A SPICY ARTICLE, 289 
down, cut and trimmed, and pressed. into shape in a twink- 
ling; the wrappers were cut as quickly ; and, more rapidl 
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. 
“T 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. 1 am scouted by society 
because I am in love. Iam told I look: 
“As hyenas in love are supposed to look, or 
A something between Abelard and old Blicher.” 
And, moreover, IJ 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 am pufting 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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