The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-01-26
A WRITER'S LIFE.
Some Valuable instructions from
Inward Everett Hale.

The business of health, for literary
man, seems to me to depend largely up
on sleep. He should have enorgh sleep,
and sleep we'll He should avoid what
ever Injuries sleep.
This means that the brain should not
be EXCITED or even worked hard six
hours before bedtime. Young men can
disregard this rule, and doj but as one
grows older be finds |. wiser to throw
his WORK Upon the morning hours. II
be can spend the afternoon, or even the
evening, in the open air, his chances OF
sleep are better. TIE evening eoccupa;.
ton, accordfhg 70 me, ehoufi be light
and pleasant-as music, a novel, reading
aloud, conversation, the theater, or
watching the stars iroh the pias.a Or
course, d fferent men make and need
different rules. take nine hours sleep
in every twenty four, and do not object
to ten.
As men live, with the telegraph and
telephone interrup'ing when they choose,
and this fool and that coming IN when
they choose, t5 say II don't want to
interrupt you'll will only take a mo.
ment," the great difficulty is to hold
your three hours without break. II q
man has broken my mirror I do no.
thank him for leaving the pieces next
each otheri be has sLoilt It, and be may
carry them ten miles apart if he chooses.
So, if fool comes in and breaks my
time in two, he may stay if he wants to.
lie is nobe the less fool What want
Tor work is unbroken time. This Is best
secured early 10 the morning.
dislike early rising as mnch as any
man; nor do believe there is any NOR,
al merit in it, as the chlldren's books
pretend But to secure an unbroken
hour, or even less. like to be at nov
desk before breakfast; as long before as
possible. have cup of coffee and a
soda biscuit brought to me there; ami
in the thirty or sixty minutes which fol
low, before breakfast, l like to start the
work of the day. II you rise at quar-.
ter pas, 6 o'clock there will be compar.
lively few map peddlers. or book agents,
or secretaries OF charities, or jail-birds
who will call before o'clock. The
hour from 6 80 to 7:30 o'clock is tina,
Of which you are mnst sure. Even the
mother in.law or the mother Of your
wife's sisters husband does not come
then to s,y she would like some Hghl
work With large salary as matron in ar
lnstitut on where there is nothing TO do
believe in breakfast very thoroughly
and in having COOL breakfast. l have
lived in Paris a month at time. and de-
test the French practice OF sub hitu,ine
for breakfast a cup OF coffee. with ol
withaut- an-eqo.--Bsaakfasti is meal al
which much time may be spent witt
great advantage. People are not apt tc
come to it regularly, and you may prof
by the intermisson to read your news
| paper and lecture on its contents. n
harm in spending an hour at the table
After breakfast do not 60 10 work fo
an hour. Walk out in the garden, ii,
on your back on a sofa and read; II
general, "loai' for that hour, and bid tb,
servant keep everybody out VINO rings
the bell, and work steadily till your day.
s,in. is done. II you have had half al
hour for breakfast you can make two
and half now.
1t is just so much help II you have {
good ananuensis; none, il you have
poor one. The amanuenss should hav,
enough else 10 do, but be at liberty t.
attend to you when you need. Write
as long as you feel like writing; the mo
ment you do not feel like it give him th
pen, and walk up and down the room
debating. There are those who say the,
can tell the difference between dictated
work and work written by the author
[ do rot believe them / will give
share in the combination Protoxdes sill
yer mine OF Gray's gulch to anybody
VINO will divide this article correctly be
tween the parts which are dictated aht
those which are written with my own rec
right hand.
Stick to your s'irt till It is done. l
Philistines come in, as they will in {
finite world, deduct the time which they
have stolen from you, ard go on st
much longer with your work, till yo,
have done what you set out to do.
When you have finishei the stint, stop
DO not be temple to 90 on becsus, 20,
are In good spirits for work. There il
no use in making ready to be tired to-
morrow. You NAV GO out of doors
now; you may read; you may. in what
ever wav, get light and life for the mex
day Indeed, il You will remember tina
the first necessity for literary work i.
that you have something ready to sa,
before you begin, you will rememhe
something which most authors have
thoroughly forgotten or never knew.
This husitess OF writing, ls the mos
exhausting known to men. You should
therefore. steadily feed the machine will
fuel. l find it good habit to hav
standing on the stove cup of wsru
milk, inst tinged in color with coAfee.-
In the days of my broyant youth | said
"of the color OF the cheek Of brunett
in Seville T" / had then never seen
brunette in Seville, but have since; anC
| can testify that the description va
good. B,ef tea answers rs well: q bow
of chowder qlite as we'll as either, In
deed, good clam chowder is probably
the form of nourishment which mos
quickly and easily comes to the restora
ton or refreshment Of the brain Of man
If this howl Of coffee, or chowder, nj
soup, is counted as one meal. the work
ingram who wishes to keep in ordel
will have five meals dav, besides tn,
morning cup Of coffee, or coff,e coIored
with milk, which he has before breskfast
Breakfast is one this extended lunch i,
another, dinner is the third, say at 80
tea ia the fourth, at 6 or z; and, what /;
apt to be forgotten, sufficient suppei
Just before bedtime Is the 9th. Thi,
last may be as light as YOU medical gen
tlemen please, hut let 1t be sufficient. A
few oysters, a slice Of hot toast, clan
cho wdet again, or bowl OF SOUP
Never 60 to bed in any danger of beins
hungry. People are kept awake by han,
ger as much as by bad conscience.
Remembering that sleep is the essen
tial force which the whole scheme starts
decline tea Or coffee within the last 81,
hours before going to he'd. II the wo