Abstinence

Journal Wed. 12th May
Walked thence through the Park to the Atheneum, at the gate of which I parted with Mr. Carmichael, well prepared for my dinner at five. Being a teetotaller, I determined to repair my exhaustion with good meat instead of drink; and so, on inspecting the bill of fare, ordered a dinner as analogous as I could make it to kale and beef; so for the kale I had a plateful of mock-turtle soup, and calf s-foot for the beef. After this, siesta-ed - and where?- still in the Athenmumn, on one of the sofas of their quiet library, while the silent readers to the number of four or five were lounging upon -their sofas or arm-chairs in other parts of the capacious and handsome room. Arose refreshed between six and seven; expatiated among the newspapers; got home before nine. -

Further quote

"Incapable of study, and in great physical discomfort. How shameful! Let me here record my humbling sense of it, that was in great part due to my excess at table, which has made me bilious, and alive to all sorts of plagues and provocation. I gace way to this vile indulgence at Mr. P's and have not been careful for weeks past. Enable me, O God, to make a stand now, to enter on a new habit, and stive with all might for the mastery over this degrading appetite."
The result of this was a highly temperate diet, in whatever company he was in - often just a wafer biscuit for lunch, with a glass of water

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