Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-07-16
Eat LeisnrelY.


which is national one, and the subject
of criticism of the people of this
country, in all departments of lifc-that
is, the hurried manner of eating our food
Other peoples, especially the Germans and
English, are very slow eaters, taking a
long time at the table, not making bust
ness of Jolttag their food, but passing the
hour, or hours, may be, among the higher
classes, in conversation, reading and rest,
taking the food leisurely and masticating
II thoroughly, thus making the meal-time
not only time for heaping up the wasted
fuel of the bodily fires, but recuperating
its tired and worn members by rest from
care and labor Not only is Il necessary
that our food should be of the right kind
and well cooked, but the system should be
in the right order to receive IT, Among
or farming population there is too little
regard to the laws of life in this respect.
To use the language of writer in pub
lie print which | recently chanced to pick
up; "They too often eat when they ought
to rest, when their powers are too much
exhausted to perform the functions of di-
gestion. The housewife does her own
work; or, at least, assists about it, works
hard to hurry up dinner and have it:ready
promptly on time, calls the men before
dinner is ready, hurrying to the last mo.
ment, and then, when she ought to lie
down and rest, she sits down to the table
and eats. She is SO much exhausted that
hunger has ceased, her organs of taste are
inactive, her salivary glands do not per-
fectly perform their functions, she does
not masticate WELL and the food enters a
stomach not prepared to perform the work.
of digestion.
9 al 1
his severe labor, and while vet weary and
exhausted sits down and swallows his
food, hurrying back to his labor. Is il
surprising that, after few years, the di
gestive organs become impaired, and Sc
many farmers and farmers wives have
wrecked their health before arriving at
middle ageg"
The farmer himself does not usually
feel so soon the effects of this system oi
living as the wife, not only because of hi,
stronger physical nature, but his life in the
open air, fewer hours of labor, and les.
worrying and nerveexhausting employ
ments, are in his favor But the wife, with the
strain of maternity draining her nervous
and physical forces, the debilitating EN-
ploymeIts of hot kitchens and steaming
soap-suds, the nuni6erless Cdrieties of work
and cares, all clamoring at once for atten
tion-what wonder is it that, under these
influences, her food, instead of acting as 8
renewer of her strength, only adds eX
haustiOn and debility to her already worn
out system. And if, as is usually the cast
with the mothers of a household, her mea
is taken by catching mOuthful now anC
then "between times' while waiting OF
the children and pouring tea and coffee
| for a tableful of hungry and thirsty
men, the work of exhaustion il
complete. 1t is to plead with women, no
only in their own behalf, but for tn,
comfort and happiness of their families
to so far modify these things as i
in her power, by making arrangement
beforehand, and calculating and planning
so as to have an hour of leisurely rccuper
alton at meals, especially at dinner. AnC
TO the husband-don't be blind-it won
hurt you nor be beneath your dignity t
take the baby's high chair next your own
and attend to its wants while you are eat
ing, and you have no idea how much re
lief it will be to the mother; and, besides
| it changes the current of a child's feeling
to have change in hands, and it will no
be near so likely to fret and whine as in it
mothers care, for while. The pourin
of tea and coffee should be delegated t
some one else-to the older girls or cvel
bOys-it don't need very large one to dc
it. Let them wait on you, tired mother
Make them think it an honor to be able t
do it, and you are cultivating a spirit tina
will make them attentive and kind as the
grow older. Oh, these kindly grace
among the members of famIly-hoN
sweet they are, and what home is tha
where they are not Experience has lie,
me, after raising family of children an,
having the care of household under var
Gus circumstances, to believe that wife
and mothers first duty is to take care 0
herse!f-shc cannot do her duty TO other
without first doing it to herself-COl
| Western Farm Journal.