SMOKING STKIOTLY PROHIBITED.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 978, 15 September 1868, Page 3

SMOKING STKIOTLY PROHIBITED.

(From " London Society," July 1868.^

"We had been to Drury Lane to witness th«performance of a drama which was at that' time creating: some sensation in London,, and were discussing the merits of the. play" and the contents of a barrel of oysters at my ; chambers in Gray's Inn. The we. alluded: to consisted of myself, Tom Allen, Hdirry Townsend, and Frank Ellison. We considered ourselves 'no mean critics of .'the drama, and not a new piece was placed on the boards of any of the leading theatres without being visited by our quartette. At the conclusion of each performance, . our party adjourned to the domicile of one of its number, for the purpose of canvassing: the spectacle over a substantial supper. This latter almost invariably presented ifr^ self in the form of oysters and stout, whenever that delicious mollusc was in season. These suppers were given in rotation by each of us, the whole expense of each supper being borne by the person at whose house the entertainment was given. On the present occasion I was the victim. "Wftwere all four bachelors, but Allen was engaged, and expected to be married before very long. "When we had slaughtered as many oysters as we cared to devour, spirit decanters were placed upon the table, and. pipes and cigars produced. Each of us mixed for himself a steaming glass of whiskey toddy, and Harry Townsend, Prank Ellison, and myself proceeded to light our: pipes. As soon as we had got them satisfactorily to work, it was noticed for the first time that Tom Allen had made no preparation for taking his part in the general fumi-, gation. This elicited a good deal of surprise, for Tom Allen had always been known for an inveterate smoker, being generally the first to commence and the last to discontinue smoking in every company, of slaves to the fragrant, pungent weed.

" Are not you going to light up, Tom 2" I asked.

"No, I think not," he replied, in a tone quite melancholy to hear.

"Aren't you well?" I continued.

"Oh, yes; I'm well enough," he said; " why should you think otherwise ? I suppose I needn't smoke unless I choose to do so. I think lam better without it."

I was inclined to think that this last assertion of his was a pleasant fiction : if it was not, he had certainly undergone a, marvellously sudden conversion, for it wag fresh in the remembrance of all of us, how, on a very recent occasion, Tom Allen had carried on a controversy with an anti-to-bacconist, denying that the use of tobacco was detrimental to health, which he proved to his own satisfaction by asserting that, unless he smoked after his dinner, he could not digest what he had eaten. I know, on that occasion, we considered his arguments sound, and entirely shared his views. To hear him say, therefore, that he thought he was better without smoking, made us open our eyes with astonishment to the greatest extent which the clouds of smoke, which, were rapidly filling the room, permitted. My rooms were small, and with three or four mouths puffing vigorously away, even the strongest eyes would occasionally smart, especially in cold weather, when ventilation by the window was out of the question.

"Do you mean to say you have really given up smoking?" asked Harry Townsend ; " you, the great champion of nicotine?"

"For the present, at all events," was Tom's reply.

" Well, after that I should not be surprised to hear that you had become a member of the United Kingdom Alliance,"

"I should hardly be surprised myself," said Tom Allen, in a most despondent tone.

" "Why, Tom, whatever is the matter ?" we exclaimed, simultaneously. "Have you got some heart disease or other complaint which would be aggravated by smoking ?"

" Nothing of the sort," he replied. "I believe I'm as strong as a bull ; that's the worst of it. If I felt that smoking was injurious to my health, I should reconcile myself to doing without it ; but when I really believe that I'm better with it, it does seem rather too bad to have to give it up."

" Then you're not discontinuing it voluntarily?" I asked, with some surprise: " what can b.e your reason?"

Before Allen could make any reply, Frank Ellison called out : " I have it ! — it's all as clear as day-light ; we all know Tom's going to be married ; it's his lady-love who has stopped his smoking. Tom, my dear friend, be advised in time ; think well before you bind yourself hand and foot. With all due respect to the young lady, whom I have never seen, I can't help saying I pity you, for I think a woman who can act in so arbitrary a manner before marriage will wear the breeches with a vengeance when the nuptial knot is tied."

Tom Allen heaved a deep sigh. The embargo that had been laid on his favourite habit evidently depressed. him. Having, I suppose, in some measure relieved himself by the sigh (or else why was it perpetrated?) he proceeded to speak as follows :

"You are mistaken, Frank; it is not Amy that has put the veto on my smoking; she, dear girl, sympathizes with me in my great trial. As, however, the fact of my not smoking has become the subject of your conversation, I will make a clean breast of it, and give you the explanation of my wretched position. I hope my sad story may act as a lesson to you all, and make you very careful in your conduct to strangers, for you never can tell under what circumstances you may meet them at a future time."

