SOCIAL AND ESTHETIC VIEW. 163 



On a crowded boat, between New York and 

 Boston, a lady (?) passenger, unable to sleep, 

 rose at three, virtuously mended her gloves, and 

 then, O shade of Minerva! leaning back in her 

 arm-chair, gave herself up to a cigarette ; while, 

 stretched on mattresses around her, many looked 

 on with undisguised amazement and disgust. 



Kiding in an omnibus in the New England 

 metropolis, I heard one young girl in a loud voice 

 ask another, "Did you forget the cigarettes ?" "I 

 was afraid I had left them, but I find they are in 

 my pocket." I could scarcely credit my senses. 

 I had another shock, however, at what, after this, 

 ought not to have surprised me, — the hearing of 

 profane words from those same youthful lips. 



But there is a still darker view. The smoking 

 father's darling, who climbs into his arms, and 

 clings around his neck, and whom he kisses fondly 

 with lips redolent of a Havana, is made familiar 

 with its flavor. A drop of its poison on the tongue 

 of her pet kitten would be fatal. But she be- 

 comes gradually accustomed to it, and, associating 

 it with her papa, will sometimes "play smoke." 

 And now her little brother appears with a dainty 

 cigarette in his mouth, seemingly a bit of white, 

 fragrant paper, so delicate that with a puff or two 

 it disappears. " How nice ! " she exclaims, " please 

 give me one." He complies, for there is no pro- 

 testing voice. Why should there be ? Her father, 

 now and then, smokes these cigarettes as "baby 

 cigars." Her brother, too, smokes them ; why, 



