The age-herald., 1899-01-03
THE TWO-MEAL
 A DAY CRAZE

1nha bitantS of various towns of the interior notably Elgin, Ill.,, whose inhabitants are jubilant over the benefits accruing from the new gospel of health. Two Universalist pastors, a superintendent of the watch com- pany, a lady librarian and others have adopted the two-meal system, and are proselyting with zeal
 There is much to be said for and against the plan. There is no earthly reason why the greater number of civilized people should eat as much as they do in quantity or quality. They take as little physical ex- ertion as possible and their minds move in an automatic way, along the grooves of opinion held by their forebears for genera tlons. Their brains secrete mucus instead of thought and all their ducts, mental and physical, are clogged with it. The princi- pal exertion their systems are called to per- form is that of digestion, and of digesting half as much again as they need. If any of them are obliged to really exert themselves say mother with nursery of children or teacehr with school, a pastor with a church, or a business man with the respon- sbility of an establishment-the nervous force at once finds itself unequal to the double strain, and is unable to digest.
 If one wakes in the morning with a taste in the mouth as of many bad words and no particular desire for food, common judg- ment tells him to wait until he keenly hun- gers before eating. A hearty lunch about noon and dinner after business at night amply supply the demands of the mature body and brain. Three classes of humanity need more than this: Children who are active and growing, the epllsptic-neurotio sort of persons-often of highest gifts in business and art, whose salvation lies in ample supply of the best nourishment-and men who toll in the open air, Ike farmers and railway hands Breakfast and sub stantial breakfast. is a necessity with these. The rest of us will grow in grace of mind. body and temper by breaking fast on cup of coffee and crusty roll. French fashion, if anything at all, is needed before noon.
 The economy of the plan in work, time and money is delightful. No more hurry and worry getting breakfast for the early commuter, who leaves his Jersey homo anywhere from to T15 a. n.; no more painful waste of time in uptown boarding houses while heavy-footed dining room maids pace moderately down the hall with your glass of water first and your oatmeal second and your outlet third instead of bringing all at once. No more bills for breakfast bacon and "Pettijohn," and yi- enna rolls but an absolute third Topped off |, the living expenses, including early gas and fires.
 Many who read this know the benefit of the anti-breakfast plan. The women who live in hall bedrooms the studio popula- A.. whose numbers yearly increase, have al- most forgotten what breakfast is. The business man who lives on his nerves and lives on the skirmishing line, day in and day out, has nothing to say to breakfast if he wants to eat dinner in peace. He learns that hs nerve force is capital and what he uses one way is not available in another when he most wants it. He has brought the amount of his food down to a fine point When he learns to be exacting about it's quality life will have new satis- faction for him. The gospel of self-denial holds true in all ways. Whose denies him. self what is unnecessary will receive hun- dredfold in this world, leaving out that which is to come.
 And what a cherry time one can make of the noon breakfast or lunch! Going straight to business mornings, one can af- ford time to eat reasonably unhurriedly, between 12 and 1. Good business relatioss can be formed over the downtown luncheon, just as the best social impressions are given at the lively, tastefully served lunch party of madame uptown. It is vastly more a compliment for a knowing person to be in- vited to lunch than to dinner, for the talk is better, not to mention the menu The old New EOp1and hrea alxfo +1,o old habit of early hours. People who arose with the morning star found time to eat three meals day. Those who rise four to seven hours later must abandon the breakfast habit or lose much that makes life worth living.