THE OTSTEE. 69 



dozen fresh oysters in twelve wine glasses, and having 

 swallowed the oysters, he washed down each dozen with 

 a glass of Champagne. I should not have mentioned this 

 disgusting feat, but to add that he felt no evil effects 

 fi'om the oysters, proving incontestably the digestive and 

 sanitary properties of this mollusk. 



There is a similar tale showing equally the effects of 

 oysters on the human digestion. Four persons met one 

 Saturday night at an hotel, and made the following bet : 

 each person was to call for whatever he might fancy, 

 either to eat or to drink, and he who kept longest awake 

 was to have no share in the liquidation of the bill. 

 This settled, one of the party made a private arrange- 

 ment with one of the waiters, promising him a reward 

 if, in case of his evincing the slightest drowsiness, he 

 would bring him forthwith twenty-five oysters. 



This was accordingly done ; but the waiters had to be 

 constantly relieved until 11 o'clock on the following 

 ^Monday morning, when, observing his three companions 

 quietly asleep, our oyster-eating friend called for the 

 landlord, and declared himself triumphantly the winner, 

 atti-ibuting his good fortune entirely to the oyster. 



"Wise people eat oysters and eschew pills ; take lumps 

 of delight, instead of lumps of nausea; uphold the 

 Sweetings, Pims, and Lynns, and have nothing to do 

 with the Holloways, ^orisons, and '' Old Parrs." 



TThen suffering from almost incurable indigestion, 

 by taking oysters daily, they very soon find the most 

 agreeable effects on the human kitchen and labora- 

 tory; its functions become regular, without the use 

 of strong medicines, always dangerous. Depression 



