Home Life 



decided to try it in a modified form. He gave up all starchy 

 foods and ate beef only, cooked in a special manner to render 

 it more digestible. He found such relief from this change of 

 diet that from this time onwards he followed a very strict 

 daily routine, which he continued to the end of his life with 

 slight variations. 



He made himself a cup of tea on a gas stove in his bed- 

 room at 6 a.m. (the exact quantity of tea and water having 

 been measured the previous evening), and boiled it in a small 

 double saucepan for a definite time by the watch. He always 

 said this cup of tea tasted better than at any other time of 

 the day. He then returned to bed and slept till 8 a.m. 

 During his last two or three years he suffered from rheuma- 

 tism in his shoulder and it took him a long time to dress, and 

 he called in the aid of his gardener in the last year, who acted 

 as his valet. While dressing he prepared a cup of cocoa on 

 the gas stove, which he carried into the study (next door) at 

 9 a.m. This was all he had for breakfast, and he took it 

 while reading the paper or his letters. 



Dinner at one o'clock was taken with his family, and he 

 usually related any interesting or striking uews he had read 

 in the paper, or in his correspondence, and commented upon 

 it, or perhaps he would tell us of some new flower in the 

 garden. 



He drank hot water with a little Canary sack and a dash 

 of soda-water, to which he added a spoonful of plum jam. 

 He was very fond of sweet things, such as puddings, but he 

 had to partake sparingly of them, and it was a great tempta- 

 tion when some dish of which he was particularly fond was 

 placed upon the table. 



After dinner he usually took a nap in the study before 

 resuming work or going into the garden. 



Tea was at four o'clock, and consisted only of a cup of tea, 

 which he made himself in the study, unless there were \isitors 

 whom he wished to see, when he would sometimes take it 

 into the drawing-room and make it there. 



After tea he again wrote, or took a turn in the garden if 

 the weather and season permitted. Latterly he spent a good 

 part of the afternoon and evening reading and dozing on the 



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