The cover of this book featuring an already damp gent about to dive into a glass of rye and soda giv

The cover of this book featuring an already damp gent about to dive into a glass of rye and soda gives a bit of a hint to its contents. Written by Herman Lee Meader and published by Henry Altemus Company in 1906, Thro’ the Rye: More Reflections is a collection of aphorisms pertaining to various stages of life. Those stages of life, in turn, are paralleled with the stages of whiskey production, from the rye fields to the glass to the after effects of a night spent drinking. For example, the chapter “Blended Spirits” is about marriage and “Sobering Up” deals with uncomfortable or sensitive topics from divorce to poverty. The alcohol theme is not confined to whiskey, as one can tell from the illustrated title page of a maenad riding a boar, and the green borders throughout the book featuring a nude woman and grapevines.

Let’s close with some sound advice from the chapter “High Balls:”

Never make silent motions for the bartender to fill up the glasses. When it’s your turn to treat, shout out! It sounds liberal and costs no more.

Newberry call number: Wing ZP 983 .H394