I had little appetite for my dinner that evening.
_The Pipe_
"RANDOLPH CRESCENT, N.W.
"MY DEAR PUGH--I hope you will like the pipe which I send with
this. It is rather a curious example of a certain school of
Indian carving. And is a present from
"Yours truly, Joseph Tress."
It was really very handsome of Tress--very handsome! The more especially
as I was aware that to give presents was not exactly in Tress's line. The
truth is that when I saw what manner of pipe it was I was amazed. It was
contained in a sandalwood box, which was itself illustrated with some
remarkable specimens of carving. I use the word "remarkable" advisedly,
because, although the workmanship was undoubtedly, in its way, artistic,
the result could not be described as beautiful. The carver had thought
proper to ornament the box with some of the ugliest figures I remember to
have seen. They appeared to me to be devils. Or perhaps they were intended
to represent deities appertaining to some mythological system with which,
thank goodness, I am unacquainted. The pipe itself was worthy of the case
in which it was contained. It was of meerschaum, with an amber mouthpiece.
It was rather too large for ordinary smoking. But then, of course, one
doesn't smoke a pipe like that. There are pipes in my collection which I
should as soon think of smoking as I should of eating.
Pages:
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412