256 The Soverane Herbe 



moment of his life, with which feeling smokers who 

 have found themselves far from the haunts of men 

 with an extremely limited supply of matches sym- 

 pathize to the full. 



Recently, while out riding alone, the German 

 Emperor found himself without a match to light his 

 cigar. Dismounting, he asked a small boy, who was 

 puffing a cigarette, for a light. The lad had not a 

 match, but offered the glowing end of his ' fag,' at 

 which the Kaiser kindled the Imperial cigar. Thank- 

 ing the lad, the Emperor gave him a twenty-mark 

 gold piece ; since when German small boys are con- 

 firmed in their addiction to cigarettes, and are ardent 

 in admiration of their matchless Emperor. 



To the crowned head tobacco is as grateful as to 

 that of the meanest beggar. A German artist has 

 depicted a King's crown balanced by the poor man's 

 pipe. Tobacco is the most democratic of luxuries. The 

 German Emperor, the Emperor of Austria, the Tsar, 

 the King of Italy, and nearly all other monarchs are 

 smokers. When the Empress of Russia prohibited 

 smoking in her presence by the ladies of the Court, 

 the Russian dames and maids of honour protested, 

 and pointed out that the Queen-Regent of Spain, the 

 late Empress of Austria, ' Carmen Sylva,' Queen of 

 Roumania, and the Queen of Portugal all indulge in 

 the soothing weed. 



The President of the United States, Mr. McKinley, 

 smokes so hard that his physicians have Hmited him 

 to two cigars a day. .Most of France's Presidents 

 have been non-smokers ; M. Faure puffed cigarettes, 

 but M, Loubet smokes a pipe, and therefore under 



