nce, steering
in between a couple of stones, say a foot apart, a deed of little
difficulty as far as the front wheel is concerned. But the back wheel,
not being under the sway of the human eye, is apt to take a vicious jump
over the obstacle, which sends a violent concussion all along the spine
to the skull, and will even jerk a loosely fastened hat over the eyes,
and so lead to much confusion. And again, there was taking the hand or
hands off the handlebar, a thing simple in itself, but complex in its
consequences. This particularly was a feat Mr. Hoopdriver desired to
do, for several divergent reasons; but at present it simply led to
convulsive balancings and novel and inelegant modes of dismounting.

The human nose is, at its best, a needless excrescence. There are those
who consider it ornamental, and would regard a face deprived of its
assistance with pity or derision; but it is doubtful whether our
esteem is dictated so much by a sense of its absolute beauty as by the
vitiating effect of a universally prevalent fashion. In the case of
bicycle students, as in the young of both sexes, its inutility is
aggravated by its persistent annoyance--it requires constant attention.
Until one can ride with one hand, and search for, secure, and use a
pocket handkerchief with the other, cycling is necessarily a constant
series of descents. Nothing can be further from the author's ambition
than a wanton realism, but Mr. Hoopdriver's nose is a plain and salient
fact, and face it we must. And, in addition to this inconvenience, there
are flies. Until the cyclist can steer with one hand, his face is
given over to Beelzebub. Contemplative flies stroll over it, and trifle
absently with its most sensitive surfaces. The only way to dislodge them
is to shake the head forcibly and to writhe one's features violently.
This is not only a lengthy and frequently ineffectual method, but one
exceedingly terrifying to foot passengers. And again, sometimes the
beginner rides for a space with one eye closed by perspiration, giving
him a waggish air foreign to his mood and ill calculated to overawe
the impertinent. However, you will appreciate now the motive of Mr.
Hoopdriver's experiments. He presently attained sufficient dexterity
to slap himself smartly and violently in the face with his right hand,
without certainly overturning the machine; but his pocket handkerchief
might have been in California for any good it was to him while he was in
the s