Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-12-14
MiseeIIumsoms
Late Dinner Hours.

Late Dinner Hours.
A medical jourpa! recently in condemn
ing late hours for dinner, stated that with
in four hundred years the dinner hour has
gradually moved through twelve hours of
the day--from 8 q. m. to 9p. m. 1t is q
curious fact that the fondness of late hours
has progressed with the growth of civiliza-
tion but it is not difficult to account for
this change of habit. -Four centuries ago
the custom in England and throughout n
large portion of Europe was for the family
TO take their meals at the same time and at
the same table with the domestics and all
persons employed by the head of the house,
and this custom was observed by the high
est noble MS well as by the most humble
farmer. Everybody rose about the same
hour in the morning, aud the ladies of the
house superiniended the business of the
kitchen. Moreover, as the system of light
ing the interior of dwellings was in a very
imperfect state-the means usually resort
ed to being the burning of pine torches or
of oil and fat in clumsy lamps, or the kind
ling OF roaring fret became a necessi-
ty to make use of as much daylight as pos
sible hence the early hours which, it is
said our ancestors were so fond of, and the
philosophy of which they embodied in the
proverbs "Early in bed and early to rise
makes man healthy, wealthy and wise -
and ITO rise at five, to dine at nine, to sup
at five, to bed at ninc, makes man live to
ninety-ninc."
They were hardy race, both male and fe-
male, living much in the open air, and tax
ing vast amount of physical exercise I;
but 1t is by no means certain that the du-
ration of life was greater with them than it
is with us ; indeed, it may be doubted if it
was so great. And they have obtained
more credit for their early rising and retr-
ing than they deserve they had but few
inducements to sit up late; they had very
little literature, and what they had could
only be read by few their music and
games were in n rude and primitive cOpdi-
ton, and they were accustomed to gorge
themselves, and to drink to such an extent
that it would have been difficult matter
Tor them to keep their eyes open long after
supper. They took four meals day, all of
them substantial. Henry l. endeavored 10
reduce the number to two, the meal to be
taken at 3 O'Clock in the morning, and the
supper at > in the afternoon but he was
unable to carry out this design. 1t would
have been contrary to nature and very in
furious if he had carried it out, and so it
was very properly resisted. In Edward
y
hour was nine in the morning. A century
or so later, in Edward Tvs time Q461-
1413, the general hour of breakfast with
the nobility, whose meals were considera-
bly, earlier than those of tradesmcn, yeo-
men, etc., was O'Clock dinner was serv-
ed at 10 in the morning, and generally last
cd three hours supper followed at 1, and
there was n collation. Mt 9, before retiring.
This collation. consisted of beer and spiced
wine.. During the reigns of Edward w.,
Mary, and Elizabeth 1574-1G03,) the
hours became later. The nobility, gentry
and students dined at II in the forenoon,
and suppel between 8 and in the after
noon, but the merchants, especially those
of London, did not dine before II, and they
supped at g the farmers dined at noon and
supped at I or s O'Clock Towards the
close of Elizabcth's reign (l600,) the din
ner hour was changed from II to Il, and this
remained the hour until the time of Will
liam Ill. (16SS--1702.)
The entire change in the habits Of the
people Of Engiaod, which took place after
the restoration of Charles ii. Q660,) w
tributed to increase the lateness of he
hours for everything. 1t became fashion,
able for people of rank and fortune to have
breakfast in bed and to hold receptions by
the bedside. The ancient habit of all the
members of the household taking their
meals together was abyogated. Domestic
followers aud retainerS came to be looked
upon as servants" and were treated as
strangers to the family. They were limit
ed to certain hours for their meals, and
these hours were not allowed TO interfere
with those of their masters. Hence, it be-
came necessary TO prepare two sets OF meals
,,xA kn,, Il sLn-
ants-one for the latter and one for the fam
lily. This lies at the loot of the modern
late hours. AS the apartments occupied
during the day by the family had to be
cleaned aud put in order so as to be tit to
receive them when they rose in the morn
ing, the family refrained from rising until
the domestics had time TO do this. Ano-
ther cause of late hours has been the vastly
improved lighting up of the interior OF
houses. Even the old wax and tallow caH-
dies were great improvement on what
went before; then came the Argand lamr,
and other brilliant lamps, chandeliers, and
lastly, gas, which have entirely obviated
the Inconvenience which our ancestors suf-
fcrcd from darkness. The great pressure
of business is still another cause. This is
SO severe, nowadays, in large cities, that
men engaged in professional and mercan-
tile pursuits cannot spare the time to do
more than to take lunch in the middle OF
the day, SO they postpone their dinner un-
til the close of their days work. But still
another, and, perhaps, u more potent cause
than all for late dinners, iG the suburban
railway. In very large cities men of busi-
ness are no longer, as formerly, compelled
to reside near their stores or Offices they
can now, by means of railways or horse
cars, be conveyed from suburban residen-
ces to their places of business in less time
than it took their fathers to walk from their
town houses hence, they have more time
to devote to business, if need be, and they
retire, when it is over, to their families, al
9 later hour.
RULES FOR THE CARE OF SHEEP.-Keep
sheep dry under foot with litter. This