Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1871-01-18
Laugh and Grow Fat.

we published, week or two since, says
the Germantown (Pa) Chronicle, a card
for those who sought reductive boarding
house system by which their superfiuous
adipose might be dispensed with. It seems
that Dr. Dio Lewis has been thinking in
the interest of an opposite class-those who
arc thin to unloveliness. He certainly has
the larger enterprise For one fat person
there are a dozen, or a score, of lean one>.
They are dried up, and in danger of blowing
away. How their bones rattle in the wind
There are cavernous hollows in their tenn
pies and cheeks; while their eyes roll like
great black China saucers. 1t seems that
they have been drinking vinegar all their
lives or have the consumption; or have
allowed life to ooze out of them in some un-
lawful way. We always feel for them. So
does DR.. Dio Lewis We are always afraid
thatin the crowd they will get jostled against
us, and their sharp angles-bones which
no cushion of flesh covers would do Us
harm. In fact we set them down as dan
gerous class in the community. Fat people
are heavy, and dozy, and a burden to them
selves. Our reductive boarding house con-
templates them as unfortunates; and is
itself pure philanthropy. But lean peo-
pie are really dangerous-and in this age of
phosphates are often carried eff in the night
and burned for dry bones. No doubt large
per centage of murders could be traced to
some sol t of leanness or other.
Now, DIR. Lewis comes sensibly to the
rescue He sends these skeletons to bed be
| times. They have ratified in between the
| sheets ordinarily at IL or half-past / l.. The
| doctor tells them that will never do. They
must bid the busy, tea stepped, gossipy
world farewell by half past or o'clock.
This tagging out of the flesh results in part
from late hours. Susie used to be buxom
maid Now she has tight skin across her
pinched nose and anxious cheeks. Susie
has been to more evening dress parades for
young children than is consistent with health
and flesh So, though Susie is scarcely in
her teens, she bids fair to be one Of those
/ old skeletons that rattle in the wind before
she is %. All the healthy, happy juices oi
life are going in this folly, and she will be
old and dry, and frittered away, and good for
nothing very young And the case is the
same with Mary, and Alice, and Sarah Jane.
Their fathers and mothers ought to put
them to bed early for the next ten years
instead of hiring hackney coaches. and OF
dering Tom to take them to evening dissl
pations at Bigbug's or at Nine. Showotf 5
The first condition of plumpness is early
to bed. DIR. Lewis says that the second il
water Here we think he may be right, but
do not know. We are sure that he is right
about early retiring. He says when you re
tire, drink water; drink all you can-one
tumhler, two tumblers, ard more if you can
Then take, by day, abundance of fresh
air. Ride-ride till you are hungry. Eat
eat oat meal porridge, cracked wheat, Ora
ham mush, sweet apples baked, and have
no scruples about sugar and cream. Take a
nap in the daytime Go and see the joliest
persons you know. Avoid the solemn Wis
aged. Shun the lugubrious. Cultivate the
cheerful-the men and women who laugh
Laugh yourself. Laugh and grow fat
Keep your skin clean. Sleep in a room
where the sun shines. Have everything
bright and cherry about you. Sleep ter
hours if you can. And then, says the doc
tor, ''in six months you will be as plump a
ever your lover could wish. -
We think well of Dr. Lewis advice Anc
we like his medicine. Plenty Of Sleep, air
sunshine and cheeriulness. Who would no
laugh and grow fat ? We recon mend to al
lean people-and to those silly parents VIII
are making their children miserabiy lean
his sensible words.