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To wind up this chapter with a word of encouragement to those who come quite fresh to the subject; to those who in taking up Physical Culture are venturing into what is to them unexplored territory—“Read, think, and work. Do not be disheartened because your progress at first seems slow; nothing worth having is to be won without labour. I can only tell you what to do, only point out to you the right road. The rest lies with yourself. I should be the sorriest humbug if I endeavoured to make you believe otherwise, and you would be the simplest of fools if you did believe me. There is no royal road to success, and a very bad thing would it be if there were. For your reward lies not so much in the accomplishment as in the effort and struggle, and all the good qualities which they bring out.”

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I have already remarked upon the satisfactory progress which the system has made during the last few years. It is probably well-known that my system has practically been adopted in the Army; although the method adopted in the Army gymnasia is not absolutely identical with that which I advocate, it is obviously based upon the same principles. People may be interested to hear that since I opened my first school, some eighteen months ago, amongst my pupils have been a great number of gentlemen, who, desirous of adopting the Army as a career, have been unable to do so through not coming up to the physical standpoint required. In many cases they have actually been rejected on this account; in others they have been fearful that such might be their fate, and have come to me in order to avoid it. Some have not been heavy enough for their height; others lacking in chest measurement, and so on. Now let my system be judged by the results. In not a single instance have I failed to do what is necessary. That may stand by itself without any further comment from me. However, as a further proof of the efficacy of the system, I may say that I have put an inch on the height of a young fellow in three weeks! This may sound incredible, but it is an absolute fact. The majority of these gentlemen, whom I have helped to pass the Army “medical,” have written me appreciative letters, and though for obvious reasons I cannot publish them, I shall be happy to show them to any reader who may care to call at the St. James’-street school. That the value of the system is fully recognised in the Army is demonstrated by the letter from Colonel Fox, late inspector of the Army Gymnasia, which appears in this book. Amongst the civilian public the system is spreading rapidly; private individuals are taking it up and working steadily in their own homes, whilst in a great number of gymnasia throughout the country, classes are being formed to carry it out. In connection with this, it is highly diverting to notice that various individuals who are never tired of denouncing me and all my works, have set up as “professors” of physical culture, and are actually teaching my system! Of course they would be loth to admit this, and would assert that it is a system of their own. All I can say is that by a strange coincidence nearly every one of these systems which I have examined is based upon the same principles as my own. Now that I have made mention of those who try to gain notoriety by attacking my system, I cannot refrain from commenting upon certain statements which, having been widely circulated, may tend to do the system injury. The subject is, I think, worthy of a short chapter to itself.