THE CIGARETTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 97, 17 January 1908, Page 9

THE CIGARETTE.

AND THE LADY. (By a Man) i.i-How, far- our indulgent toleration of tha whims, and fancies, ot. the eternal feminwa v will carry ufc-is a somewhat .precarious pro-- • phecy.v We have complacently endured in- • v trusions-.mto.onr professions.- The aforo- .'I tunolords-of.creation,have been reduced to J j the necessity of engaging in an unromantio • j struggle vfoiv. existence m the . commercial •v. .j ■ world.--'Our- mechanical -. trades'-have not\- '•--<j vet been exploited by Her—so far as we are • ■ ; aware, although we would not bo very i greatly. surprised•• to • -hear.'tbat • such was so: 1 : - Our sacred sports havo :oven been experi- ':- , ! mented with;-and tliero had seemed .- .but 1 ;: ■ ■■-' ; ■ little -else which wo could:have had for our very own, to retain as a distinctive charac- ; teristic, but '.our,; ; vices.;-:i ■ Ulit alas and alack! . ■ .-. -Wo were purchasing some cigarettes at a-tobacconist's the v other day, when the t Lady, came in. She wdre-rbut. that is from : •,-> .tho: pnrpos'e'\ : of -this narrative.. She smiled" V. •brightly : 'at,the .man; of pipes and divers , ; weeds, find, 'as unconcernedly as if she' were , ' ■' purchasing a' pound of butter," asked.,for va,',, j packet of cigarettes—a packet of "cigarettes I ; : "What sort, -madamo?" inquired.the tobacconist, with reprehensible composure. • ".H-'m-rij'-well;'.•! she, - . " 1 think I'll , 'j try '.Nestbrs' for a v < change; I'm tired o< st-t •'.pari Darlings.' •" .'] ! ;Phow!;'She' was tired of " Onr Darlings." , : ; i;,|-,Thb minxtbok-the, packet, deposited the. ..--.j ;cash,| and' ; rustled out. Whereat we_ob- ; ; served to tho tobacconist that we''. were " • ''j. f "-jiggered." _ ; "Uh, that's nothing," said he. " Thcj" . ;, j conie in here often. 1 know one who getc '. ;-'V ;; through" fifty . a-- month—fact. They, ; 'mostly' tourists,! English' and Continental) . .although- - there'- 'arp a-few ihere in Welling ;,"U M ton. They like,'these •-. little, gold-tipped • .' cigarettes', 1 ' particularly . tho ' Egyptian " Wes-1 tors.'" fle opened' a dainty; little box.' : : folded back jthe..co,veriug-2aps, and disclosed. .tovQur startred'-gaze a 'bundle of ; tiny' clgaiv v. i: i ettes, gold-tipped. "One.of. my customers, 1 - ' he'.'contiuuted, -'told me'the other day thai , ] -she had smoked .since she was nine, ani "-jfj never felt'ri penny the worse for it. Anothel , said that she iwas advised by tho': doctor tc ' --n j smoke' now and then .to steady; her nerves." To; steady her nerves I He went oh; ' i "'Men : fre<]uehtly coriie'in hero and ask fol ■'..j?-' 1 !..; ■those .special" brands. They dcn't- say any« ; .- thing, but..you can draw your; own conclu- v'-sj sions." .- . "! .'-.-j/;! 'Wo .did, and then groped our way out o' ' j -the. shop.' In our. then state of mind w« ,i would' not have been very milch surprised;, ' had one -of " thornstopped, us in the street - - '■*' -and--invited lis to "Come and h'tive a drink." We. had lost our perspective our sense of . •! -proportion;-'as; it' irere, and the world seemed 1 .very'funny.,just then'. - Wo ' wondor hon; " She " disposes herself - -;V" 1 when indulging, in this wicked little, luxury. Does she-sink-into an-armchair, put her' feet on' the mantelpiece, and puff smokeririgs through: her lips? But speculation is vain. Henceforth wo will look ' askance at • ' cigarette butts in our ash-trays, and wonder. . j if "they'are ail ours. 'This will not be.clnval- ~J I rous, but what"can "She" expect?