The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-29

first dance attended, and was really un-
easy, for / thought I'd contracted rheu-
matism. My legs wouldn't act light and
couldn't manipulate my feet or make them
go. My partners glared at me, and none
of them came back for a second turn, so
pleaded headache and went home. / was
puzzled but didn't say anything to any
body, for I'd always had the reputation OF
being fine dancer. II was the same thing
at the next dance, and the next and the
next, and at last it dawned upon me that
had the bicycle leg"
II had the very same experience" testi-
fled another enthusiast. II, too, used to be
considered a pretty good dancer. but since
I've been riding a bicycle I'm no longer a
desirable partner"
''Why. how does wheeling effect the legs
SO as to make 1t impossible to dancer
asked a novice.
''WeH, It seems we have two sets of
muscles in our legs" explained the ath-
letic girl. zone we use in all kinds of
graceful exercises, such as dancing and
Delsarte movements. and the others are
used for work. Pushing the pedals de-
velops these working muscles until the
others are overcome, and when you at
tempt to do the graceful act you are
| about as successful as a COW would be.
The preachers who oppose dancing could
| find good argument in favor of the
wheel as a moral agency right along this
line. Dancing is unquestionably form
| OF ulSSipdllOus II DlCyGilHE uOtb away WIN
| that pastime it will certainly do more
| than moraiists have ever been able to ac-
| complish, and / believe in time that IL
will. If wheelwomen find out that they
have to give up one or the other, l pre-
dict the abandonment of dancing"
| And / predict the abandonment OF the
Wheel put in a man who came up in
| time TO hear the last remark. Wheeling
| is a fad with women. They won't stick
to II, especially IL IL interferes with their
| dancing. In another twelve months they
will have forgotten that they ever rode
| bicycle"
| Thursday was a perfect day for wheel
| ing, and many women turned out to take
| advantage of It. Three dismounted at
| Claremont to rest at the top Of the hill,
and were enjoying themselves as wheel
women can. Pretty soon fourth came
! looming up over the HILL her face as red
from applied effort as boiled lobster. She
shrieked a greeting she stepped out Of
| the saddle, and one OF the trio said:
DAISY has IT. too"
"What?" asked the other two.
"The bicycle voice." said number one.
whats that about me?" questioned tie
young woman, as she adjusted the de
/ vide skirt and sat down.
81 was just saying that you had the
bicycle voice, Daisy"
And what is that, pray?' screamed
Daisy.
| Il IDlQ you So btiu uuiilDtE Oic- LIS
ten how you are yelling at u.s. The foes
| Of the wheel have quit talking about the
bicycle face. and now they have trotted
out another bugaboo, declaring that as
result OF wheeling women are becoming
loud takers. with IN unpleasant quality Of
| voice"
"Bosh," exclaimed the dainty Daisy in
dignantly. Ibid you girls ever hear OF
such a thing?" turning to the other two.
"Oh, yes; we've not only heard of 1t,
but we hear 1t all the WHILE" answered
plump matron. I'VE were as mad and in
credulous as you are the first time we ever
heard OF the bicycle voice, but we've made
a study of II, and are convinced for once
| that our foes have reason to complain.
Haven't you observed how many women
wheel with their mouths open? Yes. Well,
this added to the strain to which the voice
is subjected in an effort to keep up a con-
versation while riding has undoubtedly
bad effect on the vocal cords"
IT can prove just the opposite" hastily
put in Daisy.
mo, wait till I'm through first" insisted
the matron. bicycling has undoubtedly
altered the voices of women who ride. Call
ing TO one another as we do Is bound 70
strain the voice. My vocal teacher told
me / could give up singing or bicycling,
for she declared that / frequently filed
my lungs with dust and took long rides
and came in too exhausted TO resist the
| Dad GHccNS OF DtIbDtTdAiO tHb tAAtCA tttC
being bad colds. She said she foresaw that
my voice would be permanently injured in
the long run and that II I did not prom
ise to content myself with riding a few
miles. with my mouth closely shut, daily,
she would not teach me, for she felt as
IL IL would endanger her reputation as
teacher. gave up the lessons, but feel
that she was right"
That's qEeer," answered Daisy. do
you know how L came to take TO the
wheel? My vocal teacher advised II, and
you know I'm training for concert sing
ing. He holds just the opposite view from
yours. He says that wheeling Is the
most healthful exercise that has ever
fallen to women, and that whatever
strengthens them is bound 70 prove bene-
fetal to the singing and conversational
voice He holds that the tendency OF
the wheel is to keep one quiet so far as
mind nerves and tongue go, and that II
| cyclists do call to one another when out
doors that Il will not affect their singing
voices. You don't talk and sing from the
same place, young woman.
''Why do so many professional women
take to wheeling?" she continued. BE
cause the exercise gives them a fine OPP
portunity for expanding their lungs with
delightful freedom, and that, OF course,
strengthens the vocal chords. People
with the most rasping voices In converse
ton are often the sweetest singers. Amer
lean women do not speak with the same
sweetness that their English cousins do.
Their tones are more nasal and Disagree
able, and yet we have twenty successful
singers to England's one. They'll come
ont over there now. though. since they've
taken to the wheel, and you'll see. Ten
years will bring about great changes. Poor
cooks will have 20 answer for spelling
more voices than all the wheels In the
world. You take up your singing lessons
again and I'll venture to say the more
Won wheel the better you will sing"
sAll the same. you have the bicycle
voice. for you've nearly screamed your
mead Off telling us that you haven't" said
one OF the girls as she mounted and rode