Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-12
VEGETARIANISM.
All Right in Abstract Principle, but
not In Practice

81 was somewhat interested in your obser-
vations about vegetarianism," an old friend OF
the Listeners remarked yesterday in converse
ton, because have been through the mill
myself" The Listener knew the man who
spoke as an enthusiastic lover Of animals, and
at the same time no hater of humanity, and he
induced him 10 relate his experience. Il was
once, the man went on, 80 profoundly af-
fected by the consciousness of our relationship
with the animals. and so completely convinced
that man was not a carnivorous creature to be-
gin with, that animal food. in spite of the habit
of lifetime became abhorrent to me. left it
of. not SO much a matter of principle, per-
haps, of preference, and claimed no sort
of credit for doing so. And don't like
roots any more than Parker Pillsbury does
lived chiefly upon fruits and grains. The first
few days of this regimen went very merrily,
indeed. / had all wanted to eat l liked
what had and felt perfectly well. But after
while began to feel a nameless discomfort
all over me. 1 began to feel tired, too and to
have headache. 1t became o serious matter
with me where was to find the sort Of food
that was living on. All the rest Of humanity
being carnivorous and the common cookery
being constructed on a carnivorous basis. /
found that l was being pretty completely left
out in the cold. 1 seemed to be gradually
starving to death. Not that had any yearning
for animal food; the plates Of it which were
placed before me produced the same revulsion
which had caused me to become a vegetarian
In the first place. But my head bothered me
more and more and began to have little spells
of indigestion and my Weakness was increasing.
ITO make long story short, before a fort
night had gone by had broken down and was
ill in bed with a sort Of low fever and nervous
exhaustion. But had not yet experienced the
slightest laundering for flesh food / felt and
thought in regard to the subject just as had
from the beginning. There was no moral
weakness about my breakdown. But here ia
where the moral weakness came in at last: Nv
wife, who had said very little about the matter,
but had regarded my experiment half admir-
ingly. half incredulously, put her foot down
with great force when, even after had gone to
bel continued to demand my vegetarian diet
She procured particularly nice beefsteak; she
broiled 1t exactly to my old liking; she brought
it to- my bedside, and she-well. she made me eat
{. 1t was a clear case Of Adam and Eve and
the forbidden fruit. 1t was the woman's
fault that / lapsed from vegetarianism. I
kept at the beefsteak and mutton broths and
other things that my wife brought me, and in a
day or two was up and out. And 1 fear had
become convert to the doctrine that, although
fesh food 10 not the normal diet Of the human
being, 1t has been his diet for 30 many hun
dreds or thousands of years that its sudden
abandonment lie likely to be followed by a ply
steal deterioration that no one has any right to
invite. No doubt there are people who have q
moral nature 30 niRn ana strong that II can
control physical conditions that with others are
beyond mastery; but no one, think. should
become vegetarian unless he has that moral
force. In abstract principle am still vege-
tartan; but in practice am compelled 10 have
regard to the long line Of hesh-sating ances-
tors behind me-"
Marion (Massachusetts) dispatch SAYS: "A
newly discovered ledge Of rock was called
Cleveland Ledge the other day, in honor Of
the ex-President. Yesterday Seth Blankinship
caught there l58 rock bass, all big ones, and
filed barrel with them"
At East Saginaw, Mich, two weeks ago two
men became involved in fight during which
VIM. Fisher was bitten on the thumb. Subse-
qnentiy gangrene sst in and Tuesday afternoon
Fisher died
The Interstate Commerce railway association
at Chicago decided yesterday TO allow the all
rail routes between the west and the seaboard
TO meet amy rates made by lake-and-rAil routes.
Prof. Ralph II. Graves died ct Raleigh, n.
c., Wednesday, from the effect Of the wounds
indicted upon himseH In his recent attempt TO
commit suicide.
John Malone, arrominsnt eitissn Of ohatsa-
nooga, was killed at Rising Hhwn, Ga, Last
night ~ being run over b train - he