The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-07-01
The Dyspeptic's Struggle.

Dyspeptics, with morbid appetite, if
intelligent, conscientious, and deter.
mined not to abuse themselves, are con-
stantly engaged in hard struggle, in a
hand to hand fight. The dyspeptic sits
at the table at each meal with deter
mined will, and gives hiswhole mind to
it. .ara. ...'-'. -r.... ....l =
He says, now 1 will eat one dish of
soup, a small piece of the beef, one
spoonful of the potato, one of squash, a
small piece of pie, and just spoonful of
ice. cream. But his appetite is ravenous;
the conversation pleasant; he forgets a
little, his good resolution lets up; he
takes just one more mouthful of pie.
which turns out, of course, to be another
piece, just the least bit of pudding,
which they all declare to be delicious,
then another spoonful of ice cream;
well, in short, he repeats for the thou
sandth time an excess, suffers, and SO
goes on for months and years.
This struggle of the dyspeptic always
seems to me most pitiful. Eating was
designed by the Good Creator to afford
real, unmixed pleasure. 1t is sad to
see it changed into a bitter fight between
appetite and conscience. Besides, this
earnest effort of the will breaks in upon
the pleasant flow and harmony of ma
ture, and disturbs digestion. The whole
trouble grows out of lack of common
sense in the management of our meals.
What sense, | should like to ask, is
there in this: Suppose drunkard finds
himself too weak to resist temptation,
and he persists in keeping right before
him the most delicious liquors, in placing
right under his nose, several times a
day, just that brandy which he never
found himself strong enough to resist.
What an idiot! we all should exclaim.
Not only Miss Ophelia, but every one
with five grains of common sense would
cry out, "Why don't the fool keep away
from it?''
For one man who is spoiled with drink.
hundred are spoiled with pie, cake
and other similar trash. | join this
common-sense party, and ask why they
dom keep away? Take, for example,
the ordinary American family, consist
ing. say, of half dozen persons. Nine
tenths of the dyspeptics of this country
live in such families. OF these persons,
constituting a large part of the popula-
ton, not one in ten has perfect stom-
ach. Now, / ask, can't these people
shun this s yeetmeat and pastry tempta-
ton? Nothing is simpler and easier;
and l will add that few duties are more
sacred and imperative.
The time will soon come when intslli-
gent mothers will no more think of pro-
viding such stuff for their children, than
they would prepare whisky sings for
them.
Just now, we feel about these things
as people used to. feel about whisky.
Nothing mortified good deacon more
than to be caught with no whisky in the
house. What, no whisky? If, when the
minister called, our good deacon could
not set out decanter before him he was
poor indeed! A ..f p. ..'..t
And now, when entertaining friends
at your table, if you can't close the
dinner with pudding and pie, OF
if you can't present them at the sup
portable with preserves, cake, strong
tea and half dozen other indigestible
things, you feel it is 'treal mean" What
nothing but roast beef, potatoes and
bread for dinner; and nothing but plain
sandwich for supper, do Le,oiS, IN
Golden Rule.