138 DIFFERENT KINDS OF EXERCISE. 



Not being aware that excessive exercise without 

 a succeeding period of repose is equally unfavourable 

 to sleep and digestion, and having a lively recol- 

 lection of the pleasures and refreshment consequent 

 upon eating a good dinner with an appetite whetted 

 by a proper degree of bodily labour in the open air, 

 he looked forward with confidence to some recom- 

 pense and consolation for his toils when dinner 

 should make its appearance. In this, however, he 

 was doubly disappointed ; for from having started 

 with too light a breakfast, and walked so far, his 

 digestive organs were, in common with every part 

 of his system, so much impaired, that he looked 

 upon the viands placed before him almost without 

 appetite ; and as they were in themselves not re- 

 markably nutritive or digestible, he infringed still 

 further that condition of muscular action which con- 

 sists in a full supply of nourishing arterial blood, 

 made from plenty of nutritious food, a condition 

 which I have stated to be especially important in 

 youth and during growth. 



After a rest of two hours, and taking a moderate 

 allowance of wine, which, however, he says, " seemed 

 to have lost its ancient virtue of imparting cheerful- 

 ness to the human heart," he set out to complete the 

 remaining ten miles to Haddington. The country 

 was far more beautiful and varied, but the charms of 

 nature had, by this time, lost all attractions, for our 

 pedestrian was " now wholly occupied in counting 

 the tedious miles yet to be traversed, and in making 

 a pious vow that this pleasure-excursion, though not 

 the first, should certainly be the last in his life." 

 Being reduced to the utmost degree of exhaustion, 

 it required an extraordinary effort to persevere ; 

 but at last he arrived at Haddington, in a state of 

 exquisite misery. Unable to read from fatigue, and 

 having nobody to converse with, he sought refuge 

 in bed at an early hour, in the expectation that " tired 

 Nature's sweet restorer balmy sleep," would visit 



