Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-23

TEDAEC I91,5O strictly I'm advance
IGNmO, tSs,O0 at the years snd.
Early Rising.

Health and long life are almost universally
associated with early rising and we are pointed
to countless old people, as evidence of its good
effect on the general system. Can any of eur
readers, on the spur of the moment, give
good and conclusive reason why health should
be attributed to this habit? We know that old
people gef up early; but it is simply because
they can sleep. Moderate old age does not
require much sleep hence, in the aged, early
rising is a necessity, or a convenience, snd :s
not cause of health ITSELF There is large
class Of early-risers, who may be truly said not
to have days health iu year-the thirsty
folks, for example, who drink liquor uutil mid
night, and rise early to get tmore!
One of our earliest recoilections is that Of
" old soakers' making their devious way" to
the grog-shop or the tavern bar-room, before
sunrise, for their morning grog Early rising,
to be beneficial, must have two concomitants;
to retire early, and on rising, to be properly
employed One of the most eminent diyines Of
this country rose by daylight for many years,
and at the end of that time became an Invalid
has travelled the world over for health, and
has never regained it, and never will. 1t is
rather an early retiring that does the good, by
keeping people out of those mischievous prac-
tces which darkness favors, and need not here
be more particularly referred to.
Another important advantage of retiring
early is, that the intense stiffness of midnight
and the early morning hours favor unbroken
repose which is the all-powerful renovator Of
the tired system. Without then, the accompa-
nimsnt of retiring early, "early rising" is
worse than useless and is positively mischievous,
Every person should be allowed to "have his
sleep out; :" otherwise the duties of the day
cannot be properly performed, but will be nec-
essarily sighted, even by the NEST conscier,-
tious.
To all young persons, to students, to the
sedantary and to invalids, the fullest sleep that
the system will take, without artificial means
is the balm of life-witheuf it there can I've no
restoration to health and activity again Never
wake up the sick or lnfrm, or young children
of morning-it is barbarity let them wake
of themselves, let the care rather be to estab-
lish an hour for retiring, SO early, that their
fullest sleep may be out before sunrise.
Another item of very great Importance is
Dc not hurry up che young and the feeble, 1t
is no advantage to pull them out of bed as soon
as their eyes are open, nor is it best for studi-
f,r ha ho bov
unusually fatiguing day, to jump out of bed
the moment they wake up; let them remain,
without going to sleep again, until the sense Of
weariness passes from the limbs. Natute alb
hors two thngs-violence and vacuum. The
sun does not break out at once in the glare of
the meridian. The durnal flowers unfold them
selves by slow degrees nor Aeetest beast, nor
sprghtlisst bird, leaps at once from its resting
place. BY all of which we mean to say, that
as no physiological truth is more demonstrable,
than that of the brain, and with it the whole
nervous system, that it have its fullest measure
of it and to that end, the habit of retiring to
bed early should be made impressive ON chll-
dren, and no ordinary event should be allowed
to interfere with it. Its moral healthfulness is
not less important than its physical.
Many young man, many young woman,
has made the first step toward degradation and
crime, and disease, after ten o'clock at night ;
at which hour, the year round, the old, the
middle-aged, and the young, should be in bed /;
and then the early rising will take care of itself,
with the incalculable accompaniment of a fully
rested body and renovated brain. werepeat it,
there is neither wisdom, nor safety, nor health,
in early rising itself; but there is all of them
. in the persistent practice Of retiring to bed at
| an early hour, winter and summer-Dr. Hall.