Show CIGARETTE tn the choa old flays of queen bess every smoker had ID his outfit a pair of tobacco tongs if he were a gallant of ahe court they were made of silver it n substantial merchant of brass but if a working man of cheap ironware they were a necessary implement to the smoker matches were unknown and the only available fire in the daytime was the log ocoa opoa the hearth with the poker a smaller piece of the glowing ember was broken off which with the tongs was applied to the freshly charged pipe hundreds of these tones art to he found in the collections of antiquarians acost of them are clumsy objects but a few are roce fal in outline and artistic in workman ship these tonga were retired on a small scale some 20 years ago when they bertt employed for holding the alga rette tongs were froia attro tooer lubbe in length connected at the upper end by a mart spring which kept the ends to cether when in a position of rest when used the smoker opened them and caught the cigarette between the tip clas up to the mouth end the contrivance enabled the user to burn cigarette down to the last whiff and protected the fengers from the discoloring dis coloring capor that produces the brown stain upon the fore and middle fingers |