OCR Text |
Show j THE CIGAR IN ITALY. Right Inclio T.ontr, with a Straw Down tho Onler Tlio J'opuliir "Vlrclnla." My first experience of an Italian opera performed in Italy was, to say the least of it, ppculinr. This was at the Arena National, of Florence, and the opera given was "I Due Foscnri," by Verdi. The house is shaped liko a circus, only the ring, or arena, was filled with rows of roughly madu straw chairs. Round tho sides there tire tiers of rising seats, as at a circus, and above one-circle of spacious boxes. A low roof comes down immediately over the boxes. There is no gallery, no place where tho "gods" could perch or peanuts be throwu. On tho floor or pit of tho houso, in tho circle, in the boxes everywhere, in fact, seething multitude of people were assiduously assidu-ously occupied smoking long "Virginia" cigars. These aro tho eight-inch long Italian cigars, wilh a straw down tho center. They nro an institution in themselves, tho peculiarity peculi-arity being that tho greatest ingenuity is displayed dis-played to render it impossible to light such cigars. Smokers, on the other hand, aro equally patient and clever in overcoming 1 these difficulties, 1 The only certain way of lighting this weed is, Hi st of oil, to extract, with a firm, straight, strong pull, the little thin pieco of grass placed wilhin tho straw. Thou tho cigar must ho held in a slanting manner to- wards a llame, patiently and steadily, till tho one end of the cigar is sufficiently burned for tho smoke to travel of itself up the straw and como out at thu upper end, just as if it were a chimney. To do this effectively, it is necessary to burn several wax matches in succession. It was not till I was initiated In this mystery that I could understand why such an enormous number of wax matches wore- offered for sale in tho streets; for to this complication in lighting tho cigar must bo added tho fact that Italians, in tho excitement ex-citement f.f convei-Siitiou, allow tho cigar to go out half n dozen times before they have unite finished smoking it. At tlio restaurants restau-rants it is customary to servo a candlo with cigars at dessert. On tho side of tho candlo isntUxod a little silver wire rest, on which tho cigar may bu placed so that tho end is iu tho llamo, 11? the time- tho dessert is finished, fin-ished, tho ciptr in lit and can be smoked without dilltculty. Such is tho Italian "Virginia," "Vir-ginia," Uio most popular of all smokes in Italy. In Austria, nlso, I found many persons givo it the preference, despite its nvnlritrant characteristics. The "favour," another Itnli.-m specialty, is not so long nor so thin, nor so black, nor s-. strong. It has no straw in tho center, anil it is very easy to light, but it is not particularly popular. As for tho cigarettes, thoy seemed to me dear and not particularly g'Xid. Tho IUiliau government is not, however, so strict ns the French; foreign cigars and cigarettes, after being dulv taxed, can ho sold nn where. In Franco theso are only to 1m obtained in one or two shops nud nt exorbitant prices. In French towns, unless fi e piented by the wealthiest classes, the foreign eigar and cigarette aro not to bo obtaini-d at all, and t ho smoker must bo satisHM with what the government tobacco factories pl.ni- on tho market. Cor. Philadelphia Telegraph. |