A SPICY ARTICLE. 289 



down, cut and trimmed, and pressed into shape in a twink- 

 ling; the wrappers were cut as quickly; and, more rapidly 

 than I can describe it, the cigar was made. These girls 

 were mostly daughters of neighboring farmers, who received 

 so much per hundred cigars made ; intelligent, bright-eyed 

 and witty ; many of them comely, with rosy cheeks and 

 ruddy health; educated at the common schools, and able, 

 their day's work over, to sit down at the piano and rattle 

 away ad infinitum. 



" His stock of cigars thus made up, from the first sowing 

 to the last finishing touch, the good squire (being Yankee- 

 like, a sort of Jack- of-all-trades,) would have them put up in 

 gorgeously labeled boxes, carry them to town, and sell them 

 to retail dealers ; not disdaining himself, twice or thrice a 

 year, to go through the neighboring States with samples, 

 and acting as his own commercial traveler." 



This description, however, may not convey a correct idea 

 of the exact mode of manufacture to many growers of to- 

 bacco in the Connecticut Valley inasmuch as many planters 

 of the " weed " make the entire cigar (more particularly for 

 their own use) wrapper, binder and filler wholly of seed- 

 leaf tobacco, such cigars do not readily sell to the trade 

 except at inferior prices which admit of but a small profit to 

 the manufacturer. The following spicy article from the 

 "London Figaro" may be interesting to all smokers as well 

 as guide them in the selection of a good cigar. 



"I am an imaginative person, and ' society 'has treated 

 me shamefully of late its tangible delights are absent from 

 me. Allow me, then, to console myself by the ' creations of 

 smoke,' as Lord Lytton puts it. I am scouted by society 

 because I am in love. I am told I look : 



"As hyenas in love are supposed to look, or 

 A something between Abelard and old Bliicher." 



And, moreover, I .am an ugly man, but there was 

 only a fortnight's difference in gaining a woman's love 

 between John Wilkes and the handsomest man in Eng- 

 land, courage, Jehu ! I like idleness, because it shows 

 that one can afford it ; so I arn puffing idly ah ! the balmy 

 fragrance of this mild Havana ! 'Oh ! the effect of that first 

 note from the woman one loves !' says one ; ' Oh ! the kiss 

 on the dimpled cheek, the sound of the silver voice !' says 

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