Before he commenced the relation of the episode in his life which had resulted in his abstinence from tobacco we replenished our glasses, in order thcit we might not disturb him in his relation. Tom then drew another deep inspiration, and proceeded:

" The incident which has resulted in my discontinuing the practice of smoking for the present (I say for the present, because I am in hopes that the embargo may be removed in the future) occurred a few years ago, in my old Oxford days. I was proceeding to Alma Mater, at the conclusion of one of the vacations, and had taken my place in the train which -was to bear me thither. I was the sole occupant of the compartment, and the train was on the point of starting, when the door of the carriage waa suddenly thrown open, and an old gentleman entered the compartment. He was a sour-looking old fellow of about sixty years of age, and was evidently bent upon taking the utmost care of hi mself. He wore a long great-coat, which reached almost to his, heels, and over this was thrown a short wrapper; moreover, his throat was carefully swathed in the folds of a thick, red, woollen comforter. He did not appear to me to be at all the sort of person with whom one could enter into conversation at a moment's notice. I felt that I should have infinitely preferred the solitude of my own ruminations to his society. The result proved that my instinct had not misled me. Oh, that I had changed my seat ! I should then have been puffing away at the present moment with the best of you ! Frank, just blow a good cloud of smoke into my face, will you? I shall perhaps be able to sniff up some of it ; I prefer it second-hand to not at all.— Thanks. . ' : •• ; '

The train moved slowly out of the station, and the old gentleman began to maka his arrangements for the journey. He proceeded to unlock 'and open a somewhat biilky,- black; travelling bag, from .which he first of all extracted a sealskin cap, which, after haying removed his hat, he plMii

them Sunder his : ? :^/ -rD^nf r peWorraah'Ce of this operation, ■*;,■ I'jr^marMd'ihM^hif i>ead would, have, made '■ \-i asJte}field^fbir tfte science of a phrenologist, _v t its -.being /quite -bald ; he • next- produced a % '.-'■ C large^ fur":slipp'er, into which he.inserted his huge ipigainly feet. It occurred to me, on ; notacihg these,: that his bootmaker must, be , aimaxLopriC) ordinary genius; for how he, had'^pntrived.to 1 induce the coverings of ; the' old man's, feet'ito accommodate them-; selves to; the:numerpus knobs which over- : Vs|pread:thpse'!ifeej< ihithe most unusual places ha¥ ever ..remained a mystery to me. Havingdone all that he.could for those two ex-; fremities; of his. person, he dived a third timeJintp the black; ,bag. ' "What next?" I thought^ ; for I was watching him with: a greats deal* of curiosity... An airr cushion. This,' after. unscrewing the mouthpiece, he placed'tOt his mouth, and proceeded to infiate;oafter;due hissing, he appeared to be satisfiedv.with, the. dimensions of it, and. placed it behind his shoulder-blades; I never could- conceive; why this was done, for the'-'back, of- the carnage was excellently patddedi ; He then'drew on a pair of thick knitteaiglaves,; spread a railway, rug over his knees,! : and appeared to be made up for. theioiurney. - .1 thought he was most likely g'oing^dr'sleep'out the time that he was destinedtopass'in the train, but instead of thisi'he- took up! . a . copy • of TJie Tvmes, which:hehadibrought with him, in which' he- seemed t6 be very soon absorbed. *•-■ I then proceeded to put my ideas of com- . fort'in' forc^: ybif may guess what they Wjbre;] 1 ;! drew out my- cigar-case, selected and 'had 1 just struck a light, when , I- he&Jcl a flight movement proceeding from my 'companion; I looked up : his eyes i were, fixed intently upon me;- he was 1 clo'sely l obseirving my actions. This did hot trouble me much-, so I- proceeded to light ■up, and in another moment was blowing a splendid oloud. ;: ■ : Presently I heard a. cough — "Ahem 1" P looked- kt' my fellow-traveller. . "I object to smoking," he' said. : ./.'Wel| 'now/-' I 'thought, "this is cool, to' say/the least "qf ; it." :

",In ! order hot/to infringe the bye-laws of the Company, "Phad been careful to select a carriage, on the xlpor of which was hung a to^ar^marked : " Smoking Compartment." I suppbse'-the' old gentleman, in ;his' hurry, h&& not' observed this notice; which placed itf&'in'the nght;and him- in the wrong. I did^oVlik'e 1 his appearance at all; he was a' nasfcyy crusty old fellow, I could see,' so I m^d^upjmymina not to enlighten "him as to;his mistake. " I admit -my conduct was riad^'but 1 ! replied- 1 - ■ !

