Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-25
Nr. Brynnt,s Habits of Life.

The Herald Of Health publishes the following
letter from William Cullen Bryant:
| promised, some time since, to rive you some
account of my habits of life so far, at least as
regards diet, exercise and occupation. | am
not sure that 1t will be of any use to you, al
though the system which have for many years
observed seems to answer my purpose very we'll.
have reached pretty advanced period of life,
without the usual infirmIties of old age and
with my strength, ACTIVITY and bodily faculties
generally in pretty good preservation. How far
this may be the effect of my way of life, adopted
long ago, and steadily adhered to, is perhaps
uncertain.
rise early, at this time of the year about five
and halt; in SUMNER half an hour, or even
an hour, earlier. Immediately, with very little
encumbrance of clothing, begin series of ex.
ercises, for the most part designed to expand
the chest, and at the same time call into ton
all the muscles and calculations of the body.
These arc performed with dumb bells the very
lightest, covered with flannel; with pole, a
horiD, ntal bar, and light chair swung around
my h, d. After a full hour, and sometimes
more, passed in this manner battle from head
to foot. When at my place in the country, l
sometimes shorten my exercises in the chamber,
and, going out, occupy myself for half an hour
or more in some work which requires brisk ex-
ercise. After my bath, if breakfast be not ready,
sit down to my studies until | am called.
My breakfast is a simple one-hominy and
milk, or, in place of hominy, brown bread, or
oatmeal, or wheaton grits, and, in the season,
baked sweet apples. Buckwheat cakes do not
decline, nor any other article of vegetable food,
but animal food never take at breakfast. Tea
and coffee never touch at any time. Some
times take a cup of chocolate, which has no
narcotic effect, and agrees with me very well.
AT breakfast often take fruit either in its nat
ural state or freshly stewed.
After breakfast | occupy myself for awhile
with my studies, and then, when in town,
IF thO E1roTo
nearly three miles distant, and after about three
hours return, always walking, whatever he the
weather or the state of the streets. In the coun-
try l am engaged in my literary tasks till
feeling of WEAKNESS drives me out into the open
air, and / go upon my farm or into the garden
and prune the trees, or perform some other
work about them which they need, and then go
back to my books. | do not often drive out
preierring to walk.
In the country dine early, and it is only at
that meal that take either meat or fish, and of
these but moderate quantity, making my din
ner mostly of vegetables. At the meal which is
called tea, take only little bread and butter,
with fruit, if it be on the table. In town, where
dine later, make but two meals day. Fruit
makes a considerable part of my diet, and | eat
1t at almost any hour of the day without incon-
Venlence. My drink is water, yet sometimes,
though rarely, take glass of wine. am
natural temperance man, finding myself rather
confused than eXhilarated by WINE. | never
NEEDLE with tobacco, except to quarrel with its
use.
That ] may rise early, l, of course, go to
bed early; in town, as early as ten; in the
country, somewhat earlier For many years [
have avoided in the evening every kind of lit
erary occupation which tasks the faculties, such
as composition, even to the writing of letters,
for the reason that it eXcites the nervous sys-
TEN and prevents sound sleep
My brother told me, not long since, that he
had seen in Chicago new paper, and several
other western journals, paragraph in which it
was said that am in the habit of taking quinine
as stimulant; that L have depended upon the
excitement it produces in writing my verses,
and that, in consequence OF using it in that way,
had become as deaf as a post. As to my deaf
ness, yon know that to be false, and the rest of
the story is equally so. | abominate all drugs
and narcotics, and have always carefully avoid
ed everything which spurs nature to exertions
which it would not otherwise make. Even with
my food do not take the usual condiments,
such as pepper, and the like.