MEN MADE OF OATMEAL

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 16, 1880

MEN MADE OF OATMEAL.

No article of food has increased in general favor in the last few years so rapidly as oatmeal. A few years ago it was used almost exclusively by the Scotch and Irish with a few invalids who were looked upon by their friends either as "a little cracked" or poor unfortunates forced to do penance on account of previous transgressions. Now this highly nutritious food is found upon the breakfast table of the better classes everywhere. All first-class hotels and restaurants supply it to their patrons at least once a day. Dr. Johnson entertained a great hatred of the Scotch, and lost no opportunity of saying bitter things against them. He ones defined oats as "in Scotland, food for Scotsmen; but in England, food for horses." He was well answered by the indignant Scotsman who replied, "Yes, and where can you find such men as in Scotland, or such horses as in England?" In the "Life and letters of Macaulay" it is mentioned that Carlyle, catching a glimpse of Macaulay's face, remarked, "Well, any one can see that you are an honest, good sort of fellow made out of oatmeal." A contemporary well says, "If oatmeal can 'make' such men as Walter Scott, Dr. Chalmers, and Lord Macaulay, we may well heap high the porritch dish, and bribe our children to eat of it. One thing we do know, that is far better for the blood and brain than cake, confections, and scores of delicacies, on which many pale little pets are fed by their foolishly fond mothers. 'The Queen's Own,' a regiment of almost giants, recruited from the Scotch Highlands, are, as Carlyle said of Macaulay, 'made of oatmeal.'"