~ " : '" H'm'i * s6me : people do, I believe." He : had'hot: waited for any 1 response from me ; after ''having made his' 'objection, but had returned to the perusal of his paper. Apparently'he expected me to put out my cigari' : : This> however, I had not the slightest' antentipn i: of doing. About three mirijite^s elapsed,' and he then addressed me a ge£ph ; d timer - ' : • X-tt I ! --tHink" : you .cannot have heard me, sir ; ' I: informed you just now that I had a great objection" tb smoking." " "*' O r }i r I heard your remark distinctly endugh, siiy" I replied ;" "and it seems to m.c hardly necessary for you to repeat it. I ana ' ribt'.prepared-to engage in a controversy as'tp the -merits and demerits of the habit. On' your" enlightening me as to your opinion on the subject, . I stated that I believed there were others in the ; world who shared your objections,"

"'■ There was a short pause, and then he renewed the attack. '.

..'.'Do you mean to say, sir, that you are going $>' continue smoking, in: defiance of whatl^have said?" he asked.

:_" I didn't mean to .say anything of the sdrt-'.;siri ? ? r-replied, % « although I proposed t^jcbhtinue my present' occupation; but, as yquput|he question so pointedly, I see no Hariri •ig t mfor r mmgyou that I shall not put this cigar, out until it has. become too hot for my'lipsrto hold/ ' : "' : ' to; be greatly astonished at itty cool auaa^ity. ; '

;-;<;'" Very- well, sir," he replied, "we shall Se^ : vvhefher v t.Hft,dompariy will allow its bye-lays to, be : , infringed, and its passengers, annoyed with' impunity. Unless you at fr onde ; ext;inguish that' cigar, I shall, the next-time we,, stop,' inform the- guard of v^our^conduct." • ' ■' ■ ' ' ■■• . ■ ~ :f '*i.s you 'please, 1 sir," I replied, and continue^ smoking: ; ; Shortly : afterwards the trpn slackened its speed,, and my fellowIpaspngef; who had seated' himself on that sid^pf the 'carriage farthest from the down platform dfthe^statipns along the line, retebved' the- 'railway nig from his knees, slipped'his' k'nobly ' foot out of the gduty-looking-sljpper, and/moved to the seat in ihk opposite corner^ in order, I supposed, •to-hail some Official for the purpose of requesting him" t6 have me removed. The train ha r d. hardly come to a dead stop before 'dpwn went the window, and out popped the .peatekih'cjap and its contents. l >^Gua&! guard!" I heard him exclaim. •■; "But' no guard replied to his summons. •.•Evidently; fearing that the train would - move ; °F he had accomplished his purposewith' regard to me, he bawled out again;at the top ' of his voice — ; '."; ; ;'^hia*ti, guard^, porter! why don't you 'come/when, l call?" • ■'■

'.''This last Question was addressed to the approaching form of the first-named individual.; ''My companion seeing that he was .about" to receive; attention, drew his head '%!? ..*"©" carriage again and resumed his "seat; I 1 concluded in order that the railway "official might obtain a; clear view of me. 1 In 'another 1 moment the 1 head and shoulders ,<tf * ne ,. gawd showed themselves at the wjndqwi ; The old gentleman was on the £ . $P£ al ? n S. w hen I forestalled him, 'f-T;mP h ? -guard,'' I "'/3 aid very, quietly, ( s an old gentleman who has an objection ,to smoking— some mistake in the .carriage, I suppose. Would I 'you be so /good as to find him a seat in another com'partnienti" !

