The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-08-28
BREAKING A BIKE.
BY FRANK II. BENSON.

and rode right Off-l believed him. some
people are too prosaically clever toeNer
half enjoy life, and Horton belongs To
this class. L do not When 1 became
possessed of a brand new bike" knew
L was going 10 have trouble, and nerHed
myself therefor. L was not mistaken
L did have trouble.
Horton said he would come over and
help me learn to ride. That's the trouble
with clever people l knew how Hor-
ton would help me TO learn 10 ride All
clever people adopt the same methods
He would lead the wheel out into the
smooth road with air OF supreme
mastery, steady it for me to mount,
and, having enticed me 10 a seat on the
treacherous machine. deliver himself in
this wise:
Now, take good hold of the handles
no, not too ught-they wont get
away-just grasp them lightly but firm
ly; now put both feet on the pedals
steady now-don't be afraid, and-keep
your balance" Then he tips the ma
chine over to an angle of IS degrees,
gives me a start, and away l go. Now
"a bicycle that's we'll trained and knows
it's mounted by Il man who is its master
would just as likely go at an angle of
IS degrees as any other way-l know
because | have since taken pains to ex-
pertinent. Not so a green and stubborn
wheel that conceiVes il to he its duty
to take the conceit out of a novice. Such
a machine must be ridden exactly up
right. both feet must sit exactly the
same on the pedals, the handle bars
must IL grasped just so, and a thousand
precautions must be taken that would
cause that same wheel to feel insuited a
month later.
That's why my machine don't go the
way my clever instructor had calcu-
lated. Instead it makes one or two mis-
cradle wobbles, turns into the only
rough piece of road in the vicinity,
shakes itself unccmfortably a couple of
times, and then smashes into the
ground with a force entirely unwar-
ranted by the degree of momentum it
has attained while comparatively up
right
Then my friend comes up with a look
of panied surprise on his face, as
though I'd been going through all these
maneuVers on purpose 10 disregard his
instructions. He shows me just where
the course l have pursued is diamet-
retically opposed to his directions. Par
ticularly he remarks that l must en-
deavor To keep my equilibrium
thank him, perhaps facetiously, because
n vigorous fall is not calculated To i'm
prove the temper, and remark that If
he had only suggested that before il
would have saved all the trouble. Then
he gets offended, and | have to apollo
gize. Then we try again.
This time / am tired and disgusted.
Ny knowing instructor is perfectly cool,
but much more disgusted than myself.
ke insists that | am about the worst
pupil he has ever seen. Then he dis
covers that he has an engagement and
| must leave. / thank him presumably
tor helping me with the wheel, really
for going. As he disappears from sight
| take the wheel back To the house, slam
the door on it Niciously, and seek a
place " here / can rest and reflect.
Maybe | did Horton an injustice, but
that's about the way | imagined that he
would help me to learn to ride. | told
him | didn't think I'd have any trouble;
besides l had almost decided to make
my first trial at night. This moonlight
ride idea OF mine was one had thought
of long before / purchased the wheel.
| l love the moonlight. To me it seems
most singularly fit that lose-lorn youths
should swear by yon pale moon"
| There is no truth in Luna. She lies,
| she fiatters and eXaggerates. And yet
we all must love her, for her falSehoods
| are of kindness. She draws the veil of
charity over our shortcomings. The
crude, unsightly hooks and crevices the
! sun, truths mighty ally, delights to
show, she passes by or touches with
soft romantic light that makes the very
| things we most dislike by day at night
/ seem beautiful. There is no stretch of
natures handiwork SO mean, so rough
and so devoid of charm but, touched by
this divine magician's power, may be
| transformed into a fairy land.
| / take my wheel out into the broad
| avenue that passes the house. The
moonlight shimmers through the leaves
of the tall poplars that align the road.
| \ gentle breeze makes the leaves rustic
| and dance. The tall trees quiver; and
! save for the rubbing of the branches
and the soft murmur Of the winds, all is
/ silent. A sovereign feeling of indie
| pendence possesses me. The world is
sleeping. | am alone with nature and
! the delights of night are mine. l mount
my wheel triumphantly and start down
|
wheel skins like bird over the smooth
road. l emerge from the tree-lined
| avenue to an open country, where broad
| grain fields stretch away into the
hazy distance. The deceptive moon
light lends to the waving grain the
| appearance of a vast lake. Ny eyes
/ drink in the beauty of the scene, and
| the fresh, bracing atmosphere fills me
| with peculiar intoxication. l throw
back my chest, drink deep the airy
nectar. | feel though | would like
| to scream, sing, anything TO vent my
eXuberance-
Horton said / couldn't learn to ride
at night. I'd be everlast tingly running
, into chuck holes and other obstacles
and if L didn't break my neck (which
didn't so much matter), L would prob
ably cause the bicycle irreparable dam
age. That's the way with Horton.
Whenever get any particularly attract
i've idea he always spoils it with some
OF his practical suggestions. Now, If
his suggestions were not practical il
wouldn't be SO bad. | don't a bit
mind suggestions from friends, when /
can show them the utter folly of acting
uron them, brt it is not SO with Horton
Whenever he makes a suggestion have
learned by experience that that particu-
lar suggestion had better be needed. /
never forgive him for spelling my plans
but find it prudent to act on his ad-
vice, so this time l sadly put away INV
nf L =