As Sumner grew acclimated to Harvard, he also grew restless. He was exasperated by the strict schedule Harvard imposed on its students. One of his classmates explained the daily routine in a letter to his parents: “Prayers in the morning about seven o’clock. Breakfast at ½ past eight. Dinner at one. Evening prayers at ½ past four. Tea immediately after. Study bell in the morning at nine o’clock, in the afternoon at two, and in the evening at eight o’clock. All of course attend chapel (on Sundays) except such as are (or feign to be) sick.”
