A staff of
night-workers are always at rest in the day-time, in order to keep the
machinery going at work, and, to my regret, I learned that the
work-shops are not closed on Sundays. M. Menier's work-people doubtless
get ample holidays, but the one day's complete rest out of the seven,
the portion of all with us, is denied them. By far the larger portion of
the Chocolate Menier is consumed in France, where, as in England and
America, it stands unrivalled. M. Menier may therefore be said to
possess a monopoly, and, seeing how largely he lavishes his ample wealth
on others, none can grudge him such good fortune.
Having witnessed the transformation of one of the most unpromising
looking berries imaginable into the choicest of sweetmeats, the richest
of the cups "that cheer but not inebriate;" lastly, one of the best and
most nourishing of the lighter kinds of food--we have to witness a
transformation more magical still, namely, the hard life of toil made
easy, the drudgery of mechanical labour lightened, the existence of the
human machine made hopeful, healthful, reasonable, and happy. Want,
squalor, disease, and drunkenness have been banished from the City of
Chocolate, and thrift, health, and prosperity reign in their stead.
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