Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-05-14
A NIGHT RIDE.

The bicycle is a queer instrument.
You think you know all about it, then
suddenly you find there are still things
to learn. The other evening l got on
my bicycle and worked my way for
five or six miles through one of the
prettiest lanes in England to a country
village where a friend of mine lives
The lane which leads to this village is
one in which | did good deal of prac-
ticing when | first took to the bicycle,
some months ago. 1t is bordered by
hedges and trees on each side, and
looks like long green tunnel, through
which the sun sends some filtering,
Pickering rays down on the excellent
roadway, making a sort of dancing
carpet of light and shade, eternaIly
weaving themselves together and
mimicking in shadow and sunshine
the interlacing of the trees above
But there is, alas, along the side of
this lane ditch with which [ have
before now made acquaintance while
teaching myself now to ride. 1t is
always a pleasant experience for
bicycler to revisit spot where he has
had his conflicts with the machine. 1t
gives him a sense of having accom-
plished something. I recognized all
the places where [ had been throw1i in
the ditch, and where I had been thrust
through the hedge. 1t was nice to
know that these exciting days were
past, and that l now rode the machine
as il | were part of it.
The lane is a lonely place at any
time of the day; broader roads and
more direct ones lead to the little
village | have spoken of, but whose
name [ need not mention. My friend
proved so entertaining that | stayed on
and on. | was invited to stop for
dinner, and | did. | was afterwards
censured for this when I ultimately
did reach home People in the coun-
try, was told, were not always pre-
pared to receive unexpected visitors TO
dinner. 1t was not the thing to drop
down with my bicycle upon a HELPLESS
man IN the country, and then hang
around the premises until [ was in
Vlted to dinner. | am aIwdys putting
my foot in 1t in this way. 1t makes
me feel guilty afterward, but what is
man TO do? | was interested in nv
frlend's talk and | stayed on for that
reason. 1 wasn't thinking about din
ner at ALL and [ am sure by the very
good dinner that they gave me thew
were prepared for a visitor TO dron
down from anywhere, and besides if (
had taken any sandwiches in nv
pocket and sat out on the veranda to
eat them, my friend might have been
offended imagining that | thus
sighted his hospitality; as it was |
left there thinking l had been most
moderate, because | had refused an IN
YitatIon to stay all night l was told.
when | reached home that | was IN
ylted to stay the night because they
had despaired of getting rid of me, ant
so made virtue Of necessity. Society
IS complex machine and a man never
knows what to do-at least, | never do
and when people talk the kind Of talk
like, | am apt to hang on and on
longer than I should But all that has
nothing to do with my bicycle exper-
fences
house, and when l came to the en-
trance of the lane it was even darker
than pitch, if such a thing be possible.
| lit my bicycle lamp for the first time
in my life. The lamp had cost me a
lot of money and was said to be the
best in the market but when it tried to
compete with the appalling darkness
in the lane I saw what a futile thing it
was 1t shed a dim circle of light a
long way ahead, that didn't seem to me
to be of much practical use. I pushed
the machine along and sprang lightly
on its back. Now, [ thought | knew
how to ride perfectly; but was to find
out that riding in the broad daylight
and riding in the darkness are two en-
tirely different things. The machine
gave a wobble first in one direction
and then in the other, and my heart
came into my mouth when | found that
unless | saw the wheel did not know
how to balance the concern. Sitting
down moment afterward, fortunately
not on the side where the ditch was.
had some time to mediate on the sit
uatlon. The wheel was on top of me
and the lamp went out. This was ole
times over again, and | had not ever
the chance in the darkness to selecr
the spot on which to fall I did no
like the idea of trundling the machine
all the. way along the lane when
ought TO be able to do so much better
on its back, so I rose slowly, placed
the machine upright again and reli
the lamp. The lamp hung on a coupl,
of vacillating Hangers which ap
parently are actuated by springs ant
give the lamp a wobbIy motion whel
you joggle Unexpectedly over stone
l got once more upon tne machine. thi
time with better success, and we wen
along nicely for some distance: in tn
daylight the lane seemed perfectI,
smooth and unobstructed; yet I sud
denly came against some unseen OBJ
stacle that appeared to me as l alighte,
to be a boulder lying on the road. I
was in reality stone about the size O
my fist The lamp had gone out. O
course, simultaneously with my fall
This one I have goes out whenever
joggle over anything. l have been toll