The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-03-20
HOW TO BE STRONG.

Montgomery Irving, Phi. D.: Dur
ing a journey home from h far east
on one of the "P. and o." steamers
several years ago it al my good
fortune to meet a doctor from Chica-
go, O. man we'll along in middle life,
and his bride, a charming young girl
of perhaps %. The doctor confided
to me that they were homeward
bound from their honeymoon. Each
morning as 1 took my customary
breathing exercise on the forward
deck, long before the majority of the
passengers were astir, h doctors
wife, who was an early riser, too,
would stand n watch my work with
intense interest, and l afterward
learned that she was an athletic
leader in her college class.
In a talk with the doctor one day
I found out that he "pooh-hoohed"
such ideas as physical training. my
wife is crazy over exercises" said he.
She's at it every day and, further
more, she thinks you're just about
it," because you get out there on deck
at s a. m. and take deep breaths and
climb up the rigging on your hands
with a sailor a hangtngto your waist.
None of that for me, though. I'm
contented the way / am. don't care
a rap for big muscles and exercise,
get enough of it, u Of my practice,
and I have all the strength ! need"
When the ship stopped at Malta all
hands scurried ashore to see the town
and make purchases. The starting
whistle a few hours later found all on
board again save the Chicago doctor
and his bride. They rushed down to
the dock just in time to see the great
vessel gliding slowly away into the
stream. A small boat was brought in
to service and the belated tourists
were rowed out 1.-THE ship, bat not
until the vessel had picked up some
Roadway. The sailors threw down a
rope ladder and up it, as nimbly as a
cat, stepped the doctors young wife,
to the intense delight of the passen-
gers who cheered her to the echo.
Then came the doctor. He waved
the Maltest boatTnen away as they
tried to assist him n firmly grasped
the ladder. AS the small boat dropped
astern his face grew pale with ter
ror, and to add to his discontinue the
big ship began to pick up speed and
splash him. He made two rungs on
his long journey up the ships side
when along came a nice big wave
and wet him to the waist. BY this
time the doctor, who had told me, II
have all the strength I need" was not
thinking Of going up that ladder but
simply of clingin fast to it. The next
wave that hit the terrified bridegroom
went completely owe him and the
shock of 1t so terrified him that he let
go bis hold and slipped off into the
sea.
The cry OF terror that arose from
the passengers lined along the rail
found It's echo in a splash caused by a
figure in white that had leaped of the
after-paTt of the ship, striking the
water. It was the doctors splendid
young wife. She swan quickly to his
side and held his head well above
water until a small boat that had been
lowered from the ship took them both
in.
This actual experience tremendous
ly impressed me with the value OF
physical training. Here was a. man
supposedly the protector Of his mate
in life, not only unable to even help
himself when but ordinary strength
was needed, put obliged to accept the
aid of the very one who was supposed
to succor. What a sorry figure. in-