The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-08-15
THE TOWN BICYCLE.
BY ALICE W. ROLLINS.

never had one. 1t occurred 10 heT
somewhat late in life that il would be
pleasant to have a definite object in
view, and If it should prove to be
spherical by nature so much the better
Unselfish always. hers was no personal
AIM She did not crave culture. nor a
profession, nor a husband, nor any
thing that could be hers. She wished
to do something for the world. The
world, of course, meant Boxton.
There was one difficulty. She did
not like to admit the present existence
of flaw in Boxton. To try to improve
it would imply that it needed improv-
ing, and Miss Matilda had always con
eidered the village of Boxton quite per-
feet of its kind. What did 1t not possess :.
1t had meeting house with a spire,
a schoolhouse, a fire company with red
shirts and buckets, common, gro
Gerry store with one corner in 1t for O
post Office, and even small circulating
library, emanating from the "sittin-
room" of Maria Follansbee. Miss Ma
tilda would not have advocated the ac-
QUESTION of anything which might
have been had before, but which Box
ton had been without. The acquisition
of something new, however, some
thing which other towns never had had
till recently, seemed to offer no insult
to the past, and to be merely proper
Difference to the present and noble
legacy to hand down to the future.
Such thing was the bicycle.
True. no one in town could afford to
buy a bicycle What was worse, Box
ton had no leisure class nble to devote
Saturday afternoons to the enjoyment
of bicycle. No. it was certain that no
individual in Boxton was well adapted
for the bicycle craze.
But the town. as town? Why not
have public bicycle, as we have pub
lie library or a public school? The
town could own 1t; the people could
hire it by the hour, and Boxton hold up
It's head with the cities that had boule-
wards. True, the dreadful thought did
cross her mind that If ever such day
did arrive, Everybody would want the
bicycle on the same afternoon, and
there would be only one. However, she
decided that sufficient unto that day
was the evil thereof. Her duty was to
provide the bicycle. Others might
quarrel over it as they pleased.
A bicycle was expensive, she knew
that. And they could not increase the
town taxes, and they had no village
millionaire to subscribe the whole
amount. But they could give straw.
berry festival, and the children could
pick huckleberries, and she, she-Miss
Matilda--ceuld take q bonrder.
She had often thought it pity not
to take boarders in the roomy, old
fashioned house, with the neighborine
woods, and the splendid well, and the
fine apples, and the excellent croquet
ground. Admirable woman that she
was, she had never regretted that GER
tain aristocratic sense OF fitness IN
reigning supreme over such mansion
had cut her off from adding another
source to her income; but she had al
ways been haunted with a sincere sym
pathy for the boarder that might have
been, cut off from the splendid privilege
of dwelling, even for few weeks, III
the green pastures of Boxton. Now,
however, that she had a motive out
side herself, and outside any personal or
individual prejudices in favor of other
towns, she felt justified, for the honor
of Boxton, in assuming the role OF a
compensated hostess.
1t was Samuel Barstow who first
checked her enthusiasm.
rs it a-goin' to be feller's or gals
wheel?" he asked suddenly.
Miss Matilda was startled-she had
not known there were two kinds-bui
only for moment.
"Both," she answered, firmly.
For in the brief instant of shock she
had decided to take two boarders. Sh,
had always wanted to, and now it was
her duty to.
So few evenings later there APP
peared in a city paper the advertise
ment:
'Wanted-A boarder with q bicycle.
For with true New England thrift
Miss Matilda had no sooner decided OF
boarder than it occurred to her wha
should bring bicycle with him. Thi
would serve the double purpose of in
spring the village by frequent exhi
billions of the wheel in motion, an,
save the expense of their having &
take lessons when their own town bi
cycle should finally be installed in
by the way, where should it be in
stalled? There was no livery stable
and if left in the schoolhouse the Chi
dren would handle it and "muss" il
Thomas Paxton had a shed, but it wa
exposed to the weather and the ma
chine might suffer. Miss Matilda final
ly decided that she would lock il III
in a large, old glass-eovered and cur
tanned cabinet in her parlor. The cur
tains should be kept drawn back, Sc
that occasional callers should Away.
have the stimulus of being consciou.
that BoXton owned bicycle. Then
as she said, by watching the boarder
on his wheel the Boxtonians would soon
become expert in the projected use oi
a wheel of their own. Besides, hi.
cycle boarder would not have the con.
Eliminating effect upon Hiram that q
mere boarder might. Miss Matilda had
seen signs in her nephew of aspira.
tons for dress-suit that she wished &c
quell. That Hiram was really pininc
for that of which a dress-suit is mere.
~ symbol, for that to which the pos
session of a dress-suit would entifls