Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1881 — Will the Coming Woman Smoke? [ARTICLE]

Will the Coming Woman Smoke?

The London World thinks she will, and gives its reasons for this opinion as follows: “In all probability the higher education of women will bring, about one result which its advocates have never thought of. Girl-graduates over worked and crammed, will take to the solace of smoking. The women who are pushing their way into the professions will discover the need of it. When women begin to work they will be entirely associated with the bluestocking, instead of the anonyma and her imitators. It Will be useless to protest or condemn. The use of tobacco was prohibited in Russia—the knout threatened for the first offense, death for the second—yet Russian ladies are the greatest of smokers. Pope Urban VIII issued a bull against it; our King James fought vigorously against its introduction here. Inthe'east the priests and sultans declared smoking to be a sin against their holy religion, and yet the Turk is seldom seen without a pipe. Even the edict of society will not alarm the new generation of clever women. The actress smokes in her dressingroom because she is exhausted; the authors, the artists (and we have one or two women wno can paint) will smoke in their studios for the same reason. When sensible men go to see them, they wi’l light up- together aud have a sociable talk. * Let us console ourselves with the fact that a pretty woman who smokes because she likes it. looks well. Doubtless there will come a day when Worth will always add to his dresses a dainty little tobacco pouch or cigarette pocket. And we may be sure, when fashion has once get a word to say in its favor, smoking will no longer be improper.