Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-06
THE WAY SIZE MOUNTS.

But although there are row at least a thou
and lady riders in this city-ths is the esti-
mate OF a well-known dealer in wheels and
probably the principal instructor of the female
bicyclist-it is vita goat difficulty that lady
can be induced to even think of the idea Of
mounting a wheel and riding along the street
In the face Of the world. 1t makes her blush
Tor shame She would rather die than think of
doing IT and she almost grows historical at the
mere suggestion The next time that she sees
one Of he own sex doing so nicely with the
pedals and the han1le bar there is a certain
amount of throbbing around that organ OF the
body that is commonly called the heart and
The prsle of the woman makes itself felt She
bites her lips and begins to think that il does
not look so bad after all By the time that she
has reached home sh has come to the conclu-
SION that what that other woman has done she
can do, too. and if any one should happen to
seize this favorable opportunity to urge the
innovation further she Is an easy victim to the
persuasion that she might "a well try it. ..just
for fun. you know" to see if she really can ride
the machine.
THE MATTER OF DRESS.
OF course, she has 10 very definite idea of
what awaits her, but she knows that the ma
chine is ewfully treacherous and that she must
be very careful about her dress. That is the
worst worry of all. that Dress OF course she
has a certain amount of pride in her costumes
and never likes to appear to a disadvantage.
even when learning to ride a wheel, SO that
when her instructor tells her that she must wear
the PLANES: OF plain skirts, without ribs and
even-now this Is pure, plain fact, and the
truth must be told, cen though the heavens
fall and somebody tlushes-without a hustle
she Is inclined TO weaken and say that she
thinks she will have to let the wheel go rather
tEan lose her furbelows- This within does not
last very lcng, however, ard she is soon in the
M.nd again TO try il.
The heavier she gets the flannel of which to
make her riding dress the better, and the more
she sacrifices Ter taste for founces and friils
the less opportunity has that ogre, the wheel,
for swallowing several yards of cloth belonging
70 her every time she gets on il for a lesson.
There Is not the slightest danger of entangle-
ment II one is but the least bit careful about
this matter of skirts The dress must be made
Ter bicycling. and for nothing else, in order to
attain the greatest proficiency. There is moth
ing as constant as failure and accident to a
beginner, whether on a bicycle or of it. and
the more lady observes the rule never to go
to the bicycle school in her street dress, but to
lave a special costume for the purpose of being
torn &c pieces by the raging wheel, the quicker
khe Will learn and the more graceful she will
look when she has hrally mastered the art OF
sitting upright on a wheels saddle, without the
ssmblance of a man around with his hand on
the rear mud guard.
The day for sewing punches Of shot into the
skirts OF dresses intended for riding wheels
has gone by. Ladies' tailors may still put them
into riding habits. but the masters Of wheeling
schools will never advise the use Of weights in
the skirt All that is needed to preserve the
natural order of things. and II is very essential
that they should be preserved. is that q lady
who rides must keep her dignity at the same
time that she does her balance, and to be sure
that her saddle and handle bar are properly
adjusted before she leaves the stable-no it is
no: stable. but something like it. OF course.
tEere are a good many lady riders who do not
manage to preserve both elements at the Same
time, but who lose one while trying to save the
other. This l. an unfortunate fate that can
however, be avoided by care and practice
GREAT INCREASE LATELY.
This same authority. who told the Stars rep
resentative the other day how many ladies' ride
wheels in Washington, went On to say that of
that number a COO probably 500 learned to ride
during the past year. He regarded the increase
hs natural and a. the result Of the education of
the masses by daily experience, and also the
victory OF common sense ever prudery and
bashfulness- OF course. not all Of this number
OF ladies own wheels. but they have all learned,
and DO ride at times upon rented wheels. The
sale OF ladies' bicycles increases very rapidly.
and now, so said the dealer. there is one sold 10
three Of the other kind. great many ladies
who draw salaries from the government are
buying them and using them instead Of street
cars
He said that he had not vet encountered q
case where a woman who had started to learn
to ride had failed to do so. Some, Of course
were more backward about learning than
Others, but all who entered the arena had, up
TO that time, conquered the enemy and now
ride gracefully. IL is very seldom that it is al
all necessary to give more than five lessons
each lesson being Of half an hour-in order 70
teach . lady to ride. There has been in his