Mother: After a time the flood came and destroyed everything on the earth except what Noah had in the ark with him, and when he came out of the ark, God told him that people might eat the flesh of animals, and they have kept on eating it ’til the present time.
Elmer: But is it the best food, mother?
Mother: No, we can not say it is the very best; for, as time has passed, the animals have become sickly, and many wise doctors say it is unsafe to eat their flesh. Cattle which have been killed to eat have been found with diseased lungs, livers and kidneys. People sometimes become very ill and many have died from eating their flesh.
Helen: I should think if they choose such food it would be like the engine driver filling his furnace with poor coal when he could get plenty that was better.
Mother: Perhaps so. When we can get good vegetables, grains, and fruits, it is much safer to use them for fuel in the body than to run the risk of giving it anything which might put the delicate machine out of order.
I saw a poem not long ago, written by Dr. J. H. Kellogg, which you might like to have read to you. It is called
| A VEGETARIAN SONG. | ||
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| “You may talk of mutton-chop, You may say it is tip-top For a man who wants to live both well and long; But you’re much behind the time, As I’ll show you in this rhyme; For there’s better food than flesh to make one well and strong. ”Chorus—— “On the glorious trees! on the glorious trees! There the fruits and nuts, the fruits and nuts do ever grow. This is heaven’s own food, God pronounced it very good; Yes, upon the trees, kissed by the breeze, the best foods grow. | |
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“There are pippins rich and rare, There are plums and peaches fair, There are huckleberries, raspberries, and pears so sweet; There are grapes upon the vine, Never made for use as wine, All of which with one accord invite us, ‘Come and eat.’ |
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| “There’s the orange and the lime, Lemons, too, for summer-time, Which so often do refresh us in the toil and heat; There are nectarines so bright, There are cherries, red and white, All of which with one accord invite us, ‘Come and eat.’ |
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| “There are English walnuts rich, And delicious almonds, which All alone supply us cream and milk, how rich a treat! There are coconuts and pine, Pecans, hickory-nuts so fine, All of which with one accord invite us, ‘Come and eat.’ |
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| “There’s the ox, an honest beast, See him served up at a feast, Notwithstanding he has been a faithful, true helpmeet To the farmer in his task; Yet he never once has asked More than humblest fare, and now his blood cries, ‘Do not eat.’ | |
| “There’s that scavenger, the pig, Grown to be so fat and big That he scarce can stand or walk upon his clumsy feet; Though he lives a life of ease, He is full of dire disease, And he surely is of all things most unfit to eat. | |
| “There’s the sheep with fleece so warm, Never did a bit of harm, But for cruel man provides good clothing, warm and neat; Ere you raise the sharpened knife, Cut his throat, and take his life, Listen to his sad though mute appeal, ‘Don’t slay to eat.’ | |
| “There’s the oyster in his bed, Eating everything that’s dead; He’s the scavenger that cleans the bottom of the sea; He lives in the mud and slime, Catching microbes all the time, And his occupation surely says, ‘Oh, don’t eat me!’ | |
| “There are turkeys, daily fed On the best of household bread, So that they’ll be fat and toothsome for Thanksgiving day; What a sin it is and shame, Crime without a proper name, For a man these gentle creatures first to feed, then slay! | |
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| “There are birds that sing a lay Full of joy at break of day, That will silent be forever at the set of sun. Some will slay the songsters sweet On pretense that they would eat, While a thousand more admit they kill them just for fun. | |
| “List and hear these creatures all, Mighty beasts as well as small, With a thousand, thousand voices, loud and long repeat, We beseech you, let us live; Take not life you can not give; Only kill ferocious creatures; never slay to eat. | |
“It was God’s appointed plan, Given long ago to man, That no creature of another creature’s flesh should eat, But that all alike should dine On the fruit of tree and vine And the toothsome grains, which heaven has given man for meat. | ||
| “Better far it is to be A vegetarian, don’t you see? As thus we take our daily food direct from heaven’s own hand. When we eat another’s flesh, We’re not taking food that’s fresh, But are living on a diet that is second hand. | |
| “Oh, then, let us all resolve That, while earth and years revolve, We will never more pollute our mouths with bloody meat, But will choose a diet pure, From disease and germs secure, And of fruits and nuts and grains so wholesome ever eat!” | |
Helen: I’m glad you read it to us, mother. It does seem, when the cattle eat the grass and grain, and then we eat them, as though we were eating second-hand food.
Percy: I don’t propose to do that way any longer. I think I should have what I eat first-hand, as well as the sheep and ox.
Mother: I am sure if you carry out your resolve you will have pure blood and a more healthy body. I saw some pictures of children not long ago who had never tasted meat in their lives, and they were as happy and hearty as you could wish to see. I want you each to act for yourselves in this matter, and do what you think will be the best for your health.