The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-05-28
Abour Breakfasts.
Readable Suggestions Concerning the
Morning Meal.
From Harper's Bazar.1


What should breakfast be? Simply as the
name implies, the fast-breakng. Or, as the
Germans call it, Fruhstnck, the "early NOR
sell" The French, indeed, reduce their early
'enorsel to a mere cup of coffee or chocolate
tken on rising, and this suffices them until
ioon brings the breakfast with knife and
ork, which is, indeed, a luncheon of MANY
curses, with fruit and wine. But this arti-
icial habit doubtless grew out of the late hours
the people, and does not commend itself to
simpler existence.
The English, on the other hand, from whom
Te derive our substantial meal, break their
asst with plenty and elaboration. The Kissing
irn stands in solid prosperity at one end of
the board, the tea(always made upon the table,
distills its most fragrant essence within the
Ugly but useful ''cosy" at its feet coffee or
hocolate steams in a shining silver pot Two
or three hot dishes, among them the inevitable
bacon and eggs, announce themselves in
tempting doors from beneath their FURNISHED
covers. A monumental muffin plate conceas
mysterious viscera of burning Goals. Above a
silver tripod hangs cunning egg-boiler. whose
flame the Sc lemn butler lights and tends as if
he were the ceebrant of some mystic and de-
pressing rite. A contingent of well-browned
dry toast, ''cold as the fruitless MOON" occu-
pies the toast rack; and jam. marmalade and
honey add color TO the feast, while the side
GARD profters cold joints, game and a vast
loaf. A well-appointed English breakfast
liable Is, indeed, as cheerful a sight as hum
CRY man could desire. But it is related that n
cultivated Hindoo prince, being guest at one,
conhded to a friend his misgiging that people
loving such vulgar profusion of coarse food
could never become civilized in the fine sense
of that word And, indeed, except in great
er refinement of cooking and serving such
meal differs little from the beef and Drawn,
the boars head and mighty hams divided with
The fingers, and washed down with great mugs
of strong beer, which made the breakfast of
the gentles of England in Henry the Eighth's
time.
The German "early morsel'' consists of
cup OF coffee, bread, eggs perhaps, and a comb
Of golden honey, or some like dainty On
this fare the fine brain of Germany has done
IT'S subtle thinking for generations-the poet
lis imagining, the warrior his planning, the
philosopher his specializing, the statesman his
contriving, the musician his ethereal weaving
the theologian his destroying and up-bulding
Nay, there was an earlier nation of poets Or
ators. philosophers warriors, statesmen dram
atlsis, painters, architects, sculptors-a nation
from which we still borrow the best we know
et~art and eloquence-which wrought its
eternal labors on still simpler diet. The old
Greeks made their breakfast of bread dipped
In wine, to which, in self-indulgent moods
they added ripe fruit. Dinner to be sure. was
an affair of time and substance. But there
were slaves to cook it, and slaves to serve it:
the labors of the day were done, and the sim
Pllcity-loving Greek might permit himself
nttleele CANT gluttony without self-reproach.
Night not we profit by the example of the
older and the younger nation? A simple and
light breakfast would go far TO redeem us
rom the reproach OF being nation of dyspep-