. J-. :, The g^ard- smiled, and the old gentleman fitared at irie in "amazement. He did not , understand hfe mistake. - '*'Wftat do you mean by this, impertisir ? he; : asked , fiercely. . " Guard, .^"order ypii'.to turn this man out of the Jcamagg^ he has been annoying me with smpking m'spite pf my haying repeatedly risked, him to desist: Ifyoudonot do so, '$$■ fi £ d Ou^ "&& i.'name, so that he may be Summoned before the magistrates, I shall v jrejpdrt-'ypu." r . ■■■•■• ..;^ W 9Hn"tdpit, sir," 'was the guard's an•^?fr> .'."W^f gentleman's perfectly right; ,a wrong compartment : p -this"is'.a smokingi-eamage." 1" said old crusty; e.appar^.y he' was: not aware of this recent :'s£}s& in; 'civilisation made by the railway !< .' : ' ' "■■*!>' i ?%&• F* '■"s<&* sir > if you're going to be quick about | Jr it^j^|';cari't-w.ait here alLday." ■fß:f[ v^anj^^)iig.fclack:'bag ( and other traps guard,] ; he hpbbled out of the car.K4j&ge;i.ca£ting.,a' glance full of malignacy on ; ?^e as ; ,he-pa«sed r • , When he had alighted {{ ;on th.Bjplatfpr m, I saw him scrutinise slowly £#$ -which .notified that the carriage l ; iß'jWhiehl •vsrasseated was devoted to the . '. f:m&: tfs}Qse. who indulged, in the habit of ;^r V-; - ■ ■"; i ' ', • n^lcpuld^.notrresisfc saying", "Good day, ?■» J#,P.as another ■JfW^^iii^^^^y^aee. it." After • "BH^%* 4®ps?^ii *B°??> 9-f pay 'pid friend, ( :^^^^MoQ^spP-of^e'f^iage win low. . We, stopped,, for. "M^P^m^mms^; ti#; alighted; Ap-

parently, however, his journey was a longer one than mine, for I reached my destination without getting another sight of him. .

My. college career was closed, and I came up here; to read for the bar, as you all know. About six months ago, Amy Harris was stopping with the Ashtons, with whom you are aware that I have always been on terms* of great intimacy. Consequently,' during the young lady's stay there I saw a great dealof her ; the fact is, hardly a day passed without, my spending a portion of it at the Ashtons' house, The more I saw of Amy Harris the more I desired to see of her ; and as this could not well be without my giving her my name, I made her an offer ; : you know with what result — she referred me, to "papa." Papa, I was informed, resided at Lesborough, a small place about thirty miles beyond Oxford. To Lesborough, therefore, in a few days, I repaired, haying been preceded by Amy and also by a letter from Frank Ashton (who was well acquainted with Mr. Harris), saying that I was well off, of respectable family, and in fact, in every way a desirable son-in-law. Mr. Harris was therefore prepared to receive very graciously. I believe the organ of individuality to be very deficient in my brain, for, I have always had the greatest difficulty in recognising faces, and it is only after repeated interviews that I become master of the appearance of my different acquaintances. I believe I make many enemies through this deficiency; for people, I feel sure, often imagine that I am cutting them intentionally, when they are entirely out of my thoughts.

On being introduced to Mr. Han-is, who was a man well past the prime of life, there was something about him, I could not tell what, that told me we had met before ; but the how, when, and where of our meeting was gone from me. I tried hard to tax my memory with the circumstances under which we had previously met, for that this was not our first meeting, I felt convinced. But it was of no use — the treacherous elf refused to render me any assistance. I did not like Mr. Harris's expression ; I thought he seemed to scowl at me in a peculiarly unpleasant way. He, however, gave no sign of having seen me before, and our interview proceeded. Eveiything went smoothly enough, Mr. Harris giving his consent to my engagement with his daughter ; and I was congratulating myself that the business had been so satisfactorily transacted, when Amy's father said, with a sour attempt at a smile —

"I must ask you one question, which I have little doubt your answer will prove to be an unnecessary one. It is simply this : Are you a smoker ?"

I can even now see the man's look of fiendish delight as he put the question. I knew him then; he was my fellow-pas-senger whom I had so unceremoniously caused to be removed to another railway carriage three years previously, when he, had raised an objection to my smoking. He had immediately recognised me, and detarmined to pay me off for my want of courtesy. I thought it showed the mean, sneaking spirit of the man, asking me whether I smoked, when all the time he was perfectly well aware of the fact, instead of reminding me in a straightforward way of our former meeting, and telling me that he retained his objection to the use of tobacco. I should have respected him in such a case, whereas now I despised him from my inmost soul.

For the first time in my life I was thankful that I did not possess the ability of easily recognising faces : for, had I known that Amy's father and my. anti-tobacco fel-low-passenger were one and the same person, I am afraid that I should not have had the courage to ask him for his daughter's hand. i.

