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tain tremendously strong links if others are fragile ? One must admit that it is an altogcthcr erroneous modę of speech to cali a man strong just bccause the muscles of his arms aro unusually powcrful. whilc perhaps the sources of his \ itality—the muscles round his body and his internal organs arc wcak. It may in fact be pOsitivclv dangerous to the health to be much strongcr in somc of the limbs than in others, or than in the rest of the body. It induces one to ovcrestimate one’s capacities. Strains thx-ough lifting, stitch, rupture. and nearly every over-excrtion of such organs as the hcart, arise from this cause. It is as though, trusting to the strong links in the chain, one were to hang upon it as much as it would be able to bear were the entire chain of the same ąuality. The result naturally is that one of the weaker links gives way, and then the entire chain is broken. Not only have the strong links bcen of no use. but they have done a great deal of harm by creating a false impressiou.
But the idea of " strength " has been so much misunderstood, and the wor<l so much misused. tliat people do not care to do anything in order to bccome really strong. They havc scen again and again so-callcd strong men hampered by every kind of illness, and often dying at a comparatieely early age. And the same with beauty. The erroneous conception that this depends on the contour of the face. the colour of tlie eyes, the luxuriance of the hair -things which it is not easy pcrmanently to alter has resulted in people overlooking the beauty that is bona fide and valuablc, and which, moreover, it is in everyone’s power to sccure for himsclf. And yct a fresh complexion, elear eyes, and a free carriage of the head—all of which are the outeome of a rational care of the body—lend a certain beauty to the most irregular features By following out “ My System,” and now and again going for a run (on the balls of the feet), you will not only attain perfect health, but the shape and appearance of your body will approach morę nearly cvery day to the ancient classical ideał of beauty, for the simple reason that this coincides esactly with the highest ideał of bodily neaith, flexibility, and all-round cfficiency. And running is not for boys and men only ; women. and espccially young girls, ought certainly also to practise running long stretches oi' sportsmanlike style. Then by degrees we shall be spared the siglit of a walking sylph who absolutely must catch her train suddenly transforming herself into a cow or waddling duck.
The art critics of our day, in their remarks anent the classical statues of olden times. have certainly confused cause and effect, probably because they themselves are rather students than practical athletes. and therefore lack the qualińcations nccessary to understand wliat colossal and yct delicately and harmouiously balanccd physical powers and what a mighty exuberance of strength are representod by a Dory-phoros or an Apoxyomenos, and what a tremendous and unswereing labour must needs have preceded such a result. To imagine that it was love of beauty that produced surh shapes and lines is simply absurd. The large capacious chest so characteristic of all antique statues is synonymous with the highest possible degree of strength and endurance in lungs and heart The powerful oblique muscles of the abdomen, which form the most beautiful part of the celebrated antique torso—a glaring contrast to the thin, unmuscular waists of our present-day athletes—are developed by the very exercises that I have ęited