Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-06-22
Regular Habits.

seasickness. After breakfast he sat
for half an hour in the smoking room
of the steamship. I could not help
having my attention called to him,
because as soon as he had finished
breakfast he jumped up and ran
down the deck as fast as he could
and swung himself into the smoking
room in the most impetuous, crazy
kind of way. Once inside, he took a
New York newspaper out of his
pocket and placing his feet on a
chair opposite read the paper for ex.
actly half an hour, when he jammed
it back into his pocket, rushed out
side and walked for another hall
hour round and round the deck.
After this he disappeared until an
| hour before dinner, when he walked
once more round and round the deck
for thirty minutes, then he bolted in.
to the smoking rooE, where he read
his paper until dinner was announced.
He did exactly the same thing the
second day aud the third. On the
fourth, after dinner, approached
him gently and automatically in
quired what lunatic asylum he had
escaped from.
ooh, you noticed it, did you 2" he
said.
Everybody on board has noticed
it, I answered.
"Well, you see, it all comes of my
being man of regular habits. No
body would have noticed it on shore.
SIT couldn't be done on shore.
The authorities would attend to you
there"
"Now that shows how wrong o
man can be. / am merely doing on
shipboard what l always do in New
York. l cross the ocean pretty oft
en- and have good deal OF work
that / must do before / reach the
other side. l always engage room
for myself alone and have table in
it. You must have noticed that the
moment a man gets on board an
ocean steamer he becomes sleepy. He
lounges around on steamer chairs
and in the smoking room, and hasn't
energy enough even 10 read. This
is the effect of the heavy air. He gets
lazy and wants to sleep. lie smokes
too much, and drinks too much, all
to kill time.
81 live at Bronxville, half an hour
by train from the Grand Central
station on Forty-second street, New
York. When l arrive at the Central
station every morning / could take
a street car or the elevated railway
to my place of business downtown,
but in order to keep myself in good
physical condition / walk downMad.
ison avenue. If more New York
men did this it would be better fol
them. We use the street cars toe
much and our feet too little"
"Still / don't see what all this has
to do with"
"You wait bit. I'm coming tc
that. The week before l take a triT
across the ocean Pm pretty busy, sc
1 don't read any of the papers. ]
lay eight days. papers aside-morn
ing and evening. When / come
aboard begin the papers a week be-
hind. L take the paper and jump in
to the smoking Toom-that's the
train at Bronxyille. TRY to eatcl
it with about half a second TO spare
but generally the train is moving
out when / swing on
"If New Workers would give
themselves more time to catch traint
it would be better for them"
"Perhaps. Anyhow, read my pa
per for half an hour in the smoking
room, then I'm at the Central depot
/ walk for thirty minutes on The
deck, going right around, which IL
as near as can get to a straight lirt
on shipboard-that's Madison ave
nue.. Then so to my stateroon
and work. My mind is in fit STATE
by that time and | get through /;
busy day in great shape. At
O'Clock / pick up my evening papei
and start from my office up Madison
avenue. | have tried TO hire a cabir
boy TO sell me the paper as / COM
out of my room, but the boys seen
to be scared they think there
something wrong. When ] 6nisl
my evening walk on deck / 20 int
the smoking room, which is tn
Bronxville train. When it arrive
at my station | get out and hav
dinner. If / didn't put mysel
through this course every day
would be lounging around the dec
as you are doing, burden to mysel
and nuisance to everybody eIse.r
Thanks. | suppose you kne'
that there was an important electio
held in the United States two day
before you left ~
"Oh, yes. l see by the paper
that we are drifting toward an cleo
ton. I'm quite interested in th
contest. / expect to get the full re
turns day after tomorrow. Coos
night I'm man of regular habit
and must get to bed. Luke Sharp