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[Pork and Cabbage reeking from]

About This Item

  • Title: [Pork and Cabbage reeking from]
  • Date: 7 July 1859
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01065
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 7 July 1859: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Cassandra Jannel Simms Stefan Schöberlein Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "[Pork and Cabbage reeking from]." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 17 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01065.xml (TEI)
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Pork and cabbage reeking from the pot, is not a poor dish for satisfying an appetite. It may be disgusting to the palate accustomed to woodcock and wine. Even those who are not familiar with luxuries, look upon these substantial articles with disgust, because they are considered vulgar, and only fit for common people who labor. Taste is everything in feeding and dressing. Eat what you will it only goes to make blood, and thus supports the frame on which you hang hoops and garments. It is plain enough that those who feed on the usual articles of diet, are generally the most good natured and best satisfied with the world. Mean people eat cheap stuff, and but little at that. When you see a face always snarled up or soured, be sure that its opening is never filled exactly to its notion. The pleasant countenance is indicative of a palate easily supplied with whatever offers. So don't complain more about pork and cabbage, and go hungry until something better offers. An empty stomach is a poor companion to carry about with you. What, not eat bread when the cakes are gone! Pooh! pooh!!

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