The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-19
1T BRINGS COURAGE.
To Weak Nature the Wheel Acts n =
Moral Brace.
San Francisco Call.

From its incipiency wheeling has not been
a question of sex. Drop frames were in
vented almost at the same time as safeties
themselves, and since the advent of Dneu-
matte tires women have been walking upon
air as easily and fearlessly as the sterner
sex.
To be sure, there always have been and
perhaps-though the saints observation-disclosures
Will be those who aver that it is forward
IN the extreme for woman to attempt any
thing man does, for nine cases out of ten
these conservatives are women; men. real
iZing that imita ton is the sincerest fatterv
are urbanely Indifferent.
These back-pedalers have from time i'm
memorial insisted that women should clothe
their feet in such manner as to entirely
preclude the firm free tread of a man;
that their tender brains were capable of
assimilating only such delicate food mu-
sic drawing and a little French and that
to breathe from the abdomen was a highly
improper and unladylike proceeding. the
about four inches down the trachea.
Mother Eve was in luck. Dame Fashion
was as yet unborn, and she did not have
to wear her first primitive summer costume
one way because Adam saw fit to wear his
the other. The end of the century and the
wheel are to be praised for some things
Cycling fosters the spirit of independence
so dear to every true American. What can
typfy liberty and self-reliance like an
flush under the winds soft kisses her eyes
glow, her whole personality faidiates health
and strength She is veritable electric
One wakes enthusiastic over the picture
thus conjured up.
But this is after she learns to ride Be
fore this-well. we can fancy a Drawer and
more imposing spectacle than a girl learn
ing to ride. We all remember the time
1t looks so easy that we climb on the sad
die feeling, oh, SO brave And then, some
way, we begin to wish we had put it off
for, day or So, We are not feeling quite
well to-day and grasp the unlucky
man who is trotting valiantly around the
block with us, and sit up very rigid
and very crooked, and we squeal OH how
squeal! How it all comes back to one.
Frank Stockton has written a story. en-
titled THE Discourager of Hesitancy," in
which a certain barbaric king offers a re-
ward to any wise man in his realm who
shall solve for him the mystery of ''The
Lady or the Tiger A sable block d
masked headsman and Dana sous blade
were within easy reach to stimulate THEN
minds and prevent hesitation or Prevarica-
ton. Now. had that barbaric king been
modern and not barbarian. he would have
doomed these unfortunates to ride wheel.
AS ''discourager of hesitancy' it is an
unparalleled success. When you riding
through town on busy afternoon, trying
to decide whether being run down by IA
trolley car is preferable to being fiattened
out by fire engine-with wheels Ito the
right of you. wheels Ito the left of yoii
wheels behind you-there isn't much sur-
plus time to reason why. 1t is odd, and
furnishes pabulum for reflection to see :;
throw into COMMISSIONS. treading her way
fearlessly through the close-moving masses
of city's thoroughfares To a weak vac
illating nature the wheel is moral bracer
To the tirnid it brings courage, to the reck-
less it brings caution.