As he had chosen to ignore our former meeting, I followed suit, replying, not without a good deal of anxiety at the result of my answer —

" I certainly am a smoker, though not to a great extent ; I hope you have no objection to the habit."

"But I have a most decided objection to the filthy habit. I am sorry, Mr. Allen, that I was not aware of this fact before you started on your journey, down here, for you would; have been spared the annoyance of a fruitless errand. Iso much disapprove of smoking, that I would not for a moment entertain a proposal for my daughter's hand from any one who indulged in it. I presume that there is nothing more to be said, and that our interview may be cdnsidered at an end. I am sorry you should have hod all this unnecessary trouble. Good—" " One moment Mr. Harris," I exclaimed. "Surely this need not be. the cause of any difficulty. Rather than be deprived of Amy, I will discontinue smoking ; it will require a great deal of self-denial on my part to: break off. the habit, I admit ; but I am ready to make any sacrifice rather than lose Amy."

" Oh ! that certainly alters the case," he replied. « I was hardly prepared for this. If you will give me your word of honour that, so long as you are engaged to my daughter, and after you have married her, if such marriage should take place, you will abstain from smoking without, my permission, I will revoke my refusal of consent to your engagement with Amy." bound myself by word of honor that it should be so, and my engagement dated from that moment. He had certainly paid me off for fumigating him in the railway carnage with a vengeance. I hoped from his saying that I was not to smoke without his consent that he would occasionally give me permission to do so ; but not a whiff, though I did hint to him on several subsequent occasions that I believed my digestive organs were becoming impared by the want of the weed.

From that day to this I have never held a pipe or cigar between my lips ; and this occurred two months ago. Amy sympathises with me entirely, and when we are married, we intend to set our wits to work to devise some means of circumventing the old man. I intend to make him remove his embargo as soon as I can ; but of course no attempt can be made until the wedding is over; that event, by-the-by, I expect will take place in about four months from the present time.

Now what do you think of my father-in-law elect ? Is he not an old, curmudgeon ?

We were unanimous in crying shame on the old man, who had cherished an old sore, of his own causing, for three years and then adopted this mean way of being revenged. We assured poor Tom Allen who sat looking very glum, that he possessed all our sympathy, and told him that we had no doubt some plan could be concocted between us for making old Harris revoke his decision.

By the time that Tom Allen had finished his story, it was getting rather late, so our party broke up, each member of it proceeding .to his own abode. I saw Tom Allen frequently after this evening, up to the time of his marriage, and on every occasion inquired whether his future father-in-law's opinion had undergone any change; but the answer was always in the negative : old Harris remained obdurate. Tom always said, "But never mind; wait till we're married ; I'll be even with him then."

Allen's period of total abstinence from tobacco previous to his marriage continued for about seven months, and then, on taking up the newspaper one day, I saw the announcement of his union with Miss Harris. " Poor Tom," I thought, "I wonder if he's had a pipe yet." Then I began to wonder .whether he would succeed in. his endeavor to overcame his father-in-law's scruples. I

was inclined to think that he would, for Allen was a man of indomitable energy, and usually succeeded in any matter he took in hand.

I saw no more of Tom Allen during the next three months, for business had detained me out of town, when one day, as I was passing up Regent-street, whom should I see, but Master Tom sauntering quietly down the street, and, wonder of wonders, between his lips he held a huge Havannah. He had prevailed with Mr. Harris then, and was free to smoke when he chose.

"Ah Howard, old boy," he said, "glad to see you ; so long since we've met, when we consider we used to see each other two or three times a week. You see I've beaten the old man — smoke fifty cigars a day if I like,"

I congratulated him on the fact, and inquired what means he had employed for the purpose of bringing his father-in-law to reason.

"Oh," he said, "I can't tell you out here, and to tell you the truth, I am rather in a hurry at the present moment. I have to meet Amy at a shop in Piccadilly, and I'm afraid I'm rather behind time as it is ; but if you have no better engagement for town, and will favor us with your company at dinner at six o'clock, we shall be delighted to see you, and I'll explain how I brought the father-in-law round to my my way of thinking."

I promised to come on the following day, and we parted.

Accordingly, at the appointed time I presented myself at Allen's door. I was much pleased with his wife, a most hospitable, pleasant, little body, and I felt myself at home with her at once. I considered Tom had not paid to;o dearly for the privilege of calling her his* wife, especially now that he was at liberty again to smoke as hard as he liked. She gave us an excellent dinner, to which we did full justice, and as soon as the cloth had been removed, and she had left us to ourselves, I reminded Tom of his promise to inform me of the means he had used for obtaining Mr. Harris's consent to smoke.

