Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-30
HOW no LIVE LONG Ann
WELL.
A Letter from Mr.. Bryaat--He Ne
crises hts Mode Of Lite.

A Letter from Mr. Bryaas--H. Ne
crises his Mode Of Life.
Ffom the Herald Of Ksaltb.
NEW YoRK, March 80, 1S7i.-To Jos.
d. richards, Esq,-Dear Sir: I prom.
iseo some time since to give You some &C.
count OF my habits of life, so far at least
as regards diet, exercise, and occupation.
am not sure that it will be of snv usa
to you, although the system which Ibsve
Tor many years obseE we'd seems TO answer
my purpose very well. I have reached q
pretty advanced age of life, without the
usual infrmises of old age, and with NV
strength, activity, aud bodily faculties
generally in pretty god preservation
How far this may be the effect of nv
way of life, adopted long ago. aud steadi.
ly adhered to, is perhaps uncertain.
rise early; at this time of the wear
about $50; in summer, half sn hour. or
eVen.an hour, earlier. Immediately, with
very little incumbranee of clothing, I be
| gin series of exercises; for the most
part designed to expand the chess, and AT
the same time call into action al the mus
cles and calculations of the body. These
are performed with dumb bells, the yery
lightest, covered with flannel, with a
pole, horizontal bar, and light chair
swung around my head. After a full
hour, and sometimes more, passed. in this
manner, battle from head to foot.
When al my place in thecountry, / some
times shorten my exercises in the cham
Der, and, going OuL occupy myself for
half an hour or more in some work
which requires brisk exercise. After nv
bath, if breakfast be Lot ready, / sit
down to my studies until am called.
My breakfast is simple One-hOmiry
and milk, or, in place of hOminy, brown
bread. or Oatmeal, or wheaton gritss and,
ia the season, baked sweet apples. Buck
wheat cakes l do not decline, nor any
other article of vegetable food, but ami
NAL food never take at breakfast. Tea
and coffee l never touch al any time.
Sometimes teke cue of chocolate,
which has no narcotic effect, and agrees
with me very well. At breakfast often
take fruit, either in its natural state or
freshly stewed.
After breakfast | occupy myself for q
while with my studies, and then, when
in town, walk down to the Office of the
ECe1aing Post, nearly three miles dis
tant, and after about three hours return,
always waxing, whatever be the weather
or the state of the streets. In the coun-
try sm engaged in my literary tasks till
feeling of WEAKNESS drives me out into
the open air, and l 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, prefer
ring to walk.
In the country dine early, and il is
only at that meal thSt | take either meat
or fish, and of these but q moderate guam
.ity, making my dinner mostly of vege-
tables. At the meal which is called tea,
take only little bread and butter, with
/ dine later, make but two meals day.
Fruit makes a considerable part of my
diet, and eat it at almost every hour
in the day without inconvenience. My
drink is water, yet / sometimes, though
rarely, take a glass of wine. | am q
natural temperance man, finding myself
rather confused than exhilarated by wine.
| never NEEDLE with tobacco, except 10
quarrel with its use.
That may rise early, ], of course, go
to bed early: in town, as early IS ten; in
the country, somewhat earlier. For
many years have avoided in the even
ing every kind of literary occupation
which tasks the faculties, such as COM
position, even to the writing of letters,
for the reason that it excites the nervous
system and prevents sound sleep.
My brother told me not long since that
he had seen in Chicago newspaper, and
several other Western journals, a para
graph in which it was said that am In
the habit of taking quinine as q stimu-
LIANT; that have depended upon the ex-
element it produces in writing my verses;
and that, in consequence of using it in
that way, had become as deaf as post.
As to my deafness, you know that TO be
false, and the rest of the story is equally
so. l abominate all drugs and narcotics,
and have always carefully avoided every
thing which spurs nature to exertiOns
which it would not otherwise make. Even
with food do not take the usual eOnSi-
ments, such as pepper and the like.
am, sir, trnly yours, w. G. BRYANT.