The Woman on the Bike.

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 42, 18 August 1897, Page 2

The Woman on the Bike.

..-" (By Wavdereb.)

Is marriage a failure ? At the time thu question was asked, I was undecided as to my answer. Since ;ben I have met | the '' New woman " and as I saw her ■ with craned neck and bent body, aid with her lffls and (i-A crooked to the shape of the letter z ruchinfj along with impetuous speed on bet- skeleton, and knocking over my dog us completely as '. the cow catcher of a locomotive wonld i have done, and thereby placing me in ! the undignified position of having to pat ; the sniua»l off the road whilfl she swept out of night as though whisked «way by a phantom, I said that marrisge with such j • one would be a failure.

I thought how mush more pleasant to man than this btiog, was the gentle limes woman of bye-gone days from whom hi could earn easy laurels, when the slaughter of some mouse whioh had affrighted her gave him the privilege of putting an snaring arm around her waist while the other held aloft to her view the little enemy by its tail, and be received for his prowess a look' of admiration from her beaming syes as though she deemed him worthy of the Victoria Gross for his valour. Of court* hi knew her fear was more than half pandered to his vanity and he liked her for it. Cupid has many a time made a dead shot at a couple through the medium of a mouse ; but those days have passed and women now vie with men in feats of daring and physique and endurancs to the winning of applause, but at the same time the losb of softer feelings towards them by the stronger sex.

The Amazons who cut off their breasts in (he desire to untex themselves won the admiration of the men by their conrage in battle, but never their adoration. Mature reserved to woman the softer mould of grace and beauty and !eft the ruder lines of strength and tnmcular power for men, and it » the contrast and not the imitating of each otbtr that the charm consists in. A masculine woman is avoided by men, and an effeminate man is despised by women. The women of the past wero compared to the Ivy adorning the rugged oak it cling to for support. The " New Woman " resembles the rata that unites with some forest tree only to straggle with it for the mastery. The other day I assisted across the road an old lady who seemed in great trepidation at seeing three " New Women " advancing upon bicycles, and I ninst confess she had reason for alarm for as thay came on, seemingly astride of spectres, they appeared as ariel as witches on broom-sticks. Safely across she gave rent to her wrath, exclaiming " The fast hnssies," and by the tone of her Toice and the way sho shook that umbrella of bers I felt I was not in a position to contradict her, so said " They are; can do their twenty mile an hour at the least." She then said, " Bat they can't turn the wheel which I nsed to when I was a girl. Morn shame for them." " What sort of wheel might that have been ?" I a»ked. She made reply : " A spinning wheel." The good old sonl still adhered to the old fashioned ideas of woman's usefulness.

Speaking to a scalpter lately I asked if he thonght a women on a bicycle would make a good subject for a statne. He thought not, and added "I would much prefer for a model a woman in an unicicle than one upon a bicycle." Never bavinp before heard of such a vehicle, I bagged him to describe it. Seeing some ladies close by he gave me a wink of intelligence, came close, and whispered in my ear " A Wheel- barrow."