Memo from Messrs Robinson, Cigar Shippers
MY DEAR SIR,—We have been very anxious at not having heard from you for nearly a year. We trust that you are in good health and that no illness or bereavement has kept you from writing to us. As you know, it is our one ambition to satisfy you in the matter of cigars, and your long silence on the subject has naturally made us apprehensive. Until we hear from you, however, we shall refuse to believe that the last lot you had from us were fatal.
Write to us frankly on the subject. How did you like the cigars we sent you last Christmas? Were they brown enough? Did they smoke to a finish strongly? One third shipper, who went to Havana especially to select this lot for you, writes us that in this respect they were fit for an ambassador or (we may add) an actor manager. What is it, then, that you are keeping back from us? Perhaps you could not light them? If this was the case you should have written to us before, and we would either have sent you others of a more porous quality or forwarded you our special gimlet, with which you could have brought about the necessary draught. Lay bare your heart to us about these cigars. Do you mind the green spots?
A connoisseur like yourself will, of course, understand that, though we guarantee that all the cigars sent out by us can be smoked, yet the quality of the cigar must necessarily vary with the price. This being so, perhaps you would care to try a slightly higher-priced cigar this time. We have referred to our books and we see that last year we had the pleasure of sending you a box of our famous Flor di Cabajo at 8s. 6d. the hundred. A nicer-coloured cigar is the Blanco Capello at 9s. 6d.; but we are hoping this Christmas that you will see your way to giving our celebrated Pompadoros, at £5 the hundred, a trial. They have all the features of the Cabajo which you approved, together with a breadth and charm of flavour of their own. May we send you a box of these?
Our other special lines are:
The I am Coming—a spirited young cigar at 7s. 6d. the hundred, of which we enclose a sample.
The Mañana—prompt and impressive—10s. the hundred. (Note.—This cigar has a band.)
The There and Back—a good persevering cigar. Only 10s. 6d. Never comes undone.
However we are quite sure that none of these will appeal to such a fastidious palate as yours must be by now, and that we may confidently rely on your order for a box of Pompadoros.
We may say that if you should unfortunately have completely lost your taste for cigars we shall be happy to send a box to any friend of yours. Nothing could make a more acceptable present, and nothing would endear your friend or his relatives to you so completely.