What constitutes the real " fat of the land ? " Not the
fat of beasts, and of every available creature that moves
upon the earth, soars through the air, or swims in the sea,
but that which Mother Earth bounteously yields to her
children in every land and clime. Fat that they may
gather and appropriate at first hand, instead of taking an
inferior, second-hand article by way of animal flesh as
millions of them have done, first from necessity, then
from habit and custom, until it has become second nature
to slay and eat.
Many humanitarians have ceased to eat animal food ;
and there are thousands who make very little use of it,
while other thousands are ** almost persuaded " to join
the vast army of vegetarians. Many of them regard the
enormous expenditure of time, research and money spent
in attempts to check, cure and prevent diseases in the
animal world, as one of the many peculiar inconsistencies
and short-sighted economies of the present day. If
animal food were an absolute necessity to keep us from
starvation, there would be reason for such labor. But
when we consider that this relic of barbaric ages rests
upon a cultivated appetite does it not become the duty
of those who profess to lead the world aright to set a
34 THE FAT OF THE LAND.
good example in this direction? We deplore the deeds of
the blood-thirsty cannibal, especially when he dines upon
our favorite missionary, whom he first tortures, and does
not hesitate to put to death with his own hands. With a
sense of superior power we return from trapping, shooting
and fishing excursions, exhibit with pride the trophies of
our skill, unmindful of the fact that our success has
caused the breath of life to suddenly cease, in the beau-
tiful creatures, that an hour before were the charm and
glory of their native homes. The gentle, domestic
animals we have reared and tenderly cared for are
betrayed, and compelled to meet an untimely death to
gratify the same unwholesome and illogical appetite. If
we each were required to kill and prepare for the table
all the creatures we eat, the present century would witness
the end of animal slaughter. We should be approaching
the golden age, to which Pope refers in these lines :
" No murder clothed him and no murder fed.
In the same temple — the resounding wood,
All vocal beings hymned their equal God;
By shrine with gore unstained, with gold undre'st
Unbribed, unbloody stood the blameless priest ;
Heaven's attribute was universal care,
And man's prerogative to rule, but spare."
And then follow these prophetic words :
" Ah ! how unlike the man of times to come !
Of half that live, the butcher and the tomb ;
Who, foe to Nature, hears the general groan.
Murders their species and betrays his own.
But just disease to luxury succeeds^
A nd every death its own avenger breeds;
The fury-passions from that blood began,
A nd turned on man a fiercer savage-m an^
THE FAT OF THE LAND. 35'
Then why encourage men to brutalize themselves ; to -
wield the implements of death year after year, and live
amid scenes of blood that we may enjoy feasting on the :
dead ? Are we too blind to discern that for every creature
slain there may be born a criminal into this world ?
Surely we who demand such sacrifice of life even in*
the lowest form for our own gratification are responsible
for its results; results that lead to brutality, cruelty,
sickness, crime, and premature death. When we thor-
oughly examine this subject there is no argument for its
continued use that cannot be logically refuted. Animals .
have involuntarily become machines for elaborating their
food, ** the fat of the land " into flesh which is supposed
to be necessary for the proper sustenance of the human *
race.
Page 11
Presented as published in 1896. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
What constitutes the real " fat of the land ? " Not the fat of beasts, and of every available creature that moves upon the earth, soars through the air, or swims in the sea, but that which Mother Earth bounteously yields to her children in every land and clime. Fat that they may gather and appropriate at first hand, instead of taking an inferior, second-hand article by way of animal flesh as millions of them have done, first from necessity, then from habit and custom, until it has become second nature to slay and eat.
Many humanitarians have ceased to eat animal food ; and there are thousands who make very little use of it, while other thousands are ** almost persuaded " to join the vast army of vegetarians. Many of them regard the enormous expenditure of time, research and money spent in attempts to check, cure and prevent diseases in the animal world, as one of the many peculiar inconsistencies and short-sighted economies of the present day. If animal food were an absolute necessity to keep us from starvation, there would be reason for such labor. But when we consider that this relic of barbaric ages rests upon a cultivated appetite does it not become the duty of those who profess to lead the world aright to set a
good example in this direction? We deplore the deeds of the blood-thirsty cannibal, especially when he dines upon our favorite missionary, whom he first tortures, and does not hesitate to put to death with his own hands. With a sense of superior power we return from trapping, shooting and fishing excursions, exhibit with pride the trophies of our skill, unmindful of the fact that our success has caused the breath of life to suddenly cease, in the beautiful creatures, that an hour before were the charm and glory of their native homes. The gentle, domestic animals we have reared and tenderly cared for are betrayed, and compelled to meet an untimely death to gratify the same unwholesome and illogical appetite. If we each were required to kill and prepare for the table all the creatures we eat, the present century would witness the end of animal slaughter. We should be approaching the golden age, to which Pope refers in these lines :
" No murder clothed him and no murder fed.
In the same temple — the resounding wood,
All vocal beings hymned their equal God;
By shrine with gore unstained, with gold undrest
Unbribed, unbloody stood the blameless priest ;
Heaven's attribute was universal care,
And man's prerogative to rule, but spare."
And then follow these prophetic words :
" Ah ! how unlike the man of times to come ! Of half that live, the butcher and the tomb ; Who, foe to Nature, hears the general groan. Murders their species and betrays his own. But just disease to luxury succeeds A nd every death its own avenger breeds; The fury-passions from that blood began, A nd turned on man a fiercer savage-man
Then why encourage men to brutalize themselves ; to - wield the implements of death year after year, and live amid scenes of blood that we may enjoy feasting on the : dead ? Are we too blind to discern that for every creature slain there may be born a criminal into this world ?
Surely we who demand such sacrifice of life even in* the lowest form for our own gratification are responsible for its results; results that lead to brutality, cruelty, sickness, crime, and premature death. When we thoroughly examine this subject there is no argument for its continued use that cannot be logically refuted. Animals . have involuntarily become machines for elaborating their food, ** the fat of the land " into flesh which is supposed to be necessary for the proper sustenance of the human * race.