THE HARVARD SYSTEM.
Broiled steak or chops, potatoes in almost any style, without grease, bread nearly fresh, tea if desired, water, or milk if preferred, oatmeal porridge or gruel, and eggs poached or boiled—not very hard—render the breakfast of a Harvard student in training palatable and even attractive.
The best roast beef or mutton procurable, potatoes, bread, cracked wheat, rice, oatmeal gruel, and the various vegetables in the market, often, if not regularly, make the dinner inviting; and a piece of salmon or a dish of poultry or game is an occasional visitor, aiding to vary yet more the programme. Tapioco, farina and other vegetable puddings make an admirable substitute for heavy puddings as a desert. Milk, water, and tea again, and also butter and salt, in reasonable quantities, are permitted.
Bread and milk, or tea, butter, oatmeal gruel, dry toast and crackers, are the chief and often only articles taken at supper.
About a half hour’s careful rowing at a tolerable pace, with an occasional stop or “easy,” for instruction and rest, in the morning.
In the afternoon, an hour’s rowing, with not more than two or three rests, will complete the day’s water work.
The rate of speed in the afternoon should go up from thirty-five strokes a minute when commencing training to racing gait during the last two weeks, and pulling over the proposed course once “on time” will be plenty of work for this last period.
A three or four mile walk, at a four-mile gait, starting an hour after breakfast, will not, unless in extremely hot weather, prove too much for a vigorous young man with ordinarily good legs. The speed of this walk should be reached gradually, and after, perhaps, if a man in the start is much out of condition, say two weeks slower going.
A thorough rubbing of the entire body, until the skin is absolutely red, should “immediately” follow each row, and then a dry suit should be donned. Flannel is the best material for it.
Eight hours should seem a good medium for sleep. If a man feels all right with a less amount than this, he should regulate his own hours; but if he is nervous and excitable, he should have more. He should never lie abed awake in the morning, but spring up at once, and take his sponge bath, or in warm weather, if convenient, a plunge into cold water.