Fresh mutton or beef, a variety of vegetables, and a farinaceous pudding. It is a bad practice to allow him to dine exclusively, either on a fruit-pudding or on any other pudding, or on pastry. Unless he be ill, he must, if he is to be healthy, strong, and courageous, eat meat every day of his life. “All courageous animals are carnivorous, and greater courage is to be expected in a people, such as the English, whose food is strong and hearty, than in the half-starved commonalty of other countries.” Let him be debarred from rich soups and from high-seasoned dishes, which only disorder the stomach and inflame the blood. It is a mistake to give a boy or girl broth or soup, in lieu of meat for dinner; the stomach takes such slops in a grumbling way, and is not at all satisfied. It may be well, occasionally, to give a youth with his dinner, _in addition to his meat_, either good soup or good broth, not highly seasoned, made of good _meat_ stock. But after all that can be said on the subject, a plain joint of meat, either roast or boiled, is far superior for health and strength than either soup or broth, let it be ever so good or so well made. He should be desired to take plenty of time over his dinner, so that he may be able to chew his food well, and thus that it may be reduced to an impalpable mass, and be well mixed with the saliva,—which the action of the jaws will cause to be secreted—before it passes into the stomach. If such were usually the case, the stomach would not have double duty to perform, and a boy would not so frequently lay the foundation of indigestion, etc., which may embitter and even make miserable his after-life. Meat, plain pudding, vegetables, bread, and hunger for sauce (which exercise will readily give), is the best, and indeed, should be as a rule, the only dinner he should have. A youth ought not to dine later than two o’clock. 323. _Do you consider broths and soups wholesome?_ The stomach can digest solid much more readily than it can liquid food; on which account the dinner specified above is far preferable to one either broth or of soup. Fluids in large quantities too much dilute the gastric juice and over-distend the stomach, and hence weaken it, and thus produce indigestion. 324. _Do you approve of a boy drinking beer with his dinner?_ There is no objection to a little good, mild table-beer, but _strong_ ale ought never to be allowed. It is, indeed, questionable, whether a boy, unless he takes unusual exercise, requires anything but water with his meals. 325. _Do you approve of a youth, more especially if he be weakly, having a glass or two of wine after dinner?_