LETTERS TO BROTHER JOHN. 193 



shake off. When he has, at length, dragged him- 

 self out of bed, he moves about with a feeling of 

 weariness, greater than he felt when he went to 

 rest. Tired, languid, and lazy, he feels as though 

 he could almost give half he is worth for one hour 

 more of sleep. His tongue and mouth are either 

 parched, like the surface of dry toast; or foul, 

 clammy, and exceedingly disagreeable to himself. 

 He is unable to eat any breakfast; but is glad of 

 a cup of tea or coffee, to cleanse his mouth and 

 throat: and this is no sooner swallowed, than 

 he begins to be annoyed with acid eructations, and 

 perhaps sickness. In an hour or two he feels bet- 

 ter, and gradually improves till dinner-time. At 

 dinner his appetite is capricious : sometimes he can 

 eat heartily ; at others scarcely at all. First, he 

 finds one article of food disagree with him ; then 

 another; until, at last, there is scarcely any one 

 article of diet which he dares take. After dinner, 

 lassitude and drowsiness again attack him ; and he 

 falls asleep, or sits gaping in his chair, till tea-time, 

 unless imperative necessity compel him to action. 

 After tea, he again feels better; and, indeed, from 

 tea to eleven or twelve o'clock is the only time in 

 which he can be said to be himself. His nights 

 are past either in a deep and dreamless sleep, or, 



