o be bought for sixpence. Fancy the
satisfaction of spending sixpence a-week in wine! It is well
enough to preach about the selfishness of this expenditure;
but we all spend more selfishly, and we all love pleasure,
and I should very much like to see that cynic whose
pleasures cost less than sixpence a-week."

[Illustration: Egyptian pipes.]

The Egyptian pipes, especially those of modern date are exceedingly
fanciful in shape and resemble somewhat the pipes used by the
Persians. Many of them are made of clay and are sold very cheap.[54]
The Chinese use a variety of pipes but all of them have small bowls
for the tobacco. Some of their pipes are made of brass and attached to
the pipe is a receptacle for water, so as to cool the smoke before it
passes into the mouth. The Japanese use both copper and silver pipes,
most of them similar in shape and size to those used by the Chinese.

[Footnote 54: Watlin says of smoking in Egypt: "Tobacco
is tolerated, and seems to become more common again,
though a smoker is generally disliked and not allowed to
perform the part of Imam or rehearse, of the prayers,
before a congregation. The greater part of the people,
however, detest and condemn still the use of tobacco,
and I remember a Shaumar Bedawry who assured me that he
would not carry that abominable herb on his Camel, even
if a load of gold were given him."]

[Illustration: Japanese pipes.]

A writer says of smoking among the Japanese:

"Let us sit down to a good Japanese dinner--down on the
floor. Food on the floor. Fire and cigars or pipes on the
floor. Sit on your heels, waiting. Enter first
course--Fish-skin soup. Smoke. Third--Fish, cake and
bean-cheese. Smoke. Fourth--Row fish and horse-radish.
Smoke. Fifth--Broiled fish. Smoke again, Sixth--Custard
soup. Smoke. Seventh--Chicken stew, turnips and onions.
Smoke a little. Eighth--Cuttle-fish, wafer cakes, Nipon tea.
Here, if tired you can stop at the end of about two hours'
ankle-ache. All is cleanly, well spiced with talk, and
served with the utmost politeness. Sipping tea may be
substituted for the infinitesimal whiffs of polite smoking.
A grand dinner is much more elaborate; at least, so far as
the variety of smokes is concerned. After dinner, rest