The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-17
OUR DAINTY GRANDMOTHERs.
P~hiladelphia Inquirer.

Philadelphia Inquirer.
1t was not so very long ago. but for the
sake of Indebtedness. and that no one may
be wronged or panied. let me say In the
time of our remote ancestresses, II was
thought TO be an exceedingly indelicate ana
unfeminine thing TO eat. She who ate the
least and looked II was an ethereal being
and the proper object OF worship.
If she died early il was all In the line OF
her angelic nature, and not at all because
of her defective nourishment. Eating was.
i'm a manner, necessary, so mucn was ac-
knowledged, although with reservations. 10
be sure: for III one We're a woman TINS eat
ing must also in a manner be curtailed. and
by no means must II be enjoyed. Enjoy
ment of IL would be considered coarse. ami
nal. and. therefore. u~nw0rnanly. A female
epicure. or one particular and dainty about
the table for her own sake, was a thing OF
horror. intolerable. not to be endured, ana
a woman with a good. natural appetite Tor
her food was thought rather ill-bred than
1t was the feminine duty to pamper in
man this ignoble disposition 10 eat; degrad-
ing to women. but a part of mans acknowl-
edged being. il was necessary and proper
to invent and prepare toOthsome udblts ana
TO keep the cupDoards Wen stocheo Aot
masculine uses.
Women themselves were to be satisfied
with little more than their cup OF tea. their
bit of toast and their sweetmeat she
| doesn't eat more than a bird was thought
a phrase OF. high commentator. All TINS
was i'm the day when young women wore
white cambria dresses cut low IN the neck
in midWinter. and went out on the snow in
thin kid slippers; when the more dehcate
they looked the more wOmanly and charm-
ing they were opposed 10 be; ana when
consumption was abroad in the land ike
an army with banners. But now We haNs
! changed all that, Step by step the young
girls went into underclOthes which tneir
grandmothers would have blushed 10 men
ton. but which preserved the vital heat 10
work wonders. and now the winter nnds
them swathed from head TO foot IN soIt.
clingy garments and their feet protected by
big. mannish boots.
become the daily bath of to-day, ana OUT
door oxygen is relied upon for a great
upbuilding work in the whole growing
body. And to-day the girl with a poor
a%Dpetite. pecking at her food and eating
little. is regarded with suspicion. as a
possible invalid Of the future and a poor
wife 10 choose. while the plump and rosy
damsel who eats with appreciation ana
who shows herself the result OF her moth
er's and possibly her grandmothers SEN
sible eating. a fine animal as Well as
cred womanly. fresh, sweet and SOUND.
and altogether attractive. In these days
we expect our young women and girls
to eat. and 10 eat a great DEAL all. IN
fact. that they can digest. and not deli
cacies at that, but substantial dishes, Tor
we know that blood Is life, and what ~
wholesome and bountiful must make good
blood. Even in city life less than a gen.
Grafton ago a poor, skinny luncneon OK
bred, butter. tea and preserves was con-
sidered sufficient: now the luncneon ~
made a hearty MONDAY meal, without at
all lessening the claims OF the late din
ner. And In the country, where dinner
is at noon. the evening meal is made twice
as nourishing with relishes and substantial
dishes.
As a matter Of tact. ordering "A dinner
is az much a part OF the modern woman's
education as writing a note or speaking
English correctly and French fantastical-
IL. She may not drink anything stronger
than vichy. but she knows that sherry
Is served with the soup and sauterne with
! the fish, as well as she knows that serving
| champagne with Welsh rarebit would not
be q kind way OF treating ones friends.
She knows also the why's and the where
fores OF the astronomical commandments.
The woman who dined on b1tterfy's wings
was all very well In the old-fashioned
novels. She may have lived on hat ethe-
real diet. for she certainly looked as IL
she did. Tight lacing, tight shoes and
! d~ecollete muslins were the fashion I'm those
| DAYS. and so were swoOns and smelling
salts and strong Mysteries. The result OF
the present fine feeding is very apparent
In the unusually tall. well-formed and
lovely girls with stout appetites OF which
they are not ashamed. and with bounding
health and spirits. with fresh color. and
with a strength that would MI their great
grandmOthers with awe and alarm. And
so we may be sure that. other things be-
ing equal. succeeding generations. both OF
men and women, viii develop the advan-
tace of this rational change I'm living from
the fantastic TO the natural.