Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-20
HEALTH AND BEAUTY.
A Woman Can't Expect to Keep Her
Good Looks by Neglect and
OVERRIDING.
New Process Bread Baked by Steam Without
Yeast or Baking Powder Nourishment
without Tax on the Digestion.
BY SHIRLEY DARE.
copyrighted, 1901


Tor the Gazette.
Was there ever q book like the ''Lifeof Louisa
Alcott, - told in her letters and journals this
year? Many will read the record of family at
tachment. struggle and self-devotion fascinated
by its piquant spirit, and coveting like sue
cess. Many will long for the SsOOU IN six months
paid for her literary work, but few will read the
unvritten lesson which runs in largest print,
interlining the story, a lesson repeated with
nearly every ambitious woman, of the century.
Let us see if any will catch the significance OF
these extracts.
Miss Alcott writes, January, 1874: ''When !
had the youth had no money; now have the
money I have no time, aud when get the time,
if I ever do, I shall have no health to enjoy life.
I suppose it's the discipline need; but 1t s
sather hard TO love the things do, and see them
go by because duty chains me to my galley,
Going back of this we read of her writing four
teen hours day, $50 full of my work can, I
stop to eat or sleep for anything but daily
run. Paid up all the debts-thank the LORD
and now I feel as if I could die in peace" April
Very poorly. Feel quite used up. Don
care much for myself, rest IS heavenly even
with pain But the family seem so helpless
and panic stricken when I break down
that I try to keep the mill going
Still turning the leaves backward we
read: Home to shut up the house, as father
goes West. A cold, hard, dirty time; but was
so glad to be out Of Concord that worked like a
beaver and turned the key with Joy. May and 1
went 20 the new hotel on Beacon street, ana hsd
a queer time eating in marble cafe, and sleep
ing on q sofa bed that we might be genteel IL
did not suit me at all. A great gale nearly blew
the roof off. Steam pipes exploded, and We were
hungry was very tired with my hard sum-
mer, with no rest for the brains that earn the
money! March-''COld and dull. Not able to
WRITE June, ISL" Little Men, was out the
day arrived from Europe. Fifty thousand sold
before IL was OUT August-''Slck HOLIDAY
geG 6 50S much Of o eRPatS
set the poor nerves again" October
decided to go to Boston. Concord IS so nara
for me with its dampness and worry. 60 70
beacon street to rest and try to getwell, that ]
nav work. Bones ached less, and gave up
morphine, as sunshine, air and quiet made sleep
III Louisa Aicott made her $500, 900 by her pen,
she earned IL, and she wore q martyr s crown to
and premature old age without the money e
soften suffering; and they, too, write as she alo
that life is a mystery. There Is no mystery
about it. The lesson OF all this suffering begins
10 dawn upon the rsce, that by no other disclp-
line, no less penalty, will obstinate, oDtusS
human nature ever learn TO obey the laws OF u:
own welI-being. One would think that three
days acute neuralgia would teach any mortar th'
advantage of taking care of ones self. But ten
twenty years seems none too much to teach TN!
simple lesson, bright as sunshine IN the uni
verse, the secret of all loss and decay, ina
Gods viii is that we should take care OF our
selves and our health first OF all we presuln'
to neglect this first obvious duty, and soon there
is no grace nor usefulness left in us
Let no one presume to centure the Alcotts 10
- :.
nine-tenths OF the human family squander thel
lives and all that is best in them the same way
The trouble began in Louisa Alcott's childhood
when 1.-THE children weEried of their extremel.
simple diet of plain boiled rice without suga
and graham meal without butter or molasses.'
Mr. Alcott was \ visionary and vegetarian o
the strictest sort. One would think that hi
family need not have run deeply into debt oil
such fare; but somehow good food always pay
itself back in keener foresight and force. Car
lysIe ruined his health for life by living on oat
meal at college, and many mothers bringing u
their children on stinted, oyerPlaln fare ar
fitting them for breakdown just when they wAn
their strength. Tea and-tosst lnFAios an
women turned forty who need little food, an
fancy no one else needs more than themselves
who insist on hearty younger people cutting o
suppers and doing without sugar or fresh mes
or desserts, all play the same foolish part, an
the whole family usually has to pay for II. MAJ
riages without provision of either money c
practical sense are the first step which
shall not hesitate 10 call demoralzinE
thew entail such loads of care and suffering o
the innocent for generations. nl-teeding 10
lows over-work on the part of the vigorous eide
child or two, the rest being sickly or having
happy knack of shifting burdens to mora wiiiln