, 1897-09-01

ures o. he male order flying along on
.le.r eighty-third or eighty-fourth mile.
and in the midst OF them a woman or
No either in trousers or bloomers, but
seldom IN skirts. There can be no pleas
ure IN this. Certainly health Is not
served by it, and the delicacy OF the OF
he sex, which with all the emancipa-
lion .. woman is never lost, has dis
appeared, and there remains only a
brJrIggIJd masculine woman.
To make matters worse, several clubs
have organized ladies runs" Occa-
~slCaaIIy runs OF ten miles out and back,
aiken by a small party and composed
o: persons who are well acquainted with
ule another. are pleasant, quiet, and So
cable. But these club runs, where any
member brings any woman friend, who
doubtless meets all Others there for the
frs time, tend 10 destroy that normal
reserve which IS one Of the safeguards
OF society.
There are certain rules established by
etiquette that limit the fields which wo-
men may enter. In th city u gentle
woman r~ctrains from doing certain
things which in the country would be
qui,e possible. The fact that a million
people, more or less, are living with
IN IN area Of Il few square miles; that
among them are many Of a questionable
sort; and that rules for the benefit OF
individual rights limit ones field OF ac-
,iUn-aIL his renders it necessary that
certain unwritien laws shall be Observ-
ed which are never heard OF in the coun-
,rymln's philosophy. In the country
a woman drives about by herself. In a
Oily park, such a procedure Is question
able. In or near a city, therefore, a
woman ought always to be accompanied
by a man. Furthermore, as in walking,
he woman should be farthest away
from dlnger-that is, on the mans right
So that il in passing along the right
OF the road any accident occurs from
collision. the nan is in a position to
project his companion. Should the wo-
man dismount, the man should do so
Immediately, no matter what the cause.
Such sel:-evident rules seem unnecessary
Of remark here. and yet one has but to
watch and he will see how often they
pass unobserved. In overtaking any
one. in going through a narrow place, In
taking any course where possible dan
ger may be lurking, the man should
lead. On the other hand, in going along
an open road where the path is mar
row. the m should always be al
lowed to lead. She then sets the pace
to her own liking. Otherwise the man
may be firing her. When riding side
by side. the man should always be a
little behind-perhaps with his front
wheel at her handle-bars.
In a big city woman should not usual
ly ride on Sunday. In the country there
can be no possible reason for emitting
the seventh day. except for some religi-
Gus scruple. The reason for not riding
in the city, then. is because on that day
those who lower the dignity Of human
beings are abroad in all the strength
Of their boomers and sweaters, and they
and their behavior have done what was
necessary to make it questionable for
the rest OF the sex to appear upon that
day.
Another rule OF bicycling with wo-
men is again the question, not Of wheel
ing alone, but OF what Is considered
natural courtesy anywhere under SINH
lar circumstances. II you were riding
horses, and your companion dismount-
ed for any reason-beoause her saddle
was loose, because she herself could no.
stay on, Or because the horse was IN
rideable-yon would Immediately dis
mount and lend her what assistance was
necessary. The case is MOI altered when
she rides an iron horse. Whenever she
dismounts, 1t is her companions duty,
as a matter of courtesy, so say nothing
of possible assistance, to dismount also.
These are matters which bring out
a mans courtesy TO his comrade OF the
Other sex. nj one might add that it
matters little whether a woman breaks
some ~well-known bicycle rule or O
she, being a woman, demands on his
account that the man give way TO her.
1t is as great an absurdity as is is a case
a bad breeding for him to insist on his
legitimate rights under such circum-
stances. There are, for example, many
many miles OF country roadway where
there is but a foot OF hard soil at one
side OF the road. If it be on the right
side OF the way as you ride, that bit Of
space is yours. If it be on the LETT side
Of the way, it belongs to you only so
long as no one coming in the other di-
~rection wishes it. Many a woman, how
ever, counts on her chances, and rides
along without the least thought OF the
rights OF others who meet her when
she is on their side Of ne road; and
while no man should insist on his rights
in such a case, it is just as true that no
woman should compel him to give up
che path when it belongs to him. In the
one whom she knows very we'll, until
she can ride eight or 10 miles without
| rOnStant1y diSmoaSntip1 or falIfnu pH mr.