The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-01-01
81 H.vr are the only pIIls % take
LESSON IN RIDING.
Not SIuch Progress Made IN the Art
of Cycling.

Not Much Progress. Made 1 n the Art
of Cycling.
The lady disentangled herself from
the wheel and looked at it m~ournfully,
reproachfully, despairingly. The pa
tient instructor stood meekly by. hold
ing the machine, awaiting her pleas
ure,
What can be the matter?" the lady
asked.
It's certainly mighty curious" the
instructor replied, shaking his head.
I'm sur l don't ride half SO well az
l did at the last lesson" proceeded the
lady.
That's So" admitted the candid in
structor.
Nor quarter 60 well as at the one
before that"
"No, MN"
a my second lesson 1 ode half way
across the room without you holding
the wheel"
You surely did"
"And at the fourth lesson I almost
made a mount by myself"
81 seen you do it" and the instructor
tapped his fingers on the saddle by way
of emphasis.
And now" pursued the lady in IN
indignant tone. Il can't ride two feet
without falling off"
The instructor lifted the bicycle up
so that it rested on the front wheel and
kicked the pedal around, but said moth
ing.
what can the reason beP" persisted
the lady.
The instructor felt the tire Of the
rear wheel, but remained silent.
"Do you suppose it could be the fault
of the wheel?" asked the lady.
"Hay?" exclaimed the instructor. his
surprise overcoming his politeness.
ST don't mean in that way" the lady
said hastily, with a blush. "Of course,
it's really my fault, in a way, because
1, and not the wheel. am learning TO
ride. But don't you think mat the
wheel may be misbehaving and that
that may have something to do with
itP'
DO you mean that it's out OF order?'
asked the instructor, beginning TO poke
around among the joints and sprocketS.
"No," said the lady, only just suIk-
ing"
81 never heard of q bicycle sulking,"
replied the instructor, unsympatheti-
cally.
Didn't you?" returned the lady with
growing enthusiasm. well, then, per-
haps I've discovered something new.
You know that a sewing machine gets
sulky sometimes2 No? o, Of course
not, If you've never used one. Well,
it does. Sometimes it simply won't
work right. Perhaps the weather az
fects It. Then it will take a jump and
along beautifully for days and
days. 1t is simply mischief.
Nov, the frst day Irode this bicycle
I got along beautifully on il, and wasn't
q bit afraid, and the second lesson was
the same. Then it began to be sulky.
and l began to be afraid Of It, and I've
been getting more and more afraid oft
ever since. Now, how do you account
for that, If it really isn't the fault of the
bicycle in getting sulky and frighten-
ing me?"
"You got frightened because you
tumbled Off" said the instructor In a
m-atter-of-fact way.
EYES," said the lady. land why did I
tumble of? Because the bicycle was
Eulky and began playing tricks on me.
Otherwise I ought to be making prog
ress instead of falling back. as I am
doing. So, don't you see that il really
is the 0icy ele's fault and not mine that
I am doing so bodly?"
We'll, perhaps SO" said the instructor
resignedly.
1.-THE wheel has had a rest" said the
lady, perhaps 1t will be feeling better
now. I viii try it again. But keep a
good hold Of It,"
And then she made another attempt
to master the art Of riding alone.-N.
v SIM 4