"If your young folks want to know the meaning of epicureanism, tell them to take some, bits of coarse bread (one ounce and a little more), soak them in three gills of coarse-meal gruel, and make their dinner of them and nothing else; beginning very hungry, and leaving off more hungry. The food is delicious, and such as no modern epicureanism can equal."
For a considerable period, he kept a regular diet-table, in which he noted down the quantity of solid and liquid food taken during the twenty-four hours. One of his memorandum-books, labelled "Record of Diet and Discipline for 1839 and 1840," contains accurate records of this sort.
In October, 1832, in writing to his son in the country, he alludes to this improvement in his health and strength:
"We are all doing as well as usual here, myself among them doing better than usual. My little 'Doctor'[4] does wonders for me. I ride so much, and so advantageously, that I do not know but I shall be bold enough, by and by, to ride to B---- and back in a day, but shall hardly dare do so until I have practised a little more in this neighborhood.
"I want you to analyze more closely the tendency of principles, associations, and conduct, and strive to adopt such as will make it easier for you to go right than go wrong. The moral taste, like the natural, is vitiated by abuse. Gluttony, tobacco, and intoxicating drink, are not less dangerous to the latter, than loose principles, bad associations, and profligate conduct, are to the former. Look well to all these things."
The year 1833 opened with bright and cheering prospects; for, with Mr. Lawrence's increasing strength and improved health, there seemed a strong ground of hope that he might yet recover all his powers, and once more take his place among his former business associates.
He writes at this time to his son at Andover:
"I am as light as a feather this morning, and feel as if I could mount upon a zephyr, and ride upon its back to A----; but I am admonished to be careful when my spirits are thus buoyant, lest I come down to the torpor of the insect, which is shut up by the frost. Extremes are apt to follow, unless I take great care. Last Sabbath, I kept my bed, most of the day, with a poor turn. Brother A. said, on Saturday, he knew I was going to have one, for I talked _right on_."