The evening times., 1898-10-27
IN BED.

The number of persons who work and
think after they retire at night is greater
than most people think. Many find their
brains work better in the silence of the
night and with the head low.
This plan was followed by the great
poet Campbell, who tells us that he lay
awake thinking Of his protected poem,
'Lochiel," when there came into his
mind, with other poetic thoughts. the
idea of the shadows in the room showing
up as the day began to break, and he
at once jumped out of bed and wrote
down what has since become a world
wide proverb, Coming events cast their
shadows before"
Many writers owe much of their sue
cess to clever plots and articles which
have been begun, worked out and finally
set into proper form during the time that
their authors lay between the blankets.
The writings afterward have often been
merely mechanical and even much of that
was done in bed; the setting of the plot
and the dialogue was the chief thing, as
the writers know too well.
II trust you'll excuse me" said cele-
brated doctor lately to friend who had
! called TO see him early, and who, on be-
ing asked TO go up to his bedroom, found
the physician still enjoying the comfort OF
the sheets. Kindly sit down, my boy,
for minute till I've done answering
these letters. ! have my letters brought
up Immediately when they arrive in the
! morning and i go over them in bed and
put down the replies IN pencil on the back
of them. Then when my secretary ar
rives at he has nothing to do but go and
answer them. AS you know, j am kept
busy from 10 O'Clock, when | first appear
downstairs, till late at night, and this
plan, you see saves me nearly an hour 5
work with him.
That students often burn the midnight
OIL in bed is a fact commonly known. but
! few are aware of the length TO which this
! is carried out especially in colleges.
! know college in London where any night
/ one could find thirty or forty men al
! working in bed, with notebooks, manuals
/ pencils, and all in full rig out many OF
| them having their writing desks before
them on the bed. The contrivances FOL
! turning out the gas without getting out
( of bed when work is done would do credit
TO the ingenuity of an Edison.
And where did you ever find time tC
/ get through your classical authors and dc
: your mathematical problems so thorough
! ly as TO gain distinction" said ! to g
! London university man, who had gradu
| ated few years ago with distinguished
! honors. For I knew he had worked hare
at his own business all the day from
till 5.
In bed. old fellow, in bed said he. -
: used TO lie awake in the morning for al
hour before getting up, and employed TN
. time in thinking over the Eucldian rid
ers' and comic problems that had puzzled
me Almost invariably 1 worked their 50
luton out in my brain without paper D
pencil while lying in bed. And every nigh
before l went to sleep / went over 81
many dozen Greek verbs and Latin ammo
tations till they were all just like tn
. multiplication table to me-
There is another class of men who worl
much in bed, viz, the legal fraternity
Not very long ago a leading Q. c. in al
important case only got his brief deliver
ed the night before the case came on 70
trial at Manchester aSsiZes. and yet. L
eyerybody's astonishmcnt, he showed mex
day most surprising grasp OF the case
and dealt so successfully with it and tn
witnesses engaged in it as to bring of nj
client successfully. Asked as to how h
had been able 10 master such an intriCat
brief in one night. the Q. c. replied: Tool
it to bed with me and went over it thi
morning.