The courier-index., 1919-11-28
-, Theodore Roosevelt, Frau in
HO" BOyhOOd, Built Up Fine Phusioue
From the Literary Digest.

ceivable that any individual nrefers
of his own free will to be veal ond
alilng OF body. Everyone has the
desire to be well and strong, lust as
Roosevelt had and if this desire were
out coupled with the patience that he
showed In gaining bodily health and
soundness, it can hardly be doubted
that the achievement in physical
well-being and ability to take care
OF oneself would in a measure an
proach Roosevelt's success"
Roosevelt had no illusions as to his
own excellence as an athlete or
sportsman, Mr.. Sullivan saws. While
his reputation as big game hunter
is worldwide, many undoubtedly ex-
celled him in this form of sport. Of
his boxing lessons in early youth, he
says, Il was a painfully slow and
awkward pupil, and certainly worked
two or three years before | made anv
perceptible Improvement whatever. -
He did a good deal of boxing and
wrestling at Harvard, but frankly
Owns that he never attained to the
front rank in either. To quote fur
Their:
Likewise of horseback riding he
says he took to it slowly and with
difficulty, exactly as with boxing. 1T
was long time before / became even
a respectable rider, and | never got
much higher says his autobiography.
But he encouragingly adds: Amy man
if he chooses can gradually school
himself to the requisite seat and
nerve, and gradually school himself
to do respectfully across country, or
to perform the average work on a
ranch With the shotgun he says he
never did much, but he practiced a
good deal with the rifle. His expert
ence with craftsmanship was much
the same story, he AYERS, as with
Craftsmanship. He was one, he says,
Of the mass of men of ordinary abil-
tiles who, if they chose resolutely to
practice, can by sheer industry and
judgment make themselves fair rifle
shots
"Of course, being a man who was
keenly engaged in making his body
all his life, he was fond of life in the
country. After he left the White
House, Sycamore Hill was his perma
nent home, both summer and winter.
When obliged to live in Cities to
quote his own words, he did not let
up on the task of making his body.
He found that wrestling and boxing
enabled him to get good deal of ex-
ercise in condensed and attractive
fern. 1t was with reluctance that
he had to abandon both as he grew
older. On this point he says, "A man
whose business is sedentary should
get some kind of exercise if he
wishes to keep himself in as good
physical trim as his brethren who do
manual labor While in the White
House he made it a point to get a
couple of hours exercise in the aft
ernoon-tennis or riding or rough
cross-country walk, as rule.
"Rosevelt's gospel of exercise,
which he practiced so religiously in
making his body is worth quoting
4 never won anything without hard
labor and the exercise of my best
Judgment and careful planning and
working long in advance. Having
been a rather sickly and awkward
boy, | was, as young man, at first
both nervous and distrustful of my
own prowess. had to train myself
painfully and laboriously, not merely
as regards my body but as regards
my soul and spirit And he affirms
that whatever successes he achieved
were due not to any native ability to
do something better than anybody