South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-06-16
A Word About Early Rising.

A MEDICAL gentleman who gave years
to investigating the ~eubiect-to Interview.
ing old folks, and rurlmaging among fam
aiy histories-states thst he never came
across a case of remarkable longevity un.
accompanied by the habit of early rising,
from which testimony it might be inferred
that they die early who lie abed late; but
We hold this to be a fslacy. The medical
gentleman started with a theory already
formed, and, after the manner of partisans,
looked at but one side of the question
That most elderly people are early ris-
ers is due to the damaging fact that they
cannot sleep O. mornings. They necessa-
rily rise betimes, and unjustiiably make a
monstrous virtue of It. After a man
passes his fiftieth birthday he usually
awake=s at sunrise, though perhaps he
used to let the breakfast bell ring in vain
when he was younger. As our theorist
confined his observations to aged people
who could not slUmbeF after the gray
dawn had tapped at the window-pane, he
came easily TO the conclusion that men
live to be old because they do not sleep
late, instead of seeing that they do not
sleep late because they are old. Having
with a great deal Of trouble secured this
lop-sided datum, cur friend started off
with his theory OF rising with the lark.
Not being a lark ourselves, we decline 10
regulate our movements on any ornitho-
logical principle. We believe in a gener-
Gus allowance of sleep. We believe that
too little sleep is more injuriou, than too
much. Unless a mans business or pro-
fessional engagements obliges him to turn
out very early, he does his physical nature
injustice by defrauding himself of those
delicious morning maps which so refresh
and strengthen one For lei who do
brain work there iE no medicine like plen
ty of sleep
- Sleep, that knits up the raveI'd sleeve!of care,
The death of each days life, sore labor's bath,
Balm Of hurt minds, crest natures second cOurse,
Chief nourisher in LIES feGsti"
Cervantes' humble hero did not misplace
his benson in showering it on the man
that invented sleep; but the man that in
vented waking up much before eve
in the morning was no friend to
the human race.
There is an immense amount of nom
sense on record in defense of early rising !;
this has been written chiefly by poets who
breakfasted-when they did breakfast-at
twelve o'clock. Thomson, who gave birth
to the ~atrocious sentiment embodied in
the line
Falsely luxurious, VIII not nan awaken
was one of the LATEST men of his century.
He generally lay in bed until noon (medi-
verses on sunrise), and did not often
get fully awake until later in the day, for
be was frequently observed strolling in his
at Richmond, after breakfast, eating
off a tree, with both hands in his
waistcoat pocketsl
We would like to know what induce
nent there is for early rising in the city.
What is more shabby and dispiriting than
city street before the shop window-shut-
are taken down, when nobody is astir
but the milk and-water man, and Mary
washing off the front steps? In-the coun-
there is a kind of bloom in the morn
.ng, that yea of in an hour or two this
S worth enjoying. Daybreak on the sea-
coast or up among the mountains is a glo-
rious spectacle; but familiarity with it
breeds contempt. It is your habitual
ate riser who takes in the full
richness of nature on those rare occasions
when he gets up esrly. 1t is well enough
TO rise with the sun I'VE won't say with
the lark, because we know nothing about
~ OSCShbAAN4ANcy WV VI NA1CC lAu4CS III luC
course of the summer, if for no other pur-
pose than to be prepared to combat the in.
tolerance of the professional early riser,
who, if he were in a state of perfect health,
would lie abed until nine o'clock. There
are few small things more apt to be exas=
perating than this early bird with the
worm of his conceit IN his bill. How he
;corns you for your incident habitsi Here
he has been up "theGe three hours" he
mas read the morning paper, been to the
D~Ost-office, seen Smith in the distance,
,onversed with Jones, came near meeting
while you-you were snoozing
way the best hours of life. Let the old
elbow prattle on, for come day you will
yrow restless yourself after the clock has
five, and viii want the privilege of
at your son-in-law, or your grand
ION, or any of the younger drowsy heads
If your household, who may chance to
,ome down late to breakfast. The old
elbow would sleep later il he could, but
lie can't, and if he wants to make q virtue
If it, what's the harm? Maybe he hasn't
IS many virtues as you have. He certainly
las not had yourrefeshing deep.-EOery
Saturday.