt^i^ much difficulty maintained his composnra." |)'M After a few moments of silence he sMO-IJ. e "Woll, how do you like tbo uew dwttJ' ■"••«■ " Delicioup, exquisite—" Btammered fWgBM the Mayor, whose face, by ttl™'lt,, ) tiino livid, betrayed horrible internal-..' qualma. "Exquisite I" repeated thegueSW <; in chorus, making superhuman efforts to -^ appear calm. His Lordship then got up,' v >* quietly helped himself to a cigar, a»a, JS lighted it, without appearing to notice tne m angry amazement of hi? gue'Bts. *. eW"."i minutes later the Mayor asked permiseiOß)-'.^ to retire, on tho plea of a pressine engag* ' l ment. In the streetsthero enauedaternbW ;" scene. Such of tho guests who had not > v euccuml'sd to the terrible effects of ■■Be^'"'t sickness" took tho Mayor peverely to tasJt :.;,*; for the fatal example ho had pet them. -j. Tho municipal elections eamo off m ine>"«H; followiug week, when tho Mayor.:ana ::l i the retiring council were ignomimously ,;J . beaten. . , •;... v x ; ;:i . ~i. h ■ ;i*«a «