The Monitor., 1885-07-17
THE TRICYCLE. CTRE.

What shall be done with delicate
woman to give her fresh air when she can
not walk? The French princess. of giddy
memory, would say at once, let her ride.
But horses and phaetons are costly: the
side-saddle. and ''the whip that is a
parasol'' cannot be enjoyed by everybody.
Besides, what is wanted is gradually to
give this sufferer the strength to walk, to
give all her muscles tone. and brace the Ian
guild energies into perfect response to the
will. The question has been answered by
one of the household readers. who gives
her experience for the general good She
was lifting large urchin up the steps of
the horse car. as she began to tell it. and
was laden heavily with rug-strap and
travelling bags besides. Not naturally
robust person, certainly; one Of the slender
Philadelphia girls who used to fade out 50
rapidly into ailing mothers and wives.
She was radiant with energy and enjoy
ment that morning as she slowed her pos
sessions, the heavy child and all the wraps.
upon the seat of the horse car. and went
on with her story. "A year ago couldn
walk square. | could not go up stairs
even without suffering. (Yes-I have
three children, and this little '.three-vear-
old is the youngest.) | was completely
broken down, and it did not seem as
though | could ever be pieced together
again, like those smashed plates they hang
up in the china shops with iron weights to
them to show the value of the cement.
But can carry the iron now. and the bum
dies and the baby, laughing. as she re-
stored all three of those falling parcels.
that were sliding off the opposite seat. to
their place again. 'It all comes Of having
tricycle.. My husband has his bieycle.
and we 60 out together every evening; we
run up from West Philadelphia to Ard
more after tea and back again, and it is
nothing am only rested-it is delightful.
And this is the difference between a tri-
cycle and horse. When was a girl and
rode. years ago c'not so very many
years, Thought her hearer. II never was
good for anything after ride: always was
tired out and wanted to rest Now. the
odd thing about tricycle. riding is that
when you stop you feel stronger than when
You started. Yon want to do something
else, Immediately, to dance. or walk. or
sweep off the piazza, or something =
That is, | suppose, said her amused
nearer, because yon have had fresh air
exercise and motion, without once having
TO carry your own weight Your locomo-
tive muscles must be strengthened by use.
and yet they are not taxed to carry yon.
1t is bodiless walking. surely
Yes. that is it: but it gives yon the
power which | thought would never,
never come again. to walk all you want to,
up stairs and down street.
This little lady is somewhat unique as a
She does her own cooking and
puts her sewing out. She has no nurse
maid, so the children get their exercise.
their play and all their teaching from her
during the long days in which her hus-
bands profession keeps him in the city.
Then in the evenings of spring. summer
and autumn, and on holidays the pair roam
over all the smooth country roads, and
some OF the rougher ones ON the west of
the river. This married girl is now new
being entirely. She says that it is all due,
spirits. elasticity, toughness to endure
fatigue and actual walking strength, to her
Ledger.