, 1891-05-29

~ =. companied by q
pale, peevisb
looking little boy Of about four years.
after they were seated the mother
turned TO the child and asked him what
he would have for his luncheon. A tup
of toffee and tum mint pie promptly
answered the little fellow. Imagine my
horror when the mother turned to the
waiter and coolly said, Bring this boy =
cup Of coffee and a piece of mince pie
"a large cup Of strong coffee and an
ample section of rich looking mince pie
were accordingly set before the small
customer, and were disposed Of by him
with a speed and gusto which could not
be well surpassed even by a much older
representative of our pie, pickle and
sweetmeat-bolting republic"
Another lady says of her fOur-year-old
nephew: II positively refuses to take
anything for breakfast except 'koppy'
las he calls Coffee. His mother tries 10
persuade him to take something else,
but his only demand is, more koppy,'
and he always gets it" She adds, He
looks like n little old man already"
Here is the list of the contents Of =
box sent by a loving, foolishly thought
less mother to her young daughter away
at school, to wit:
Five large. rich. heavily frosted cakes, some
of them containing preserved fruits, one Of
them coooanut, one almonds: a quantity Of
Jam, a jar of jelly and two jars OF pickles.
Indigestion, headache, lassitude and a
falling off in study follow the receipt of
one Of these "Pandora's boxesr as surely
as night follows day, and often a pro-
longed period of indisposition will be
found to date from it.
1t is a lamentable fact that American
children and American youth are not
only allowed to eat food which is IN
wholesome for them, but are tempted
and encouraged to do 50. This is the
more astonishing when we consider the
degree of scientific study and careful
observation which have been brought to
bear in perfecting the methods for stock
culture, poultry culture and kindred
subjects, and contrast it with the utter
disregard Of consequences which pre-
walls where children are the objects of
care instead Of calves, pigs and chickens.
In the former case the food is selected
with q view to the needs Of the growing
creature. Quality, quantity and regular
ity of supply are all wisely considered,
while all unsuitable articles are rigorous
ly excluded from b dietary.
The results are, as a matter of course,
almost uniformly satisfactory, or If in
any way the creature fails to thrive,
even the most illiterate owner will i'm
mediately suspect some fault in food or
surroundings, seek for it int set it right.
In the latter case intelligent parents
will see their little ones growing up puny
and peevish, with narrow chests and lily
knit frames. and never think of looking
for n cause for this, much less of setting
to work in n scientific, or better, a com
mon sense manner to remedy the def
~ciencies which they deplore.
1 verify believe that if children had a
market value which could be quoted on
the stock exchange or in the morning
papers there would be a speedy revolu-
ton in the methods, or lack of methods,
now employed in their rearing.
The lining membrane Of the digestive
tract is of the most delicate and sensitive
order; its secretions are possessed of
chemical qualities fine and subtle in the
extreme; its absorbents are exquisite in
construction, and the entire canal is
under a nervous control responsive and
irritable in the highest degree. To put
upon these tender and undevelOped or
gans in the child tasks which in the
mature condition are often too great for
their perfect performance is as unrea-
sonable MS ii would be TO harness "a year
ling colt to an express wagon and ex-
pect him do the work of a full grown
animal.
The rich, highly seasoned food which
abopnds upon the American table; the
soups and side dishes, hot with pepper
and other seasoning; the sauces and
gravies, the pickles and condiments, the
freshly baked bread, hot biscuits and
cakes, the pies, rich puddings and pre-
serves, the endless combinations of sugar.,
lard, butter, eggs, -four, preserved fruits
and spices, denUminRted cake, all of
which disagree With the stomach, or, in
other words, present to the digestive
juices a problem Of separation and chem
ical reduction not easily solved by these
powerful agents even in the adult, are to
the young little less than rank poison.
Too often tea and coffee are added TO the
above, the more completely to unbalance
the nervous system and TO help lay ths
foundation for years Of future suffering,
perhaps, alas, of inebriety, as a direct re-
suit of the craving produced by the con-
dition Of digestive organs long accus-
toned TO over stimulating and irritating
combinations in the diet.
Besides the indIscretions practiced in
the home in this regard we find all
grades of children in the city buying
and eating, between meals, candies,
nuts, cakes and other articles. The
stomach thus always being kept at work
o comes to resent the abuse and none
of its work is properly done.
And here let me say that the temp
tatlons which are placed in the way Of
school children in cities and towns by
street vendors of vile and unwholesome
compounds, who flock about school
houses at the intermissions, are a public
nuisance, and should, if possible, be sup
pressed by the authorities.
The food of children should be simnlA
al CouIdfMove the World