The new North-west., 1885-10-16
A WRITER'S LIFE.
EoWARt' EVERETT HALE's SUCCESS
TIoNs AND EXPERIENCE. Ii


jures sleep.
This means that the brain should not be
excited or even worked hard for six hours
before bedtime. Young men can disregard
this rule, and do; but as one grows older he
finds it wiser to throw his work upon the
morning hours. II he can spend the after
noon, or even the evening, in the open air,
his chances Of sleep are better. The evening
occupation, according to me, should be light
and pleasant, as music, a novel, reading
aloud. conversation, the theatre. or watch
ing the stars from the piazza or course,
different men make and need different
rules. take nine hours for sleep In every
twenty-four, and do not object to ten.
As men live, with the telegraph and tele-
phone interrupting when they chose, and
this fool and that coming in when they
choose, to say, Il don't want to interrupt
you; will only take a moment" the great
difficulty is to hold your three hours with
outs break. Ii q man has broken my mir.
ror, do not thank him for leaving the pieces
next each other; he has spoiled it, and he may
carry them ten miles apart II he chooses So,
IL a fool comes in and breaks my time in two,
he may stay IL be wants to. He is none the
less fool What want for work Is un-
broken time. This Is best secured early in
the morning.
dislike early rising as much as any man;
nor do believe there is any moral merit in
It, as the children's books pretend. But to
secure an unbroken hour. or even less,
like to be at my desk before breakfast, as
long before as possible. have a cup Of
coffee and a soda biscuit brought to me
there; and in the thirty to sixty minutes
which follow, before breakfast. I like to
cf ri fha ~ he r;s -
quarter past o there will be comparatively
few map pedlers or book agents, or secrs-
taries Of charities, or Jail birds, who will
call before 8 Tee hour from 6:3, to 1880 Is
that Of which you are most sure. Even the
mother-in-law or the mother Of your wife's
sisters husband does not come then to say
she should like some light work with large
salary, as matron In an institution where
there Is nothing to do.
believe In breakfast very thoroughly,
and In having a good breakfast I have
lived In Paris a month at time, and detest
the French practice OF substituting for
breakfast cup Of coffee, with or without
an egg. Breakfast is meal at which much
time may be spent with great advantage.
People are not apt to come to it too regu-
larly, and you may profit by the intermis-
sion to read your newspaper and lecture on
Its contents No harm In spending an hour
at the table.
After breakfast, do not 60 to work for an
hour. Walk out in the garden, lie ON your
back on q sofa and read; in general, Toaf"
for that hour and bid the servant keep
everybody out who rings the bell, and work
steadily till your days stent is done. II you
have had half an hour for breakfast, you
can make two ami a half now.
1t is just so much help il you have a good
amanuensis; nons, II you have poor one
The amanuensis should have enough else to
do, but be at liberty to attend to you when
you need. Write as long as you feel like
writing; the nom mt You do not feel like it,
give him the pen, aud walk up and down the
room debating. There are those who say
they can tell the difference between dictated
work and work written by the author. l
do not believe them. / will give share in
the combination Protoxide silver mine of
Grays Gulch to any body who will divide
this article correctly between the parts
which are dictate and those which are
written with my own r'i right hand
Stick to your stint til. it Is done II Phil
istinss como in, as they will in finite worli,
deduct the time which they have stolen
from you and 20 Oh so much longer with
youA "ohhs Wal ou hoFS uOho Wuut you Sob
out to do.
When you have finished the stent, ston
Do not be tempted to so on because You are
in good spirits for work. There is no use In
making ready to be tired tomorrow. Yov
may 60 out of doors now; you may read;
you may, in whatever way, get light and
life for the next day. In Iced, IL you will
remember that the first necessity for liter
ary work is that you have something ready
to say before you begin, you will remember
something which most authors have thor
oughly forgotten or never knew.
This business Of writing Il the most ex-
hausting known to men You should there
fore, steadily feed the machine with fuel
] fiEd 1t q good habit to have standing on
the stove cup OF warm milk, just tinged 10
color with coffee. In the days OF my bIoyant
youth said. Hof the color Of the cheek Of q
brunette in Seville" had then never seen
Q brunette In Seville, but ! have since; and
] can testify that the description was good
Beef tea answers IS we'll; bowl of chowder
quite as we'll as either. Indeed. good clam
chowdsr II probably the form OF nourish-
ment which most quickly and easily comes to
the restoration or refreshment Of the brain
Of man.
II this bowl Of coffee, or chowdsr. or
soup, II counted as one meal, the working
man who wishes to keep in order will have
five meals day, besides the morning cup
OF coffee, or coffee oolored with milk, which
he has before breakfast Breakfast Il one;
this extended lunch Is another; dinner Is the
third, say at half-past Q; tea Is the fourth,
at 9 or z; and, what Is apt to be forgotten,
. sufiisient supper just before bedtime Is ths
NTH. This last may be as light as you
medical gentlemen please, but let 1t be suf-
fcient A few oysters, q slice OF hot toast,
clam chowdsr again, or . bowl OF soup
Never 60 to bed in any danger of being
hungry. People are kept awake by hunger
quite as much as by a bad conscience
Remembering that sleep is the essential
force which the whole scheme starts, de-
cline tea or coffee within the last six hours
before going to bed. IL the womsn-kind
insist, you may have your milk and water
at the tea-table colord with tea; but the
less the bsttsr. f FL
Avoid al mathematics or intricate study
Of any sort In the last six hours This Is the
stuff dreams are made Of, and hot headS
and the nuisances Of waking hours
Keep your conscience clear. Remember
that bscauss the work OF life Is infinite, you
cannot do the whole OF 1t In any limited
psriod OF time. and that, therefore, You may
Just as well leave of in one place as am
other.
Reading this over. see that at the proper
place ] have not said that no work OF my
kind should be done In the hour after din
per. After any sub.tantial meal, observe,
you need all your vital force for the begin
ming Of digestion. For my part. always
70 to sleep after dinner, and sleep for ex-
actly an hour. IL people will only stay away:
and am much more fond OF the people
who keep away from me at that time than
am Of the people who viii ms.