ANTIQUITY OF TOBACCO-SMOKING 131. 



furniture. Visit the humblest abode and there will be 

 placed before you all the tiny equipment for a smoke ; but 

 their weed is almost tasteless ; certainly, it can do nobody 

 any harm. Formerly the tiny cup of tea was always the 

 prelude to social gossip ; now, however, for some reason or 

 other the pipe takes precedence of the cup. Surely a wise 

 choice, for in the pipe he had found a soother of the 

 ruffled frame, calming the unruly member which the tea- 

 cup sets free to dilate with eloquence on the virtues — or 

 their opposite — of the dear absent ones ; helping the fair 

 devotee to unbosom herself of old confidences too heavy to 

 be longer borne, and to form new and undying friendships — 

 till the' next tea meeting. Assuredly, wherever Eve's 

 daughters congregate there will the tea-pot — the genius 

 of quickened sensibilities — be the favourite fetish. 



Let us take a peep at a reception, an ' At Home,' where 

 a dark-eyed daughter of Japan reposes luxuriantly on a 

 carpet of many colours. By her side is an arm-rest, and 

 a gorgeous screen adorned with wondrous figures in 

 prismatic hues protects her from obtrusive view. Two 

 English ladies are her visitors ; they are ushered through 

 a long corridor, covered with thick matting of a fine texture, 

 into the reception hall. Passing into a large well- 

 proportioned room, they are agreeably surprised with the 

 simplicity and tasteful character of the furniture, which 

 consists of a row of small lacquer tables and chairs, placed 

 at intervals of a few yards ; by the side of each chair is a 

 large bronze urn of ornamental design, filled with 

 symmetrically shaped pieces of glowing charcoal. Raising 

 the eyes to the walls they see that these are covered with 

 a heavy yet delicate paper artistically painted with birds and 

 flowers; and the wainscoting, panels and window-frames, 

 are of a highly polished black lacquer. Over all there 



