Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-24
BY MRS. NJ. A, WILSON

Copyright. IsiL by Mrs. ~; A. wilson
All rS0hfs reserved.
d ECENTLY while visiting a nearby
~ city, and while taking luncheon
with my hostess, noticed that she
had, among the delicncics on her table
a most delicious rice pudding. which
had been made after the recipe that
had been in the family for generations
In fact this particular recipe was a
relic of the days when every one kept
his own COW and thus had an abundance
Of milk.
The pudding was so very good that I
was surprised when the young daughter
refused helping, with the remark that
she just couldn't abide rice pudding I
wns quite aStounded and ventured to
ask why she disliked the dish, The
younEster answered 'Oh, l guess
am like Aunt Jane Barlow-she in :
herits her dislike for rice pudding from
Grandpa jenkins"
This statement refused to dismiss it.
self from my mind and after lunch
while talking with my hostess, she told
me that the children were quite notional
and sometimes very hard to please. The
conversation turned TO Aunt Jane and
Grandpa jenkins and then my hostess
suggested that we take run out to
the farm and see the old folk.
After nm hours run in the machine
we came TO the splendid old farm and
were welcomed right warmly by Aunt
Jane and grandpa and invited to have
sip of tea. This gave me an oppor-
tunity to question them about their
dislike for rice pudding and this was
what found: Grandpa didn't like the
thin skin or crust that formed over the
pudding while It was cooking: for this
reason he never ate ii. when I re-
marked this same crust Of skin forms
on all milk dishes, he said that he sup
posed it did, but that he never gave il
a thought, but just pushed it aside.
You see he didn't dislike milk in
other dishes and this crust or skin was
more plainly visible during the baking
process. However he liked boiled rice
In fact he liked boiled rice and milk.
How do you suppose this child at.
tanned her dislike? Youngsters are
quick to learn and the pudding recipe
was spoken of with real pride and
coupled with il was the comment that
grandpa didn't like the pudding. This
little girl loves grandpa dearly, and
what was more natural that she should
dislike the foods that he disiked?
Aunt Jane had cause-and a very
real one, too. 1t seems that when she
was a young bride and first went to
housekeeping, she attempted to cook
some rice and. as pound looked so
small she just cooked the whole lot
and you know the result-addng more
water to cook rice until soft, then
she had enough rice to feed the family
for more than a week. Surely this
conduct could not influence the niece
but 1t did.
l am putting this before you. be-
cause l meet SO many cases where chill
dren are the victims of food gossip.
There is no real reason that child
should dislike palataole foods. I have
known mothers who, because they dis.
like certain foods. impress this thought
on the minds of their children. This
is particularly true about milk.
Great and incalculable harm has been
done TO children by this; and It shows
plainly in the fact that where food
foibles are permitted in the home the
nutrition Of the child suffers in conse-
Quence. Look at the great number OF
children that are sent to the dentist
between the ages Of ten and twelve
years. Faulty nutrition has deprived
them Of sufficient bone and tooth struc-
ture material and often the most ptiful
part Of this is that it could have been
prevented by diet Of foods that con.
tain the needed nutriment
Put away and Danish all personal
likes and dislikes. and serve plain
wholesome and abundant diet for your