The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-09-26
%PODGELEY'S RIDE.

PODGELEY'S RIDE.
l am, in . way, Podgeley's godfather
in the gentle art Of cycling. I gave him
his first lesson, which lasted half m
hour by tho clock, but which lasted mo
a very much longer period, for during
that half hour Podgeley and his bicycle
lay about all over me very freely and
took liberties with my epidermis which
it needed weeks to repair. Podgeley was
not hurt, Of course. ! got the knock1
When he fell oil. or with, his machine,
/ was always on the spot to Be lain
down upon. you zee, 20 that naturally
Podgeley was all right
Fer all that he did not learn to ride
in that first half hour with me for teach
er. He learned nothing then. unless il
were . few new words which / may
have taught him when he rammed me
backward into q stone wall, with his
front wheel between my knees and the
handle Of his machine in my watch
pocket. I may have said something
original when he did that I don't
know. ! remember that Ididn't like the
position. and that I admired it still less
when Podgeley shot forward, with his
fingers all over my face and neck. and
dragged me sideways down the wall in
a sort Of general chaos Of spokes and
treadles and handle bars and Podgeley
and nc. =u.
That was the end Of the first half
hours lesson, and I went to bed after
it, and it was while ! lay amending
there that Podgeley went and had II
shillings' worth of tuition at the Crys-
tai palace. He had four lessons for this
SUM-, but / would bet my last shilling
that it required four different men to
give Podgeley four lessons. No one man
could survive the lot, and it is extreme
" improbable that any single individ-
nal would be we'll enough to teach
Podgcley even twice within q week or
two And il he were well enough he cor
tainly would not be foolish enough-not
for IS. Cd. at any rate. Podgeley ought
to be taught from q gallery. That
would be the way with Podgeley. Tho
teacher could stand there in safety and
shout ont his instructions, only the sup
ports to the gallery must be strongly
made, for il they received anything like
the punishment Podgeley and his ms
chine gave me they would be shaken 10
their very foundations That machine
Of his. you zee. was q very demon when
reused. and IL seemed to rouse it to
have Podgeley in the saddle. / am
bound to say that any bicycle might
fairly lose its temper with Podgelsy
up" / don't blame the machine 4 bit
It must be . maddening thing to have .
rider on ones back Of Podgeley's stamp,
and il l were q bicycle and he behaved
on me rs he did on that wretched ma
chine I dare say / should 60 a. mad -
it does and dash my head against every
obstacle / came across and buck, and
rear, and skid. and play Old Nicholas
generally in order to get rid Of him.
1t is very generous Of me to speak like
this OF his bicycle, for, as q matter Of
fact, that machine hurt me very much,
and at the time ! was not at all inclined
to make allowances for it and was dis
posed to regard it's loss Of temper and
the general abandoned recklessness Of
its conduct a. very ~unbecoming t. II
guinea machine, ' e ON deferred pay
mentor those were the terms upon
which some confding individuals sold
it to Podgeley. II they had known . lit
tie Of my friend al q ride, they
would have reflected that there would
not be the remotest chance Of recovering
any portion Of the thing bigger than .
penny piece after Podgelcy should have
ridden it for q week or two, and suppos-
ing that the payments had become over
due. Why, it is not ven now more than
six weeks since Podgeley bought that
machine. and I am sure he does not
know where any Of it is at this moment.
The fact is, it is dead and distributed
long since, and that is partly why / am
SO generous in speaking Of it. De NOR
tuis, I have always thought, nil nisi
bonum, which may be translated for my
less learned readers, Don't jump on
dead dogs"
l think l ought to admit that there
are compensations even for those who
have suffered for trying to teach Podge-
ley.
On my bed Of sickness, or rather of
confusion and abrasion, I lay and re-
hected much, and the remembrance of
Podgeley's little short, fat figure, cooked