By beginning so early, he knows that he was plenty of time to do thoroughly all the work he can be expected to do, and is not tempted to hurry over any part of it. All his work being finished in good time, he has a long interval of rest in the evening before the timely hour when he goes to bed. He gets to sleep several hours before midnight, at time when sleep is most refreshing, and after a sound night’s rest rises early next morning in good health and spirits for the labors of a new day.
It is very plain that such a life as this is far more conductive to health than that of the man who shortens his waking hours by rising late, and so ca afford in the course of the day little leisure for necessary rest. Any one who lays in bed late, must, if he wishes to do a full day’s work, go on working to a correspondingly late hour, and deny him the hour or two of evening exercise that he ought to take for the benefit of his health. But, in spite of all his efforts, he will probably not produce as good results as the early riser, because he misses the best working hours of the day.
It may be objected to this that some find the perfect quiet of midnight as the best time for working. This is no doubt true in certain cases. Several great thinkers have found by experience that their intellect is clearest, and they can write best, when they burn the midnight oil. But even in such cases the practice of working late at night cannot be commended. Few men, if ay, can exert the full power of their intellect at the time when natures prescribe sleep, without ruining their health thereby; and of course the injury done to the health must in the long run have a bad effect on the quality of the work done.
Thus we may say that in every case the early rise has an immense advantage over the late riser. He enjoys far better health, and by the quality and quantity of the work he can accomplish day by day, is more likely to succeed in life than the indolent ma, who dozes away the best hours of the morning in UN refreshing slumber.