River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-02-28
THE GREATEST OF ALL,


That Which Comes Before Muscle,
Nerve or Brain-the stomach.
Mercy, how those fellows ate, how
peremptory they were in order, how
eager in contemplation. how earnest in
cuttingup, how vigorous in putting down.
They hurried through the operation as
though they were having teeth pulled,
and the quicker it was over the better
! was particularly struck by one man
who finished pork pie, cup Of cGs'
tard, some cold coffee, and fifteen or
twenty pieces OF cheese in less time, |
was going to say. than it takes me 10
tell it, who asked, while the tumbleI
was still resting in his mouth and the
milk was gurgling down his throat,
"Check, please" and, snatehing out the
other hand for the ticket as he moved,
away, pressing his fingers into his side
pocket for change with which
to pay. No wonder liver
pills are sold by the bilions, no wonder
stomach regulators Of various sorts and
kinds find quick and ready sale, no won.
der doctors retire rich, no wonder, in
deed. that our graveyaTds grow and on,
celnett ries extend their boundaries year
by year. 1t apparently makes no differ
ence what time of year it is, the icJ
breath of winter, the sweltering Of dog
day August, the lassitude- breeding fogs
OF spring and the pleasant atmosphere
Of autumn, each in its way inspires APP
petite and drives the human race pell-
nell into the modern restaurant. New
Y ork is great place for restaurants.
We have them from the humble dough
nut-stand on the side walk or, for thai
matter, lower grade still, a hot-corn
man who sells his fragrant Cobs from the
curb of the pavement, through many,
many styles and ranks until we
reach those gided palaces
where luxury is the normal condition
and extravaganza the customary rule,
The great physical sin to-day is against
the human stomach. Sins against the
ten commandments, we are told, can
be expiated, sins against individuals
NAV be con5oned, but sins against
the stomach remain uncancelled and nu
forgiven. A disorde red stomach breeds
disease of every sort and kind ;it humans
the nerves, it unbaiances the brain; 1t
dins the eye, it paralyZes the ear, and
makes life so wretched That the conun'
drum often rises: els it worth while to
60 through SO much TO gain SO little in
the end?'
Everybody has his nostrum. All the
way from hot water baths inside to red
flannel bandages outside there can be
found doctors, nurses, patent-medieine
men, old women prescribe this, that,
and the other pity the man whose
stomach is a long one, looks rs though
he had never been troubled. /
envy such az he. l envy Gen. Grant,
who smokes from morning until night
and drinks from night 10 morning. /
envy Ben Butler, whose stomach "a
paciiy is simply eminent. People talk
shout Beecher and Beecher's brain.
concede Beecher and Beecher's brain,
but what gave him one or the other?
Without doubt Beecher's stomach
Next time you see him on the platform,
in the pulpit or bowling down the street
like a tremendous lightning express
under full head way, take him in. Look
at his magnificent head thickly matched
with whitening hair, see the furrowless
forehead, mark the keen glitter of his
keen blue eye, see the ruddy hot glow
rushing through his rosy cheeks, mark
the leonine aspect of his entirety. What
is it? Brain, muscle, nerve, disposition2
Nonsense; it's stomach.-New York
Letter.