The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-10
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

I find myself stopping many times these days to watch some of our soldier boys pass. They look so fit. The train ling camp has worked wonders in many of them, and for the better.
 Some of them have lost flesh, and the lpuffiness under the eyes, and the pasty complexion is bronzed, and there IS spring in their walk, and altogether they are good to look upon. l daresay some of the young matrons hardly recognize their soldier husbands since their re- turn with their commission.
 Exercise, sleep and diet turned the trick, as it will for all those who are willing to give the health trio a chance to get in their benefcent work. one does not have to go to war or to camp to get in good physical shape, but 1t takes lot of grit and determination Tor those who sit in offices to take proper care of themselves
 Now, this is not going to be tract on eating and dieting, but happened to run tacross this. and am going to insert it right here, for it has truth in 1t. Moses, the wise old sales manager, laid out health programme for his people in the most minute detail; and, little by little, science is discovering that every single paragraph has a good solid scientific reasoning behind it. We have found out that pork is harder to digest than any | I, Gp ql q am not waging a war against the rais- ing of hogs nor do I want to withhold the bacon from the soldiers rationsl. Moses established a system of fast days that we have disregarded, supposinG them to be founded on merely religious ritual (But along comes Hoover, the Moses who is to lead us out of the wilder lness on the food shortage and sets apart meatless and wheatless days) And now along comes science to tell us that the leverage man digs his grave with his teeth (good Washington dope); that we would all be a. hundred times better if we ate less and that, unauestionably, the lasts of Moses added to the health of his people.
 Some one has wittily said, "A man is what he eats" Food, like clothes, may Inot make the man, but the things he puts on his back and into his stomach have a Hot to do in fixing his status in society land his physical well being. The slogan, Feat less" is not merely good war cry measure, but will make the man health fer and happier who needs it. His ab- stinence may help to save the life of a soldier while prolonging his own.
 
 I know some girls say that if a man is looking for a cook, they needn't waste any time in giving them the "all over," but pass along as the only husband they want is what is technically known as "a good provider." which, interpreted, means diamonds, laces, automobiles and the ex- tras.
 There is many an old maid who dried up on the stalk through such foolish- ? ness. I am glad that there is trend in education which magnifies the culinary idea of life.
 But do not think that the men are the | will at least cook what they buy and , thereby put marriage on the low plane of !, getting a wife for a helpmeet. I hap ,I pened to be in a cafe some years back, ! and next to my table (this was before the T days of the cabaret in America) was a hevy of chorus girls. I could not help overhearng their chatter. All except ct tal bar t,1a oft tl,n e over. The bunch was to scatter here and 1 there and engage in all kinds of pursuits , and pleasures One demure miss remained , silent. Finally under compulsion she said, ! "Well, girls If you are so anxious to know what I am going to do this sum- ner. why, I am going to marry me a meal ticket" This was her prosaic way of announcing her engagement
 In these days of high prices a perma- nent meal ticket is a right valuable thing to have around the premises. ] remember once in New York, it was dur , ing the panic of 1092-S I was living in the metropolis, which was crowded with men out of work. The situation was
 desperate. A number of citizens got to- gether and hit on the plan of buying meal tickets good at certain restaurants as the best way to really help the needy. I loaded up with a bunch I was stopped
 by a well dressed man on Wall street who told me he was hungry, and when offered him some tickets he took severa and thanked me most kindly for them That night coming out of the Madison
 Square garden a man ''panhandled" me and | made him a similar offer IT
 said That's all right, bo, give 'em to
 some feller who needs 'em; I'm out foi
 the tim
 The best joke l have heard about the negroes who are joining the colors is the
 story which comes from Atlanta. One oi the registrars got it off. Said he: "Wher I handed a dariey his registration card r he looked at me and said, Boss, what's
 dis you giving me-? Oh I replied, that
 and with broad grin he shot back al me, 'Thanky, I'm gwinter get her punched in Berlin befo Christmas" and he went
 away smiling. He had the right spirit l Now. the army needs cooks. This has , war. When 1 was last over at Camr
 Mcclellan I was guest in regiment
 which was giving an entertainment, and