He laughed and rang the bell. A boy in buttons came in answer to it, to whom my host gave some instructions in a tone that was too low to reach my ears. In a few minutes Mr. Buttons returned, bearing in his hand a metal article that seemed to me to be a cross between a pair of bellows and a watering-pot. By his master's instructions, the boy placed this curious-look-ing machine on the table in front of us, and then left the room.

I regarded it for a few moments steadily, but could not make out what it was; I noticed a handle on one side of it, so that it was evidently a rotatory machine of some description.

"What in the name of all that's mysterious is that ?" I asked.

"That, my friend," replied Tom, "is the instrument of torture by means of which I was enabled to cause my respected father-in-law to regard smoking in a more favourable light than he had hitherto done." He then proceeded to speak as follows :

As soon as our honeymoon was over, Amy and I set our wits to work to hit upon a plan for bringing her father to reason, and after a long consultation, decided upon a course which we thought would have the desired effect. Amy therefore wrote to Mr. Harris to ask him to spend a few weeks with us (he is a widower, by-the-by, to which request he graciously acceded. The day before his arrival I bought that machine which I see you regarding with such wonder. It is a fumigator for the purpose of fumigating plants with tobacco, with a view to destroying little insects which frequently congregate upon them. I also purchased several pounds of the strongest tobacco I could lay my hands upon. I then set the boy to work at the machine in every room in the house, so that the smoke became so dense that it was actually difficult for us to see one another. The consequence was, that on the day of Mr. Harris' arrival there was a most sickening stench of stale tobacco -smoke pervading the house. I had told the boy to give the bedroom intended for Mr. Harris a double dose, which he did. As soon as the old gentleman set foot in the hall he began to sniff vigorously; then he turned upon me a most withering look, as much as to imply that I had broken my word to him. He did not say anything to me however, and shortly afterwards I left him alone with Amy. Directly I had quitted the room, she told me that he had accused me of having broken my word in regard to the smoking. She positively stated that I had never had a pipe or cigar in my mouth since the day of my marriage, and affected not to perceive the unpleasant odour pervading the house.

I had given the boy his instructions, so when I rang the bell after dinner he entered the room with the fumigator ready for action.

"What on earth is that thing?" asked my father-in-law.

"A fumigator," I replied. "I must apologise to you, my dear sir, for having to make use of this machine ; but the fact is, that finding my digestion much weakened from not smoking after dinner, I have been compelled to adopt this substitute, I am happy to say with the most fortunate results, for I much prefer it to smoking and find its effects much more efficacious. I hope it will not cause you any annoyance." Without regarding his look of astonishment, I then, with the utmost gravity set a light to the tobacco, and proceeded to turn the handle of the machine. Volumes of smoko instantly began to issue from the spout.

"That, then, is the cause of the horrible stench which fills the house," he said; "the place smells worse than any taproom in the kingdom."

" Does it indeed, sir V I asked, with the most innocent expression I could assume. " I suppose living so continually in it we are unable to perceive it."

He watched the smoke ascending to the ceiling for a few moments, and then began to cough violently. Seeing the effect upon him, I was about to offer to discontinue the operation, when he exclaimed :

"For heaven's sake, Tom, throw that infernal machine out of the window, and if you must* have tobacco-smoke take a cigar."

I ceased turning the handle — - 1 had hardly anticipated so speedy a conversion. I thought, however, it would not do to fall into his views too rapidly, lest his suspicion should be aroused, so I replied, —

" I wish you had suggested this course to me some time ago, sir, for I have become so accustomed to tobacco taken in this form that I now prefer it to any other, and it will require a greater effort on my part to dispense with the fumigator than was the case with regard to cigars. However, as you find it so very unpleasant, I will do my utmost to discontinue the practice, and solace myself with a cigar, my taste for which has now died out. I only hope my health will not suffer by the change. I will now therefore, with your permission, take a cigar."

"Oh, certainly," he answered; "anything rather than that abomination," pointing to the fumigator.

"I had taken care, previous to inviting him, not to be unprepared for the contingency which occurred, so I at once took a cigar from a drawer and forthwith enjoyed the first smoke I had had for nine months. "What do you think of my tactics ?"

"I heartily congratulate you on the result of them," I replied, "whatever may be my opinion of the means you employed ; but we have left Mrs. Allen too long alone ; suppose we ioin her."