Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-31
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We often hear people remark, "Oh we
don't want to be thinking of what does
harm and what does good. Best way Is to
eat what's on the table" And I know a
mother who gives her only child, little
| girl three years old, hot biscuits, mince pie,
rich cake, and the like, believing, she says,
that "a child's stomach should get used to
anything" For her part, she believes In liv-
| ing the natural way, not in picking and
choosing. Why not, on the same principle,
let the child get used to all kinds OF read
ing, and all kinds of complications.
1t is curious, the way people assume that
because the present system of cookery is
customary, 1t is therefore natural as ifthe
course of n dinner, with its central dish,
and its revolving lesser dishes, were, equal
ly with the solar system, an established or
der of nature ! ealproviders have sought
out many inventions, and call these the
natural way. They give us at one sitting,
fish, pork, flour, butter, salt, milk, eggs
raisins, spices, corn, potatoes, squash, cof-
fee. sugar ,saeratus, pickles, onions, lard
pepper, cooked fruits, tomatoes, essences,
all variouslv combined, and say "Here
eat-eat in the natural way" Why natural?
The men and women it produces are, no
doubt, its natural men aud women? Hear
them: sob, my head OBJ my back oh,
my side oh, my liver! OH, my stomach |!
oh, my nerves p On every side resounds
the mournful chorus. Seldom do we hear
break in the jubilant voice chanting in re-
Spouse, 81 am in perfect health 1 feel no
ache, no paint" Is this, then, the natural
way? But the system speaks for itself.
or, rather, the innumerable host of invalids
speak for it. So do proprietors of patent
medicines, rolling in wealth. Why, peo-
pie take ill health for granted mo use
telling your aches-averybody has 'em," is
n remark often heard.
Occasionally an individual rebels, aud
insists on eating really simple and natural
food. Such individual il straightway call
ed odd. He is ieered, ridiculed, accused
of thinking about his stomach and about
what merely goes to sustain the body, as if
such thinking were not worth while. Now,
these bodies are nearer and dearer to
us than any other earthly possession. And,
what is more, they WiU cling to us. We
are ,lOlntN W tHeNi, lbT DetleT LOT worse,
and from his union there is no divorce.
till death do MS part. Why then, scott at
them? Why not, on the contrary, serious
~ consider how we may build them up as
pure, as strong, and as perfect as may be?
Not worth while to think about one 8 stom-
ach? Why? The stomach is not an OBJ
scure party, doing business in small way
and on its own account. Ii is leading part
ner in an important and influential firm,
stomach, Brains q Co." Nothing vulgar
about brains! Oh! no. They've always
been respectable. Well. in this great firm,
each member is liable for all, and all for
have to pay. 1t is well known that the
condition of the brain an other organs is
affected by the quality of the blood, and
the quality OF the blood by the quality of
a chemical process, and why is not human
chemistry as well worth studying as any
other kind? For instance as that by which
the manufacturer selects the best chemicals
for his various dyestuffs, and the gardener
those best adapted to the various soils.
Perhaps the time may come when this
chemistry of eating shall rank with other
scientific studies. People shall then be al
lowed to "pick and choose the diet best
calculated TO make healthy nerves, blood,
bones, ETC., and they will not suffer ridicule
for 50 doing.-HedrH and Home.