The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-01-14
All MYSsoIni Does Is sit and Watch Others Eat-He Be-
IieveS in Rigid Diet

in order to keep himself within his
weight. Few there are who really
have a problem. In most cases, the
question is solved by diet and eXer-
else. Eat meagerly and live an ac-
tive life.
And, while l live most active life,
it is in some measure a solitary one.
Leaving the Palazzo Viminale or the
Palazzo Chigi, l am alone. There is
never a soul allowed to accompany
me home. From that time until l
return to work 1 remain alone.
My meals 1 insist on taking by
myself. l can not tolerate company
at table. 1t is a passion in me. L
can not explain why L must be alb
solutely alone during my meals. AS
l have said before, it would be an
honor, even for my own brother, to
be invited to lunch. When my
brother comes to Rome he eats in
his hotel and 1 eat in my own home.
When he comes to see me, he comes
to the Viminale or Chigi Palazzo. l
can not trace this trait of table es-
arrangement. 1t has no philosophy,
no reason for being, but it is there.
1t was said of Byron that he had a
similar popularity. AS much as he
admired the great Ravenna beauty,
Countess Guiccioli, he left the table
when she once sat with him. Though
they had spent many happy hours at
other times, yet at the table he could
not stand her. He said eating robbed
her of her beauty. In my case, on
my long hard road from youth, 1
found myself beside all manner Of
men. Many times their talk would
not be in tune with mine. 1 seldom
found a companion with whom |
could join in harmonious communion.
Thus it might have been that there
l cultivated the trait.
l have made exceptions to this
rigid table rule, it may be said, in
the case of teas and official banquets.
Tea is different. 1t permits of greater
ease and is more Of social func-
ton. One can change from one per-
son to another. The American hotel
keepers came to tea with me in the
Villa Torlonia. 1t was summer and
we held it in the open air, where
there was opportunity for every one
to fraternize. We cannot call tea
exactly being at table.
l have a horror of banquets. There
are two things consider unendur-
able in life. The one is to listen
to a speech being read, and the
other is to attend a banquet. The
latter is one Of those things that
I am unequiVocally against. Some
times, it comes in the round OF my
official duties to attend dinner. 1t
is more than a useless performance
for me. All l do is to sit there and
watch the others ea4e am so set
against these formal dinners that
l would do anything to avoid them.
The food is too abundant and the
ceremony too elaborate. My sim
pie tastes are overwhelmed on such
occasions.
The world owes it 10 the Ameri-
cans Tor a little step forward in
the serving of banquets. While /
Go not approve Of banquets, agree
perfectly with the idea of separate
tables. I hate those long never
ending rows Of eaters, seated as if
they were groups of boys at a Sc
verely managed boys school with
a stern rector at the head counting
each mistaken movement as a mark
against them in their behavior. The
small table Is nearer my idea, and
though it does not approach the
ideal Of a single place, it at least,
breaks away from the rgidity Of
the boarding school.
To fasting and solitude, I add alb
stinenCe from smoking and drink. l
will treat the latter in later article.
[ smoked while at the front. A
cigarette was a great relaxation. |
always went lover the top with a
lighted cigarette in my mouth. 1t
permitted a certain measure of
abandon and helped me maintain a
cool demeanor. 1 have seen men in
the throes Of bombardment, ratified
with fright and yet when given a
smoke they completely relaxed. Men
brought from the trenches wounded,
tense with the terror of the fight,
light them a cigarette and they for
got pain and horror.
Smoking can be a very pleasant
distraction. Men enjoy their cigar
or cigaret with unusual delight
Such delight comes no more to me-
| Smoking is n habit to be appraised
! purely for what it is worth to the
Individual. ! can readily see, that
for some men. it permits their com
plete mental relaxation from one or
from many thoughts. l have no
nopd now IN cultivate Sn1OIxincr in