The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-07-15
BREAKING A BIKE.
BY FRANK II. BENSON.

When Horton sad he hau no tIouuie
learning to ride bicycle-just got on
and rode right Oft believed I'M. some
people are too prosaically clever tIover
half enjoy life, and Horton belong TO
this class. | do not. When l became
Possessed Of Il brand-new bike, I--AeW
was going to have trouble, al T.. q
myself therefor. i was not ms a-.en.
/ did have trouble.
Horton said he would come over and
help me learn to ride. That's the trouble
with clever people. L knew how Uor-
ton would help me to learn to r.de. All
clever people adopt the same methods.
He would lead the wheel out into the
smooth road with an air Of supreme
mastery, steady it for me to mount
and, having cnticed me TO seat On the
treacherous machine, deliver himself IN
this wise:
NOW, take good hold of the handles
no, not too tight-they won't get
away-just grasp tncm lightly but firm
"; now put both feet on the pedals
steady now-don be afraid, and-keep
your balance" Then he tips the ma
chine over to an angle of IS degrees,
gives me a start, and away l go. NOW
a bicycle that's well trained and knows
it's mounted by a man who is its master
would just as likely go at an angle Of
IS degrees as any other way Inow
because / have since taken pans t. eX-
pertinent. Not so a green and stubborn
wheel that conceives it to be it's duty
TO take the conceit out of a novice. Such
a machine must be ridden exactly up
right, both feet must sit exactly the
same on the pedals, the handle bars
must be grasped just so, and thousand
precautions must be taken tcat " u'd
cause.that same wheel to feel n~C IL
month later.
That's why my machine de-. so The
way my clever instructor had ca!cu-
lated. Instead it makes one o. TWO IL s.
cradle wobbles, turns into the only
rough piece of road in the vicinity,
shakes itself intentionally couple of
times, and then smashcs into the
ground with a force entirely unwar-
ranted by the degree of nor INN it
has attained while compaT y
right.
Then my friend comes up W q iook
of panied surprise on his as
though I'd been going thrct CSC
mancuvers on purpose to { MS
Instructions. He shows Z re
the course / have pursucG met
retically opposed to his direct CHS. Par
ticularly he remarks that must en-
deavor TO keep my equili' = n.
thank him, perhaps faceticu@ use
a vigorous fall is not calcu' M
prove the temper, and rcr { if
he had only suggested tia it
would have saved all the t.Gu hen
he gets offended, and l havo t. a. o!o-
gize. Then we try again.
This time ] am tired and dis~usted.
My knowing instructor is perfectly cool,
but much more disguised than myself.
Fe insists that l am abou- the worst
pupil he has ever seen. Then h dis
covers that he has an engar L :, and
must leave. 1 thank him pc ur' IDLY
for helping me with the wheel. + ally
for going. AS he disappears from ght
l take the wheel back to the Lous". slam
the door on it viciously, and seek a
place where / can rest and reflect.
Maybe 1 did Horton an injustice, but
that's about the way imagined that he
would help he to learn to ride. told
him didn't think I'd have any trouble;
besides l had almost decided to make
my first trial at night. This moonl ght-
ride idea of mine was one had thought
of long before l purchased the wheel.
| love the moonlight. To me it seems
most singularly fit that love-lorn youths
should swear "by yon pale moon"
There is no truth in Luna. She lies,
she flatters and eNaggerates. And yet
we all must love her, for her falsehoods
are of kindness. She draws the veil of
charity over our shortcomings. The
crude, unsightly hooks and crevices the
sun, truths mighty ally, delights to
show, she passes by or touches with
soft romantic light that makes the very
things we most dislike by day at NJ ght
seem beautiful. There is no stretch of
natures handiwork SO mean, so rough
and so devoid Of charm but, touched by
this divine magician's power, may be
transformed into a fairy land.
/ take my wheel out into the broad
avenue that passes the house. The
moonlight shimmers through the leaves
of the tall poplars that align tie road.
gentle breeze makes the lcavoe ustle
and dance. The tall trees Qu'r~-. end,
fnr ho 81
and the soft murmur Of the winds, all is
silent. a sovereign feeling of indie
pendence possesses me. The world is
sleeping. l am alone with nature and
the delights of night are mine. mount
my wheel triumphantly and start down
the vista that stretches before ne. NV
wheel skins like bird overt cr1ooth
road. I emerge from the 'incd
avenue to an open country, where broad
grain fields stretch away into the
hazy distance. The deceptive moon
light lends to the waving grain the
appearance of n vast lake. NV ewes
drink in the beauty of the scene, and
the fresh, bracing atmosphere fills me
with peculiar intoXication. throw
back my chest, drink deep the airy
nectar. I feel as though I would like
to scream, sing, anything to vent my
exuberance-
Horton said l couldn't learn to ride
at night I'd be everlastingly running
into chuck-holes and other obstacles,
and If l didn't break my neck (Which
didn't so much matter), I would prob