Arkansas intelligencer., 1844-08-17
From the Uniied States Saturdav Post.


From the Unued States SATURDAY. Post.
FROM THE DIARY OF A LANDLORD.
Lights and colors come in only By tile eyes all
kinds Of sounds only by the ears bui Me serera
tastes and smells BY the use and palate.
1t has long been TO a matter of as,onishmcnt,
why one portion of the world should set their af.
fections upon an object, that was disgus,ingIv Of
fenslve to another. But upon farther reflection
we discover that taste are acquired. and that by a
singular devotion TO custom, we become no. only
reconcIled to, but affectionaely fond of things
that were hateful in the beginning. Water, which
Is so generally beloved by the worl-so neces-
sary to our comfort, our health, and even to our
existence, and so particularly eulogised by our
Physicians, our CIorgymen. and our Temperance
Lecturers, Is not at first reshed by the btbo:--
yet custom modifes the taste and nature renders
1t an element of life. Even the soul.' saws
Buwer, "becomes accustomed to the mill, and
follows the track mechanically which it commenc.
ed In disgust" In the eating department, we are
alike the children Of custom-and our taste are
only settled by long and persevering attention to
the habits of others. Pork and mo!asses, the fa
vorIte dish Of our primitive ancestors, is regarded
by some as extremely vulgar, while others, cling
ing perhaps TO the ancient doctrines of the nur.
lans, and forgetting the more recent discovery of
curram JelIy, adhere to il, and in spite Of the mod
ern Improvements in cookery, insist upon it as Il
savory dish.
But our astonshment is not so much excited by
Inc peculiar taste of individuals, as at the ncon-
siderale and destructive habit of billing and throw
'ng into the stomach, large quantities Of unchew-
cd and lndlgestible matter. This custom. which
prevails throughout the country, seems. to US, a
habit that is controlled and governed by various
circumstances. On board the steam boats--at
me reireshment houses on the rallways--at the
accommodation houses on post roads, and at most
OF the hotels, where every thing is placed upon
the table-whore the delicaces are always grasp
ed by the knowing ones, and where there is not a
supply Of walters, this custom becomes necessary
and hnaliy69w into habit that breaks up the
consttutlon,before it is cured in the party. An
other excuse is presented by the man of business,
that time is precious and cannot be recalled vet
this self-same gentleman will eat dinner in ten
minutes and under the hypnotic influence of
principe, rest and uxvriatc for an hour But in
the contemplation Of these, to us, excesses we
have eentlreIy.made.up mind to their destructive
influence
- The wise FOR health exercise depcnd
God never made his work for man to mend :"
ana consequently, we are sometimes disposed TO
believe IN the gymnastic influences of eating. If
the stomach is able to digest the heterogeneous
mass that is so unceromonousy thrown in, there
can be no doubt Of the advantages attained by the
exercise. Clodius Albinus, commander of the Ro.
mans In Gau ate, at one setting. 10 capons, 100
sniPes, $50 large oysters, 500 figs, 100 peeches,
lO melons, and 20 lbs. ralsns and, if We believe
the history in which this importan fact is recor.
ded, it must have been the exercise in eating, that
sustained him, and procured for him the impor.
tant office he filled. But we have other Romans
alike distinguished, and alike indebted TO the inAu.
ence Of some such amusement, for the notoriety
they have achieved. Besides, we have some
Athenlans of extraordinary appetite, who could
not have attained their celebrity from their pow
ers of Digestion Theagenus ate whole bull at
setting. Theodorus IIeropolitanas, devoured
20 lbs. Of fesh-2O pounds Of bread, and drank
three gallons of wine at one sitting and lady
named AgIaise, ate IL lbs. of hesh--4 semirands
of bread, and drank one gallon of wine, at one
sitting. We have also, from ancient history, the
evidence of the importance Of these people-and
Of the luxury and style in which they lived. We
have the story of Caligula, who spent, on single
supper, 1858, ,7OOl of CIaudius, of Nero and of
the uncomfortable guttony of Vitelius. Seneca
tells the story of man named Gabius, who spent.
on his table, 6O,OOO,OOO sesterii, or upwards of
50, 100000; and Of his destroying himself, from
a fear that he would die of hunger--having bu,
ten millions sestert, upwards of S35O, 900, re.
naming.
An Ohio merchant adverses that he has an
elegant assortment Of goods for the ladies, besides
a Handsome unmarried c3erkt