physical, moral, and mental natures, subdue our passions, and nature
will bestow upon us her richest rewards of health, beauty, and
happiness.


CYCLING.


[Illustration]

If one were asked what athletic exercise deserves to be the most popular
in America to-day, the answer would of necessity be cycling. The bicycle
is being used by people of all ages and conditions of health in daily
life; its hygienic value as a means to healthy exercise cannot be
overestimated. In this, as in everything else, immoderation is to be
condemned, particularly where persons have not had sufficient training
to take long "spins," or attempt racing. Beginners should ride only 10
or 12 minutes at a time--resting then to permit the circulation to
become equalized. In all cyclists, at all ages, in veteran riders as
well as those not practiced in the art, there is, in the beginning of
each attempt, a quickened circulation; the pulse is full and bounding,
and rarely falls under a hundred pulsations per minute. So long as the
exercise is continued, an increase of cardiac motion is observable, and
a vigorous circulation is kept up. This accounts for the astounding
journeys a fully trained cyclist can accomplish, and also for his
endurance without sleep. In spite of the quickened motion of the heart,
rarely have riders been known to grow giddy or show symptoms of cardiac
embarrassment. A good rider may climb a hill without trouble, yet be
unable to climb a flight of stairs without breathlessness and
palpitation. Bicycle riding as a means for acquiring strength and vigor,