Ladies and gentleman, this is a little story about a time long ago, when gender roles were clear-cut (but certainly not equitable). It's about an era when the niceties were observed, even when they often weren't very nice. And it's about a time when a cigar was just a good smoke.

Nobody watched their cholesterol in the 19th century, and meals were hearty and heavy. In the finer households, dinner would be followed by a good port or brandy, an equally good cigar, and often some very dirty stories. When it was time for drinks, smokes, and smut, the men at the table expected their genteel women to discretely "withdraw" into the next room. That's why it was called the drawing room.

(Source: DICTIONARY OF WORD AND PHRASE ORIGINS)