Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-04-25

About this time of year large proper
ton of the people in our Northern climate
even those Of pretty vigorous health
begin to lose their relish for food The
breakfast bell has no music in it. Lunch
is bore, and it takes some time 10 make
up their minds what they can eat for din
ner. The man charges it to the muggy
spring weather." or else concludes that he
is getting bilious" Whatever the cause,
he feels. as the old fashioned folks would
say, kinder gin out" And so, in the
American fashion, he goes to dosing. lie
eats rhubarb, or takes salts, or drinks ale,
or "root-and-yarb" tea. Or, if he be poor
and gulible, he swallows two or three
kinds of patent medicine; anything TO dis
turb and punch up, as it were, poor mother
Nature.
Now this is all very bad kind of nom
sense. Even the physicians have made
wonderful progress within the last ten
years toward practical recognition of the
fact that Nature rarely needs medicine to
help her children out of trouble. There
was pound given twenty years ago,
where an ounce suffices now Intelligent
people have learned that wise regulation
of diet, with physical warmth and cleani
ness, and plenty of either rest or exercise
will prevent all ordinary disarrange-
monts of the system. No one who has put
thought into his eating, and observed the
effects of food or drink upon himself, as
every sensible man should do, need ever
do violence to his system with physic.
But there are men who will indulge hearth
ly in meats and heating and fat-making
food all wlnter--maEe no change when
spring comes, and then wonder what is the
matter with their appetite. he air, the
skies, the face of the earth, all change, and
all the conditions of living are altered, but
they stick to beef and ham and mutton and
hearty food just the same in April or May
as in December or January. Nature brings
them up with round turn and says:
GIVE me Il fair show-if you won't treat
me right I'll be avenged" And so the
man has "spring appetite" and drenches
himself with bitlers, or peppers himself
with pills.
1t is great pity that common sense in
these matters should be so uncommon. If
Il man isn't hungry, why should he eatP
If he can eat beeakfilst and relish it Mt / l
or II O'clock but can only force down Il
few mouthfuls at 7, why shouldn't he con-
form to the situationp Not u fifth part Of
the world breakfast in the arbitrary and
senseless fashion in vogue in this country
Many II man and woman would find their
appetite equal to II plate Of oranges, or Il
dish of oatmeal and cream, or II plate of
hominy and sugar in the morning, who
can't eat chops, fried potatoes and griddle
cakes. A head of lettuce and u slice of
bread and butter will often be relished for
lunch where hot soupS or cold meats would
90 untouched Fish and eggs are now
plenty and cheap, and they afford Il great
variety and combination Of dishes, espec-
tally adapted TO the season.
Another point is too often forgotten
Spring means renewed activity. If the
city men who have huddled in iIl-vcntilat-
ed cars all winter, will walk to and fro
IRON their business, or far enough TO get
upH good glow every day. they would
soon notice II change in their relish for
food. If the women would get out into
the open air, spy around the market for
nice things to get the home table out OF
the Old family ruts-vist their children S
schoos-waIk for the fun of it or even to
see the spring ope ings-lhe change from
the nerve rasping perpleXities and stiilng
air of the house W uld revive the interest
in the bill of fare
We are all to prone TO sit still and " sec
the wheels 90 round in the same old fash.
ion-in matters religious, political, social
,,1.l gtV,I Il Il Il
the pretty pious notices that adcrn ouI
homes could be traded off for the golden
texr-"Varety is the Spice of Life'-ant
the useful it embodies could be applied IA,
it ought to be there would he good dea
more fun in the world, and more diges
tion, and therefore it would be less of I" Il
dog kennel of a place." than the dyspeptic
philosopher declares it to be.