Chapter 1
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visiting, are often lost, for the reason that your entertainer, instead of
being profited by your conversation, is toiling over the cook-stove,
preparing a variety of dishes for you to feast upon. Christian men
and women should never permit their influence to countenance such a
course by eating of the dainties thus prepared. Let them understand that
your object in visiting them is not to indulge the appetite, but that your
associating together, and interchange of thoughts and feelings, might
be a mutual blessing. The conversation should be of that elevated,
ennobling character which could afterward be called to remembrance
with feelings of the highest pleasure.
Those who entertain visitors, should have wholesome, nutritious
food, from fruits, grains, and vegetables, prepared in a simple, tasteful
manner. Such cooking will require but little extra labor or expense,
and, partaken of in moderate quantities, will not injure any one. If
worldlings choose to sacrifice time, money, and health, to gratify the
appetite, let them do so, and pay the penalty of the violation of the
laws of health; but Christians should take their position in regard to
these things, and exert their influence in the right direction. They can
do much in reforming these fashionable, health and soul-destroying
customs.
Many indulge in the pernicious habit of eating just before sleeping
hours. They may have taken three regular meals; yet because they feel
a sense of faintness, as though hungry, will eat a lunch, or fourth meal.
By indulging this wrong practice, it has become a habit, and they feel
as though they could not sleep without taking a lunch before retiring. In
many cases, the cause of this faintness is because the digestive organs
have been already too severely taxed through the day in disposing of
unwholesome food forced upon the stomach too frequently, and in
too great quantities. The digestive organs thus taxed become weary,
and need a period of entire rest from labor to recover their exhausted
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energies. A second meal should never be eaten until the stomach has
had time to rest from the labor of digesting the preceding meal. If a
third meal be eaten at all, it should be light, and several hours before
going to bed.
But with many, the poor tired stomach may complain of weariness
in vain. More food is forced upon it, which sets the digestive organs in
motion, again to perform the same round of labor through the sleeping
hours. The sleep of such is generally disturbed with unpleasant dreams,