The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-04-01

OOunt That day lost whose low descending sun
Hath not beheld at least ten-mile run.
"For my part, I've learned one thing
this winter" said an athletic girl in a
short skirt and a red sweater. "I've
got to give up either dancing or wheel
ing. It's impossible for me to do
both"
'The same here" put in three other
girls.
"What on earth has bicycling got to
do wnth dancing?" queried the bru-
nette. "You dance in winter; you
wheel in summer Why they should
interfere with one another l can't see.
or course. I didn't learn to ride until
Last fall, and"
That's the very reason you don't un-
derstand why we must stop dancing"
Interrupted the athletic girl. You
see, we've developed the bicycle leg"
"The bicycle leg" repeated the bru-
matte, aghast. "What is It? I've heard
Of the bicycle face, the bicycle back,
the bicycle brain and the bicycle voice,
but the bicycle leg Is new to me. Tell
us about it,
"We've got it." put in three others.
Sand you'll get it IL you ride much,"
said the athletic girl with a malicious
laugh. 1T attacks women riders a
great deal oftener than 1t does wheel
men," she continued, probably be-
cause their muscles are more vulner-
able than those of man. l never
rode much until last summer, and
didn't notice that my legs had been af-
cected by it at all until the dancing
season opened. The muscles of my
DeEs seemed to remain stiff all the
evening the first dance I attended,
and was really uneasy, for thought
Ed contracted rheumatism. My legs
wouldn't act light, and couldn't ma
My partners glared at me, and none
Of them came forward for second
tnrn, so 1 pleaded a headache and
went home. l was puzzled, but I
didn't say anything to anybody, for I'd
always had the reputation of being a
nne dancer. 1t was the same thing at
the next dance, and the next and the
next and Mt last it dawned upon mo
that had the bicycle leg"
IL had the very same experience"
testified another enthusiast. 81, too,
used to be considered pretty good
dancer, but since I've been riding BIZ
cycle I'm no longer a desirable part.
ner."
"Why, how does wheeling affect the
legs SO as to make it impossible to
dancer asked a novice.
"Well, 1t seems we have two sets of
muscles in our legs" explained the
athletic girl. zone we use in all kinds
Of graceful exercise such as dancing
and Delsarte movements, and the 9th.
ers are used for work. Pushing the
pedals develops sthese working mus
cles, and the others are overcome, and
when you attempt to do the graceful
act you are about as graceful as
COW would be. The preachers who op-
pose dancing would find a good argu.
ment In favor of the wheel as a moral
agency right along this line. Dancing
IL unquestionably a form Of dissipa.
ton; II bicycling does away with that
pastime, it will certainly do more than
moralists have ever been able to ac.
complish, and i believe in time that II
will. If wheelwomen find out that
they have to give up one or the other,
predict the abandonment Of dane.
ing"
"And | predict the abandonment of
the Wheel" put in man who came up
In time to hear the last remark.
wheeling is fad with women.
They won't stick to 1t, especially If II
interferes with their dancing. In an.
other twelve months they will have
forgotten that they ever rode bicy.
cle."
Valuable Man.