Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-30

1
hacking cough he was hard student
and lived too sedentary life. lie was
troubled with the care Of horse, and often
got one Of the children TO drive for him.
To feed groom and harness Duke, he said,
was more disagreeable than reading chap
ter Of Hebrew.
But bicycle what would the old maids
say We had seven Of them, and Deacon
Higgins and Squire Brights wife, who was
not over bright despite her name-would IL
do2 Had the consistory not better be con-
suited Would IL be a Christian thing TO go
| speeding down the street on spiritual bust
ness The Rev. John Morehouse on bi.
cycle 1t was rather huge to think of but
the dominic had a strain of Scotch blood,
and, like John Knox, he had a mind of his
own. lie discussed the matter pro and con
with Hal. lie always took him into his
confidence, and IL had made him manly. And
the dominic said al will do it," And Hal
announced at tea that papa had engaged a
colleague.
CHAPTER III.
Halls vacation would be through in four
weeks. In that time the dominic must
learn the tricks and manners of the "steel
horse" What a beauty she was We must
use feminine particle, for she was grace
full as maiden blushing into maturity.
The great driving-wheel shod with rubber,
so that she moved like one Of Homer's god
desses, the spokes of steel spreading their
skeleton arms like the spiders fairy covert,
jewelled with dew, the hollow axle Of steel,
in which the life of the vehicle is centered,
the handle-bar to guide this electric crea-
ture, and the saddle which bears the ven.
turesome dominic. Hal explained the
twenty-five different parts to us children,
and what mechanical skill was required to
construct vehicle that required lightness,
strength, simplicity, grace, comfort, and
safety. All this should have known little
about If Hal had not given me long lecture
on the bicycle. He said they were exten.
sively used in England by scholars, literary
men, and members Of parliament. lie gave
me an historical sketch of the velocipede,
which was invented before the bicycle, and
explained the mechanics, illustrated when in
operation. ! was studying physics at the
time and was much interested in his talk.
He had much to say of equilibrium, -
"power," and "wind and grade" and the
more he talked the more | admired this
beautiful machine, brilliant in electro.plate.
There was saddlebag, small paddock and
chain to secure the machine, bicycle stand,
a signal bell, lamp, and cyclometre; al.
| together it was wonderful thing.
| But the little folks were more inter.
ested in seeing father ride than in abstract
| discussion of the vehicle. The next after
noon father and Hal were away; and on an
unfrequented road he took his first lessons.
Hal never said much about this part of the
subject, although he always had hard work
TO keep from laughing, and | expect the
dominic had some terrible tumbles, not Sc.
rious to limb, but to the ministerial dignity
at least his stove-pipe hat had a suspicious
! dent in the crown; but after week of such
practice he learned to carry, mount, dis.
mount, and guide his colleague with tol-
cradle ease.
1t was prayer-meeting night that the Rev.
John Morehouse rode down the main street
| to the church. What a sensation it caused.
| The boys called TO one another, the ladies
| stared in amazement, the clerks came out
altogether it was show but father was in.
| spired that night and the large prayer-meet-
ing seemed to go on without break. But
at the close there was much whispering, and
Sister Perkins was especially active. The
consistory gathered around the dominic, and
Deacon Higgins asked if dominic could
serve God in riding such mad critter in
the public streets ?" "Yes," said father, a
little testily-he knew the deacon" much
better than renting his property for unholy
traffic." The deacon had wholesale liquor
house in one of his blocks. That quieted
him. Father continued " You all know old
Duke is gone; my salary will not allow me
to buy another horse" Here some of the
men WINGED a little, for father had had sew.
eral calls to larger fields with ample salary,
and Ridgeville church was wealthy, but he
preferred to stay on. any brother has sent
me bicycle" "Oh, that's it," muttered
Deacon Higgins, and he drew breath OF
relief. /" As means of exercise it calls every
muscle and nerve and faculty into alert and
healthful activity. 1t is without fatigue as
compared with horseback riding. 1t is
safer, gentler, and less monotonous. 1t is
less expense and care there is no danger
the horse is always bridled." Here the DOM
inie smiled, for they all knew how he shrunk
from the care of horse. "It requires no
grooming and costs nothing to keep it. 1t
trains the eye and ear. 1t gives suppleness
of limb and joint and muscle" But l will
not write half he said. Hal remarked he
was quite eloquent. The consistory, who
loved, and feared him, also, never made any
objection after that. One of the elders even
purchased one, and together they often made
pastoral calls, even trying race one night
coming in from the outskirts, continuing it
unto the church steps, and the prayer-meet-
ing was not the less spiritual"
1t ceased to excite the wonder of the town
at last. Almost every day the dominic
could be seen speeding along the streets.
The spirit of the living creature seemed to
be in the bicycle. His people saw more of
him. He had better appetite. The hack.
ing cough left him and he grew young
again. Once, when Deacon Higgins fell
from the high beams and was bleeding to
death, father happened along, and he came
into town, two miles, in eight minutes, and
the doctor was there in time to save the
deacon's life. The people who saw him
pass said black shadow and glistening
steel was all they saw. 1t was hard road,
and he rode for a life. After that not q
word of dispsragement was uttered and
sister Perkins declared "that if body
could tell when the critter was a coming
they were well enough"
Old Duke was nourishing the dropping
elm in the meadow but Young Duke, as
he was christened, had made new man of
the dominic, and everybody rejoiced that he
had got colleague" e."-Rev. g. Fiduel
Humphreys, in NeW York Observer.
In the Alhambra.
One cannot Enoar In thasa axonis;ta he lie