This is the great error made by thousands and hundreds of thousands. In their youth they fail to understand the need of building for themselves strong, sound, healthy bodies to help them fight to a successful finish the battles of life. As boys and girls they may feel exuberant, strong, and they fancy that they will “grow” to be what is right and proper. Then it is that they should be told that if they neglect developing themselves they will grow up with their parents’ physical imperfections plainly marked and pronouncedly apparent.
The weak spots will remain weak—they may become weaker. The strong points will not keep the weak parts from giving out and breaking down when a heavy strain is brought upon them. And what good is a perfect, handsome engine with a broken piston-shaft? The engine cannot run till it has a new shaft. Unfortunately, the human engine cannot be repaired thus easily. When a breakdown occurs, the result may mean that the engine stops forever.
“Fardale did much for me,” declared Walter; “but I must confess that I was influenced greatly by your example, Merriwell. I know you did lots of good in that school. And now I have found that boys and young men all over this country are profiting by your example. Everywhere they are beginning to work regularly to make themselves stronger and handsomer and better. It’s a great thing, Merriwell, to know that you are doing this for the youth of the land.”
As of old, Frank was unable to keep the warm color from mounting to his face.
“I fear you are giving me altogether too much credit,” he protested.
“Not if all reports are true. Inza tells me there are ‘Frank Merriwell Athletic Clubs’ everywhere, the members of which are bound together by pledges that compel them to do each day a certain amount of work to make themselves physically perfect.”
“Why, the papers are full of it!” Inza declared. She was sitting beside her father and holding one of his hands. “Hardly a day passes that I do not read something about it.”
“You seem to have brought about a revolution in America, Merriwell,” smiled Walter.
“Well,” said Merry, “it is high time such a revolution took place, for disaster graver than commercial depression and financial panic has begun to threaten us.”
“You mean——”