Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-30
CHEAP LIVING.


A good many OF the newspapers
throughout this country have recently
been discussing the question OF cheap
living. and though they all concede that
household expenses. by proper cape and
self-abnegation, may be greatly reduced
very few favor a crusade in that direction.
We note with interest that retrenoh-
mcnt in the matter OF food and proyis-
ions is generally pointed out as the first
step In this money-saving direction. one
papcr publishes statement that six
hundred persons in certain sanitariuin,
conducted on vegetarian principles are
supplied with food at an average cost 9f
s. cents per week for each individual
This institution interdicts fish, flesh. Fowl,
and milk. and butter and eggs are
sparingly used.
va are forced TO conclude that the un-
fortunates in this sanitarium have but
little 10 live for; certainly life must be
a blank TO them if they come within that
class who Give 10 eat" 1t may be,
however, that their physlca! condition
demands total abstinence from the art-
cles left off the bill OF fare, though 10 Is
hard 10 see how they can ever hope to
sustain their strength on the meaGre
diet mentioned. At any rate, the Stats
tics gathered from this institution are
worthless. We might as well use the APP
potites of seasick mortals as criterions
for caterers as to figure on the basis on
which that sanitarium is conducted.
on the one hand it is astonishing 10
note how little food is required to sus-
tain man; but on the other, it Is
equally astounding TO note how much
some men can and do eat. There is no
golden medium. Too much economy in
our cuisines would make life mere tex
istonce" for there's no denying the fact
that by far the greater number of US de-
rive the keenest pleasure from eating.
When a boy rejects the preserves and
sweetmeats placed before him by an in
of physical retrogression and plainly in
dicates that ere long the youth will travel
the thorny roads of dyspepsia. And good
strong. healthy men are hardly less vora-
cious than boys. Nature intended us to
eat and to enjoy our food and she exults
in the human appetite
A few celebrities, such as DR.. Tanner,
Franklin, and Edward Atkin-
son, have demonstrated the fact that We
can subsist on marvellousy small
quantity of food, but they have never
the world that there is any
pleasure in such efforts. In fact, the
world does not want to be convinced.
Cheap living is not popular, and 10 the
minds of all it is the symbol of poverty.
1t is undoubtedly a fact that in some
households there is much waste. and that
some Of the poor are hardly more careful
than the rich in their efforts TO econ0-
mize quite frequently, however, tho
waste is due to ignorance, or more pro-
perly, to wanton neglect on the part of
the housekeeper. A good wife who does
not scorn a daily visit to the kitchen will
see thousands of ways TO save money IN
the preparation Of food. 1t Is to such
for ''hash," croquettes, toast 5read-
pudding, and thousand delicious
seasonings which tempt our palates. In
Iced, there is no limit to the saving which
may be made by good hOusekeeper-
always providing, of course, that the
good housekeeper cares to take this |
trouble.
And yet It may be argued on the other |
hand that all these efforts take time, |
and that the same hours may be more |
prontably spent in other occupations |
which disgruntle and inconvenience our |
looks less. That too, is true and again |
we find a difficulty i'm striking a golden |
though we believe the average |
virginia housewife has found it.
At any rate we do not wish to live too
,heaply, and so far as we have observed, |
)ur editorial brethren have one and III
raised their voices against any economi-
al methods which contemplate the neg
lect of appetite. 1t is on all sides adj
nitted that the thing can be done, but We
would all like for some one else 20
try it. And TO tell the truth the idea
hat there is a little waste going on is by
10 means harrassing. We all groan for
he day when we may live without count
ng every penny" and if the truth were
Known, it rather tickles us to have some
waste. \ 25-cent cigar really smokes no
)etter than "5-center," but the sense Of
,ur extravaganza is delicious