The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-02
FLE7gHERBN AT 81 A DAY
THE EeUNG COUPLE SET OUT TO
az LIVE CHEAPLY

II LAnlD W t@AD ~
YOU are down on your luck. You can live
on one-third Of the quantity Of food that
you have to have when you are eating in
se ordinary way and you can grow vigor-
GUS on q diet that can be prepared over an
alcohol lamp. .
A few months age a young couple found
themselves standing out In the snow In
hare feet and night crowns Watching the
place that had been their home burning
20 the ground. They had just finished
getting together almost everything they
required TO make them comfortable, and
on the strength Of the fact that they were
stll we'll stocked with clothes the young
husband left his job on a newspaper to
write a long projected book. The little
store Of money that was 70 carry them
through until the book was finished had
been collected the day before and had not
vet been deposited In the bank. There
fore on the morning Of the disaster the
pair faced life as innocent Of possession
as on the day they were born.
Now" said the young woman resolutely
as they turned away from the ruin. we'll
take TO Fletoherism. We've always said
we'd do it some time and I guess this is
the time. If Fletcher could live on rs
cents d+aay AZ lne dluoli-AspOiA = BuSpo
that weTcan beat IL in a furnished ROOM
Therefore they went over TO New York,
paid down IS of the S25 they had borrowed
from "a friend for a third floor rear" Of
a Greenwich village lodging house and sat
down to figure out what they would need
for their, housekeeping. -
The husband was for going at the thing
with a funge and cutting of the evil habit
Of breakfs sting absolutely, but the wife
advised a less impetuous approach.
"No, sir" she said. Were not going
TO hurl ourselves at this thing and fall
down. We're going to go at IL right. The
essence Of Fletcherism, as / see il, IL not
TO do anything in a hurry and not to deny
yourself anything that you want. You
Just start, in to chew your food and pretty
soon you find out that you don't want and
can't eat anything like as much"
Therefore ii was agreed that breakfast
should be reduced gradually and that the
other two meals should be treated in an
even more lenient amer An alcohol
stove. a coffee percolator, a pitcher. two
plates, two cups and saucers. two knives.
two forks and two spoons were purchased
at a total outlay Of $2.25. and a small stock
Of supplies was laid in at the grocery. The
bill for these last purchases came to a
slightly higher figure, for both husband and
wife agreed that In a dietary reform it
was economy to buy only the best of food.
Therefore they paid S2.75 for a pound OF
coffee, hall a pound OF butter. a box Of
zwieback, a dozen eggs, half a dozen
oranges, a jar OF marmalade, a small bag
Of salt, a small bag of sugar, a bottle OF
olive oil, a couple OF lemons, a box Of break
fast food and a jar Of cream.
Breakfast in pre=Fletcherite days had
consisted Of fruit, cereal, two eggs and two
cups of coffee each and unlimited toast and
marmalade. On the first day Of the Fletcher
era the portions OF cereal and eggs were
cut in two, and the toast-replaced by the
ready to eat zwiebsok-wae limited. to two
slices each. The eggs were cooked in
water boiled over the alcohol lamp and the
Q simple operation achieved by pouring
boiling water over a couple OF spoonfuls
Of the pulyerized beans in a cloth bag
stretched over the mouth Of a pitcher.
@Now," said the woman, as they took
their places at the wobbly marble topped
centre table.--%Whet's the formula? Com
pose tie mind, relax the muscles. Danish
all but cheerful Thoughts, take a small
mouthful and chew
They munched away in silence for several
minutes and then they both sat back in
their chairs and laughed.
Il hope we're not going to find that life
is too short for Fletcherism and that it
loses US all our friends said the wife.
u We lS "Sal D1OONpAl iAAih NLAot
we have no friends TO lose, replied her
husband. Chew on"
Il don't know whether it's imagination
or not, said the woman after a silence de-
voted to conscientious mastication, but
7 really don't seem TO this egg"
Il cant cat mine, said the husband.
Murray for ~FlsteheFisIn. We're beginning
10 realize It's saving graces already. After
this we'll have only cereal for breakfast
and eat-our eggs for lunch.
That meal In the DpriOd n. F-aa the
pair later on fell into the habit OF calling
those u~nregenerate days-had been a
fairly substantial meal a up of cold
meat. vegetables and dessert, and therefore
the wife hardly dared TO trust TO poached
eggs ~aIone-even Fletcherized poached
eggs-to satisfy their appetites. h there
fore bought a head of lettuce and a box of
strawberries for a salad and a dessert,
Fully half the salad and nearly a third of
the berries were left on their plates.
"Fletcherism for minel" calculated the
husband @Why, how things do last! We
can have salad and Strawberries again for
dinner
But remembering that it was the first
day of ~Fletcherism the woman was still
81 a mind 20 go slow and be sure. There
fore for dinner she served some cold ham
n cheese with the salad-and was sur
prised to find that Il vas not all eaten.
1T certainly does reduce the quantity
you can consume" she remarked rather
ruefully as she surveyed the remains OF
the feast. Ten cents worth Of ham and a
quarter Of a pound Of cheese would lave
been plenty. Now all this will be wasted.
How much has the days grub cost us2"
asked the husband.
The woman figured industriously. As
nearly as ! can make out, she said, -the
bill is just 1928 for the three meals-in-
Guiding the waste OF the eggs for breakfast
and the cheese and ham for supper. That's
20 cents q meal for us each. Not bad, is IL?
Odd / think We can do a lot be1er when
We really get down TO business
The next day, accordingly. breakfast
was cut 10 oranges, cereal and coffee;
luncheon to eggs, zwieback and marmalade.
Dinner consisted OF the leftover ham and
cheese, a lettuce and tomato salad and a
grapefruit. The bill for the day, as cast
up by the amounted 10 81 .o5.
And now how do you feelf" inquired
the woman.
WELL returned the man. 'as I've Ger.
tainly had, enough 70 eat, and as ] haven't
spent much money. l suppose / ought TO
feel es IL we had made the discovery OF the
age. ] should. too he added, Elf the
chewing were not 80 much like work"
shy Jaws are so tired they're stiff, ad-
mitted the woman. shamefacedly.
eRut -thaf,s not FlatnheriRm /" eiRdailafal