The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-06-02
ABOUT BREAKFAST.


to settle the matter as to whether
breakfast shall be eaten in the old
social way-family and guests togeth-
er-or whether they shall go to the
| sideboard one by one, as they arise,
| and break their fast with such food as
they find there. 1t seem this plan is
advocated in some papers-papers
have to fill up with something, if not
overly wise--but the people of this
91kntry are not yet prepared for such
a radical change. The questions that
arose in my mind are, who's to fill
the sideboard, and what will they
put therein that will keep three or
four hours in good eatab1e condition? !?
Think of summer mornings break
fast that has stood on the sideboard
for hours. The head of the house
will want his breakfast at six o'clock
or before, and the children and visi-
tors, if left to their choice, at eight or
nine The family, being up first,
would eat first, while the coffee is hot,
the milk and butter sweet and cool,
fruit and all in order, and when the
visitor gets up he'll take what is left
and be thankful if there is anything
good after the children have had their
pick of the viands. Dry bread, sour
milk, cold coffee, stale meat and ber-
ries would be hospitable @ breakfast
for the stranger within the gates. If
we could be satisfied and healthy on
hard tack and pickles, then the side
board breakfast might be adopted !;
but our people have been bred on bet
ter things. They have too long gath
cred around the family board to par
take Of fresh fare and good cheer, ere
they start into the days employment,
to be satisfied without this mornings
reunion, in which, maybe, a dear
mothers hand dispenses the apetizing
food, and friendly family chats and
merriment enliven and encourage all
to activity and good works.
A good start is desirable in all
things. And there is no better way
of beginning the day than with a COM
Portable, companionable meal with
home folks, including visitors. /
feel sure this invention for the en-
couragement of lying abed did not
come from the fertile brain of a coun-
try house-keeper.
Hospitality is a leading virtue in
the country homes. The farmers
wife wants to give her guests the
best that the house affords, and is Of
ten up couple of hours before the
guests appear, getting her mornings
work out of the way, and preparing
good breakfast to show her apprecia-
ton of their visit. Think of eating,
on freezing winter morning, cold
.bnckMheat, cakes and sausage. wash
comfortable woman would feel in
her laziness while some guest-a
man perhaps-was fumb1ing around,
upsetting, spilling and smashing
things, trying to find something for
his breakfast. The school ma ann
who said their family "just saunter-
ed into the dining room for breakfast,
and ate just when they got ready and
just what they pleased" should have
explained how a full table of what
ever they might please to eat could
be kept for hours without imposing
heavy burden on some one of the fam
ily-perhaps the mother, as she is
mostly the one to take the large end of
the work and the little end of the en-
joynent of home. If school ma ans
would try little more of the "early
to bed and early to rise" philosophy,
they would be a healthier set, and |
more worthy to guide and teach the
children.
To do as we would be done by is an
excellent habit andwins many friends.
School teachers require their pupils
to come at the tap Of the bell, and be
punctual in the performance OF all the
rules they have laid down for the
school. No child could get along
with teacher any other way. Are
the rules of the household of less i'm
portance than those of the school?
Couldn't the teacher take little more
of her own medicine, and promptly
heed the breakfast bell, and not delay
the work of family for morning
nap? Instead of trying to invent
some plan for breakfast that will ad-
nit of morning Incidence, we had far
better be trying to think of some way
to enforce punctuality at the break
fast table, to eat while things are
fresh and palatable, and the temper
of the one who prepares the meal has
not been soured by waiting, and her
digestion impaired by working too
long without food. 1t would not in
convenience the visitor, the teacher,
the men or the children so much to
be punctual, as it Inconvenience the
housekeeper to wait for the dilatory.
Visitors who cannot conform to the
habits of the family they visit might |
better remain in the congenial atmos-
phere of their own homes.
"Punctua1ity," said Louis XIV,
"is the politeness of kings" When
Washington's secretary excused him
self for the 1ateness of his attendance
and laid the blame on his watch, his
master said, "Then you must get an
other watch, or l another secretary"
1t would be quite effective if house
keepers also would hold up the beau
ties of punctua1ity and require the
we'll members of their families to |
come to breakfast when it is ready or
go without.
The Englishman or German may
take cup of coffee and roll for his
breakfast and be tolerably we'll salts
fed, but he'll be eating again very |
soon. He will eat FIVE meals day |
such as they are-to Our three. |
believe the American system of three
meals day is a wise and healthful |
one. I should not like to see this
national habit abandoned. Especial