Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-05-03
HOW TO LIVE LONG AND WELL.
A Letter from Mr.. Bryant-He De-
serfbes ms Mode of Life.

Es
4 serfbes ms Mode Of Life.
From the Herald of Health.l n
NV YORK. March 30. 1871.
To Joseph II. Richards. Esq. tiaAt
DEAR SIR-I promised scme time since
to give you some account Of my habits
Of life, so far at least as regards diet,
exercise, and occupation. ! am not sure
that it will be of any dse to you, although
the system which | have for many years
observed seems TO answer my purpose
very we'll | have reached a pretty ad-
vanced age of life, without the usual in
6rmities 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 lie, adopted long ago, and
steadily adhered to, is perhaps uncertain.
Irise early; at this time of the year about
$50; in summer, half an hour, or even
an hour, earlier. Immediately, with very
little incumbrance of clothing, ] begin
series of exercises; for the most part
designed to expand the chest and at the
same time callinto action all the muscles
and articulations of the body. These
are performed with dumb bells, the very
lightest, covered with flannel, with a
pole, horizontal bar, and a light chair
swung around my head. After full
hour, and sometimes more, passed in
this manner, bathe from head to foot.
When at my place in the country, ] some
times shorten my exercises in Che cham
Der, and, going out, occupy myself for
half an hour or more in some work
which requires brisk exercise. After
my bath, if breakfast be not ready, sit
down to my studies until am called.
My breakfast is simple one-hominy
and milk, or, in place Of hominy, brown
bread, or oat meal, or wheaton grits, and,
in the season, baked sweet apples. Buck
wheat cakes i do. not decline, nor any
other article of vegetable food, but ami
NAL food | never take at breakfast Tea
and coffee / never touch at any time.
Sometimes | take a cup Of chocolate,
which has no narcotic effect, and agrees
with me very we'll At breakfast | often
take fruit, either in its natural state or
freshly stewed.
After breakfast ! occupy myself for a
while with my studies, and then, when
in town, walk down to the Office of the
Evening Post, nearly three miles dis
tant, and after about three hours return,
always walking, whatever be the weather
or the state Of the streets. In the coun-
try am engaged in my literary tasks
till feeling of weariness drives me out
into the open air, and ! 60 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,
preferring 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 dinner mostly of
vegetables. At the meal whichis called
tea, | take only little bread and but
ter, with fruit if it be on the table. In
town, where l dine later, / make but two
meals a day. Fruit makes a consider
able part Of my diet, and j eat it at al
most every hour in the day without in
convenience. My drink is water, yet
though rarely, take glass
of wine. ! am natural temperance
man. finding myself rather confused
than exhilarated by wine. | never med
die with tobacco, except to quarrel with
its use. flt4 ta l |
That l may rise early, !, of course, go
to bed early-in town, as early as 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 ner
vous system and prevents sound sleep.
My brother told me not long since that
he had seen in a Chicago newspaper and
several other Western journals para
graph in which il was said that am in
the habit Of taking quinine as stimu-
liant; that have depended upon the ex-
citement it produces in writing my
verses; and that, in consequence of
using it in that way l had become as
deaf as a post. AS to my deafness, you |
know that to be false, and the rest Of the
story is equally so. / abominate all
drugs and narcotics, and have always
avoided everything which spurs
nature to exertions which it would not
otherwise make. Even with food | do
not take the usual condiments, such as
pepper and the like.
| am, sir, truly yours,