Meal-Times.

digest sloAvly and completely , so as to repair the Avear of the bodil y machine by the past toil . There should be no morning meal for them till afternoon , othenvise it proves a break-mi as Avell as a break-fast . There

are in England many thousand persons employed nightly for the periodical press , and though the greater number , especially of tiie brain workers , are " sicklied o ' er with the pale cast of thought , " yet in their digestive functions , and the nutrition of their tissues , they do not seem to suffer more than other sections of the industrial

population . When they do suffer it is usually in consequence of being roused up too early in an attempt to join the established breakfast at the established family hour . The up-all-nighters , who cannot attempt this , complain less frequently than the mere late workers .

Ihose Avho are born to consume the fruits of the earth rather than to sow and reap them , will also do Avell to & 11 OAV the same rule that Ave have recommended for their more industrious brethren . It is true they do not suffer so much from a neglect of it , hut will

they - enjoy life much more b y obedience . The adoption of Avhat may be called the French use , namely , a cup of coffee or milk on rising , and nothing else till a heavy dijeune about noon , is associated Avith a mode of life which fails to develop

to their utmost the inborn capacities for exertion , and is being gradually discredited as the upper classes in Europe come more and more to find their pleasure in Avork . Commercial men occupy an intermediate place between the classes already named ;

there is little temptation to them to Avork fasting , and the current hour of the famil y breakfast usually suits them very well , fhe most frequent error they commit is that of swalloAving the meal over-hurriedl y , and bolting their food . They are in too

great haste to get to business . Sometimes they eat too much , in the vain hope of doing without luncheon harmlessly . The balmy freshness of the morning air , further sweetened by contrast Avith that of a stuff y bedroom , the cheery scene of life and

movement succeeding the sepulchral ni ght , and a prevalent sensation of cleanliness and ri ghteousness combine to make the brushing of the rising de * v seem a speciall y Avholesome occupation . But any unprejudiced person may easily convince

himself that this is a fallacy . Let him go in for a quick Avalk before his first meal , and compare his capacity for exertion after it Avith Avhat it is if he breakfasts first and then goes through the exorcise . If the Aveig ht of the meal is felt at the pit of the

stomach Ave may be sure there is some error iu the mode of taking it . Valuable as muscular exertion is to the health , especially of sedentary Avorkers , they Avould be better employed in lying on the bed Avith the AvindoAv open than in taking Avalks

before breakfast , iu cases Avhere the meal cannot be got ready by the time they are dressed . The drinks at breakfast should be scrupulously aqueous . Alcohol in any formor at anytimeconnected Avith

break-, , fast , before , after , or in the middle , is injurious in direct proportion to its quantity . It induces a congested state of stomach and oesophagus after each' dose , which prevents the immediate secretion of salivary and gastric juiceshardens the

, membrane , and causes atrophy of the secretory glands . And this effect more surely folloAVS Avhen the viscera are unprotected by the presence of unirritating food that mig ht act as a diluent . There

is no surer poison than the spirituous " nip , " or vinous " pick-me-up" before breakmst . In men it brings on hardening and puckering of the liver and kidneys , palp itations and dilatations of the heart , loss of elasticity in the muscles and arteries ,

folloAved by atrophy of the same , early old age and that pottering A * agueness of mind Avhich makes them in their latter years the terror of society . In Avomen it causes hysteria , hypochondriasis , and chronic invalidismas Avell as sometimes the same

, tissue degenerations found so certainly in the male sex . It is easy to understand alcohol doing this , Avhen Ave think of it as arresting the digestion of starchy food , at the very time Avhen that alimentary matter is most Avanted to supply force for coming

Avork , at the very time Avhen the viscera are most ready to digest starch , and are most unprepared to resist noxious influences . An instinctive craA'ing for stimulants in the early morning is almost ahv * ays the

result of indulgence overnight . But Avith these miseries Ave have no sympathy , and , instead of the "hair of the dog , " would preferably administer the " tail of the cat . " s 2