The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-06-12
Love and - -
Athletics M Anss.a

Copyright, 1902, by W. R. Hearst.)
Lydia Robertson went into physical
culture with the same dauntless spirit
that characterized all her undertake
ings.
Thoroughly jealous n determined.
she did not falter when the inevitable
obstacles presented themselves.
The battling Inconvenience, the IN
moving Interruptions, usually SO chs
couraging to the beginner, served only
to strengthen this young woman's III
pose.
Even the complaints and criticisms
Of her immediate family. who regard
ed the matter as simply another fad
Of Lydia's, could not deter her. The
unsympathetic attitude Of her relatives
became more apparent daily. Plainly
there was neither room nor reverence
In the house for Lydiass chest weights,
dumbbells n other paraphernalia.
However, when the family objected
to having the dining room turned Into
a gymnasium. she cheerfully trans
ferred her beloved trappings to another
apartment. Met with further OPPOSE
ton, she continued the transferring
process, nothing daunted.
But the time came when the oppoS-
ing powers utterly refused to tolerate
her various apparatus In the house.
Then 1t was that q kindly fate stepped
in and took sides with Lydia. In other
words, fortune favored h brave.
1t came about hat she no longer had
need of the 'trappinss" which proved
such a bane to the family place. Ply
steal culturtsts were beginning to 8
vor new and simpler methods and leSs
violent exercise. The particular school
which Lydia patronized dispensed A
together with ~dumbbells. chest weights
and similar aids to development, claim
ing that better results could be OBJ
tanned without their use.
The main thing now was to breathe
deeply and to exercise moderately aid
regularly In the open air.
All this Lydia took pains to Inform
the family, who, while rejofeing-t An the
felt Justified III ridiculIng afreshs tie.
cause which she so ardently espoused
ferred to as 'Ltydia's Latest" and mady
were tbs surm1Aes AZ to what the NEXT
departure would be. AS for the gfTts
IN the open air, there was much htlar-
tous commend.
That any person. knowing the 1imita-
lions Of life in a Harlem fiat, shonh
seriously consider such IN absurd PROP
ositton seemed too amusing for belxefJ
Where will you take your gymnas-
tics, pray?" inquired her sister In e
voice ofmirth. "Out on the front steps
for the benefit Of passersby7"
NO" answered Lydia, pleasantly;t
but I intend to take them In the open
air, Just the same. Wait and yoasli5
They did see. So, also, did. Roland
Hastings, the windows Of whose ap33t-
ment overlooked the court where
he early morning, Lydia ~proceAQgd
each day to stretch her muscles and
breathe deeply as h had been M.
structed.
Hastings. himself a disciple Of the
cause. a battled with az itg accofnnliI
Panytng problems-especia4Y with
those difficulties which BLOCK the path
Of h city dweller-and could appreela
ate keenly the bravery Of the young
womAnss efforts.
When first he saw the girl he felt q
thrill Of genuine admtraHon for. her
dauntless disregard Of conventional!
setous b was OF everything EXCEPT
the purpose in mind! How utterly shke
Ignored he possibility OF curious ID
Rbkers, applying herself to her task
with IA absorption that permitted no
thought Of ~distractinE influences from
without.
Hastings watched every morning NOW,
for the 1.-the figure in h comforfaHbyS
fitting suit Of blue. He had a fear.
somehow, that he girls enehustalstni
would Wane. n was 80 often the cabeI
when a woman undertook such SELF,
discipline.
But as time went on and she conttn-
ued to appear regularly In the cohrt.
below, he was conscious Of a glow at
such indomttable perseverance.
There's q gtrl who Possesses stlck-to-s
itiveness, bless her heartl BY love, rs
q refreshing thing In this day Of an.
tracing frivolity! I wish I knew heE.n
Ea HnVU odd ~ Qnapnnd a (kar a IL 49, = ~
should live In the same apartment
building with her Int yet have no
means Of becoming acquainted. 30
much Of the unkind customs and con-
ventions Of modern city ltfeI
Regarding his own progress In mat
tiers athletic, he began to feel decidedly
dissatisfied. A stuffy bedroom was no
place to tak ones exercise II and wffe
screens at the windows were certainly
q great obstruction to fresh air. Alter
III there was no reason why he should
no also use the court as q gymnasf4ffnh.
It was free to'him as well az, to her.
OF course he would choose a dinefE4t
hour from hers-but no, that would be
impossible. He would necessarily Be-
obliged to take his gymnastics IN the
morning before going dqWntoyn 10
work and that was Just tie time she
used the court. He hated to intrude and
yet
Lydia's Sister was the first to make
the discovery. Standing at the dining
room window b called cut to the as-
sembled family: ooh, do como quick
and look what's happened npwi There's
a young man out there taking physical
culture with Lydia-he's talking to her
do comet"
The affair was spoken Of as "Lydta,s
very latest" The girl endured the jokes
at her expense with her characteristic
calm.
Have all the fun you please. she
said c%heerfully. mi. Hastings Is a
splendid fellow, as you'll all fnd out
some day. He wants to meet father,
and mother. I told him he might CALI
DID any ons ever heal Of such an mn
conventional arrangement? But then.
it was just like Lydia!
II suppose" observed Lydia,s sister,
after his twelfth call, that you'l be
carrying on your physical culture In q
kitchen next? It looks that way"