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 three-cent ones quite good enough. Wethouder Hendrik never smokes more expensive ones.” I could but follow in the steps of this worthy municipal councillor.

The Hollander may truly be said to “smoke like a chimney.” It is no uncommon thing to see a priest standing outside the church enjoying his cigar while the congregation is slowly filing in, only to throw it away at the very last moment, when the time comes for him to don his vestments. Dutch smokers are worthy successors to the late Heer van Klaes, of Rotterdam, who was actually enjoying his pipe when he died at the ripe old age of ninety-eight years, and whose story is told by De Amicis. Every day he smoked nearly five ounces of tobacco, and in his will he issued the following invitation to all lovers of the fragrant weed: