Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-12-25
Eating Fruit.

Fruit should be eaten alive, like
oysters. There is an edge to the taste
Of a fresh-Opened oyster, which comes
I suppose, from the surprise he feels at
bring suddenly scooped out Of his
she'll In a few minutes, this gives
place to a feeling Of alarm; and then
in an hour or two, TO one Of despair.
When he Is laid out with his brethren
In ,dish, the whole brood is hopeless
and sad. They may still taste of life,
but it IS of life disappointed. But the
fresh-opened oyster has no time to
grow feYerish or melancholy. He is
caught in state of serene unconsci-
business of sorrow. He has sound mind
in a sound body, and IS therefore
wholesome and ni3e. Allow him to re-
feet before his dissolution, and the
brightness of his spirit is gone. But
the quick operation Of detaching him
from his shell sends a spasm through
his being, which startles all the latent
excellence he may possess into sudden
and unique perfection. III eaten at
this crisis Of healthy powers, he con
veys all the qualification which an oy-
ster is capable of giving to the super
iOr animal, man.
So analagously, believe. is it in
eating fruit. 1t must be eaten alive,
before the reaction begins to set in
from its severance from the life car
fying stem. While plum for exam-
pie, hangs upon its stalk, it is in some
kind of magnetic correspondence with
al the powers of nature !; it shares the
lite Of the earth and the sky it has
sunshine IN Its veins and dew In its
cells. Cut of, and in time it dies,
corrupt, unWhOiesomes and every mo-
ment In Its progress from life to death
is marked by a deeadence of the es-
senee which makes fruit delicious.
Therefore, supposing that your pluck
i6 ripe, the sooner . plum is eaten. the
better for you. This, of course ap-
plies most to tender, thin-skinn ed
fruit. a firm apple dies slowly. "a
nut holds out long against the debas-
ing influence of separation from Its
source of life. But plums, figs, peach
es, apricots, and strawberries begin to
suffer directly they are gathered. This
Is the case even with pines, which are
susceptible Of bruises, but they con
tain such unapDarent surplusage oi
flavor that the first stages of their de-
cay are not preeeiyed, except by Gun,
ming palate.
Think the morning is the best time
for fruit. I am not quite sure, though
The afternoon is good. But / do no
recommend fruit with the dew on it
Let the fruit get its own breakfast be,
fore you eat 1t yourself 1t brea kfast;
on early sunshine and dow. Tt takei
these good things and then smiles up
on itself and the world Just rs you d,
hall an hour after a pleasant break
fast, Bat It while tits in this humor
by no means In the raw and earl
morning thus you have the younl
freshness and virgin flavor Of thu
fruit.
It has another character later in thl
day, when it IS filed with sunshine
then / think It IS sWeeter. It does no
express. perhaps, the same exquisite
accuracy of characteristic flavor, bu
It's capacity for richness is then at it
fullest stretch. Its pulp is not les
juicy, though it Is more general thel
special IN It's character; and, more
over, it impresses you with sense Q
the contrast between the dry, wear
air Of the day, and the reserve an
freshness latent to the hanging plum
w ouldIt be possible for any Gun
ming magician in words to convey
sense of the flavor Of various fruit
think not. When | try, It does nc
lie IN my impotence of language. 1t
not merely small and faint effort t
describe the cuTrant as sharp tn
neetarine clean, quick aud JUICY tn
peach mellow, melting and high bred
the apple sound and masculine th
pear subtle and yet firm; the crap
generous the strawberry tender, ye
distinct and fragrant; the gooseberr
vulgar, yet pleasant; the raspberr
sweet the cherry feeting and pulpy
Il Is Of no use trying. It is not N
fault; the fault lies in the inadequac
of language to define the sensatio
which shall generieaIly be appropriat
to the favor of fruit, and yet conve
the peculiar property of the seYers
sorts. / viii not attempt a defnitio
ofthem. But I protest against th
coarseness of the intellect which doe
not perceive in eating that it
brought into contact with the sui
tlest and yet most distinctive dif,S
enees which can characterize anythir
which, like fruit, is known undt
one name.-Ch Chambers Journal