Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-23
~ Feel in Fine Condition." Says Girl
Who Abstained from Food to
Give Her Stomach a
Rest

"I feel In fine condition." said Miss
Eta Priscilla Grove of Long Beach
yesterday, when she was seen at the
sho9c.
Her description of herself was most
appropriate. Her complexion is not
sallow, nor are her features sunken
or wan, as many expected would be
the case with a young woman who had
tasted for forty days and nights.
'I did not wish to continue this fast
any longer" she declared, "as l had
been forced by circumstances to take
a glass of milk, and that was sufficient
in my mind to break a complete fast.
Many might have thought otherwise,
but l would not call 1t fair to take
nourishment and label it fasting.
"I did not start out to surpass the
feat of fasting forty days, which was
accomplished by DIR. H. s. Tanner.
However, l am glad that | achieved
it." she added with sparkling eyes.
Had it not been for her willingness
to aid another woman, a Mrs. Barber,
who went to Long Beach with the in
tention of fasting to recover from
stomach trouble, Miss Grove might be
St1ll IN the running.
Mrs. Barber requested Miss Grove to
sit with her Wednesday night and far
into Thursday morning, as she was
feeling weak and i'll.
Mrs. Barber was not accustomed to
doing without food and did not have
the strong reserve vitality possessed
by Miss Grove. Consequently, with
out the latters aid her condition
might have become serious. Nursing
Mrs. Barber brought extra effort upon
Miss Grove, who, IL she had taken the
best of care of herself and received
her usual amount of rest, might still
be fasting.
"I felt dizzy and lost two pounds in
a single day after nursing Mrs. Bar
ber," said Miss Grove, land 1 knew
that was not right. So took glass
of milk. / feel in good shape now,
but have broken my fast"
1t was during the sos that DIR. Tan
ner tasted for forty days. This Gre
ated a great sensation at the time.
Miss Groves fast surpassed his by
small margin. She has received offers
from several publishing houses to
write her experience and from plat
form managers to lecture on the SUBJ
ject. ~
'I have not made up my mind just
what I will do yet," said Miss Grove.
But 1 will not eat so much as other
people do now, even although 1 have
ended my fast.
Fast Gives Buoyant Feeling
"Why, it is such a feeling of bouy-
ancy and superabundance Of vitality
which you have when you have been
fasting that I couldn't for all the world
go back to the old method of stuffing
myself with food and overburdentng
my stomach as 1 used to do"
DIR. Tanner says that he feels only
admiration for this plucky American
girl, WHO has given the world lesson
in self-control. In that she has been
able to keep down the animal appetite
for food during a period of forty days.
His attitude toward the young woman
who surpassed his great feat of fast
ing forty days is chivalrously ex-
pressed by himself when he says that
her abstinence ranks above the hero
ism of Gen. Grant, who could not
break his habit of using tobacco, al
though he wished to do so.
Only words Of admiration are heard
on all sides at Long Beach for Miss
Grove, who dramatically closed her
fasting with dip in the Pacific, thus
proving her vitality and physical we'll
being.