Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-10-18

.s.SPECE.uB.V' OF CHE.gP LEU1.vG.
1t is now Saturday afternoon, and will
tell you in confidence a little of my person.
al private experience during the past week.
On Sunday morning last thought would
try for week the experiment of living
cheaply. Sunday break fast, hulled south
ern corn, with little milk. My breakfast
cost three cents. l took exactly the same
thing for dinner. Food for the day, six
cents. never take any supper. Monday
breakfast, two cents worth of oatmeal, in
the form OF porridge, with one cents worth
of milk. For dinner, two cents worth of
whole wheat, boiled, with one cents worth
of milk. Food for Monday, six cents.
Tuesday break fast, two cents worth of
beans, with half cents worth of vinegar
For dinner, one quart of rich bean por-
ridge, worth one cent, with four slices OF
coarse bread, worth two cents. Food for
Tuesday, five and half cents. Wednes-
day break fast, hominy made OF southern
corn (perhaps the best of all food for labor
ing men in hot weather,) two cents worth,
with one cents worth of syrup. For din
ner, splendid beef stew, the meat of which
cost two cents. A little extravagant you
see. But then, YOU know, "a short life
aud merry one." Perhaps you don't be-
lieve that the meat was purchased for two
cents? But it was, though. The fact is,
that from an OK weighing 81 0 pounds net,
you can purchase certain parts weighing
about 100 pounds, for three cents per pound.
Two-thirds of pound make more stew
than could eat. There was really enough
Tor Two of us. But then, you know how
careless and reckless we Americans are in
regard to our table expenses, always get
ting twice as much as we need. | must
not forget to say that these coarse, cheap
portions of the animal are the best for
stew. The very genius of waste seems to
have taken possession of me on that fatal
day. l poured into my stew all at once
slap-dasb, a quarter of a cents worth of
Leicestershre sauce, and as if TO show that
it never rains, but it pours, closed that
gluttonous scene by devouiing cents
worth Of hominy pudding. Food for We'd
nesday, eight and quarter cents. The
gross excess of Wednesday led to very
moderate Thursday break fast, which con-
sisted of oatmeal porridge and milk, cost
ing about two and half cents. For din
ner, crack ed wheat and baked beans. two
cents worth of each, milk one cent worth.
Food for Thursday cost seven and half
cents. Friday breakfast, southern huled
corn and milk, costing three cents. For
dinner, another of those gourmand surieits
which so disgraced the history of Wednes-
day. Expenses for the day, eight and a
quarter cents. This morning when went
to the table, 1 said to myself whats the
use of this economy?" And made uD nv
mind that for this day at least would sink
all moral restraints and give up the reins
to appetite. l have no apology or defense
for what followed. Saturday break fast, l
began with one cents worth of oatmeal por-
ridge, with a teaspoonful of sugar, worth a
quarter of cent; then followed a cent $
worth of cracked wheat, with half cent 8
worth Of milk, then the break fast closed
with two cents worth OF milk and one cent 8
worth of rye and Indian bread. For din
ner ate half of a small lobster which cost
three cents, and one cents worth of coarse
bread, and one cents worth of hominy sal
ad, and closed with two cents worth of
cracked wheat and milk. Cost of the davis
food, twelve and three-quarer cents. In
all these statements only the cost of mater
ial is given.
Cost for tho week Gfty-fouv and a quar-
Ter cents. or course, don't pretend that
everybody can live in this luxurious way.
1t isn't everybody who can afford il. I
could have lived just as well. so far as
health and strength are concerned. on half
the money. Besides on three days. ate
too much altogether, and suffered from
thirst and dizziness. But then may plead
that worked very hard, and really need a
good deal more food than idlers. By
the way, I weighed myself at the begin.
ming Of the week, and found that it was
just two hundred and twelve pounds
Since dinner to-day weighed again, and
found that 1 balanced two hundred and
twelve and half pounds, although II ha,
been week of warm weather, and | hay,
had unusual demands for exertion of yari
Gus kinds.
But let me feed family of ten instead o
one person, and will give them the high
est health and strength upon diet which
will cost not much more than two dollar
~
transfer my experiment to the far West
where wheat, corn, oats and beef are $,
cheap, and the cost of feeding my family o
ten would be so ridiculous that dare no
mention 1t, lost you laugh at me. And 81
far from my family group being one o
ghosts or skeletons, will engage that the,
shall be plumper and stronger, healthie
and happier, with clearer skins, brighte
eyes, sweeter breaths, whittier teeth, and, il
addition, that they shall live longer thai
your Delmonico diners, each of whom
spends enough at a single dinner to feet
my family of ten for a week. And last
but not least, they shall enjoy their meal
more than your Delmonico diners.-Dr
Die LeDis.
PHOGRRSS ~ BRIDGR BUILD