196 MORE POT-POURRI 



public school. And, on the whole, this is a good rule 

 even for ourselves. If a system of tale -bearing could 

 be established, it would make life unbearable for all 

 of us. 



An eternal complaint against servants is about early 

 rising. I believe a number of people have no doubt 

 that fifty or sixty years ago (which is, I fancy, the time 

 when rather young people think old-fashioned servants 

 lived) they all got up early. We are certainly not the 

 worst among the nations, but I do think that late rising 

 amounts almost to a national fault. These things are 

 greatly the result of climate; but to insist on maids get- 

 ting up in the dark, when there is very little to do, and 

 to give the order that the kitchen fire is to be lit at 6.30, 

 when the family do not breakfast till nine or half-past, 

 seems to me almost tyrannical, though we have a per- 

 fect right to expect that the water should be hot and the 

 breakfast ready at whatever time we choose to order it. 

 For two months in the winter I always postpone the 

 breakfast hour from eight to half -past, and I always 

 use — for health reasons — cold water all the year round; 

 but I never have the slightest diflflculty in getting break- 

 fast punctually at eight, though I feel quite sure of one 

 thing, that if I did not get up early no one else would. 

 It seems a relief to some people's consciences to insist 

 on the early rising of others, when they lie in bed late 

 themselves. Servants are the first to remember that 

 they can go to bed early, when very often their masters 

 and mistresses cannot. I think all of us shorten our 

 living hours by taking more sleep than is at all neces- 

 sary. As an example of the strength of some men, Mr. 

 Max Miiller mentions that the great Baron Humboldt 

 complained that as he got old he wanted more sleep — 

 'four hours at least. When I was young,' he con- 

 tinued, 'two hours of sleep was enough forme.' Mr. 



