SUNDAY CYCLING.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9669, 6 March 1897, Page 4

SUNDAY CYCLING.

TO THS EDITOR OV THE PRESS. [ g IB) <• A. G. S. "is evidently a stranger |to Christchurch. There was no need to I mention that he is a stranger because he has evidently been living under the blue laws of Massachusetts. Those beautiful Puritanioal regulations promulgated by Governor Winthorpe, who was in the flesh about 1635, among other things ordained *' that no woman should kiss her child on Sabbath or fasting day ;" that "no man should run or walk on the Sabbath Day, except rev.roiitly to and from meeting ;" or that no woman should make " mince pies." To people who are not strangers to the world as it now wags all this is past. Your latter day Divine finds walking reverently to and from meeting too slow. Take our worthy Bishop Julius for example. Ho has been known to hold four services on a Sunday, tbe first ten miles from home, tho next eight miles further out, tho next four miles beyond, and the fourth six miles in towards home, and then return to Bishopscourt, sixteen miles, after his last sorvice. To-day, to people who are not strangers, the ministers of the Gospel use trams and trains (where the latter run) on Simdays, whilst that up-to-date organisation, the Salvation Army—it will be news to "A. G. S."—is providing its teachers and preachers with bicycles to accelerate their movements in carrying the Gospel to the out-stations. "A. Q. 8." should ask a Salvationist if the Army thinks he is insulting his Maker by biking from town to say Kaiapoi, on a Sunday morning, to conduct a knee drill, and then going on to hold.an open air rally at Rangiora. Whatever "A. G. S.s " opinion may be of Mr Kinsey, who is consul of the Touring Cycling Club, and not a •■ Commodore," in the absence of the Admiral of a detachment of ships, "A. G. «." should see more of the world, and become better acquainted with it, before he offers the public hi 3 injudicious advice.—Yours, &c, Solid T_re. Papanui, March sth. TO THE EDITOR OF THE rRESS. Srs, —Asa Sunday cyclist of some twenty to twenty-five years, I have been not a little amused at the correspondence which has been appearing in your columns during the week. "A.G.S." must indeed be a "stranger in Chi-istohurch," not to know (or, at least, to know of) the very courteous and kindly Chief Consul of the C.T.C. for this city, better than to write of him in the way he has clone. And yet Ido not' know if I am right in that supposition, when j 1 also read in his ("A.G.S. V 7) letter that a | sober respectable man, probably accompanied by his wife and children, who goes cycling into the fresh air of thorcouutry.on the only r day of the week possible for suoh a combined family outing "insults his Maker."—Yours, &c, Soty, to the editor of the press. Sir,—l must say that I was rather amused at the letter signed "A. G. 8." in your issue of yesterday, anent cycling on Sundays. After having waded through it I said to myself, "That is evidently written by some poor old fogey, who is the undesirable possessor of a sluggish liver, and being past the age lor enjoying the pleasures of energetic manhood, begrudges a little relaxation to those who appreciate it, and who imagines that the only orthodox way to spend the Sabbath is by putting on a nlaok coat and a sanctimonious look, and making severalpilgrimages to Church during the day. Has it never struck "A. G. S. "that the very fact of a than riding out into the country and enjoying the fresh air, together with the beauties of Nature, is in itself the highest praise that can be bestowed on a bountiful Providence for the many gifts showered down onus?— Yours, &c, G. A, S. TO THE EDITOR OP THE PRESS. Sir, —I must congratulate " Also a Member" on his sensible letter in to-day's Press. It was a striking contrast to the ineffective and childish letter of "A. G. S." in the same issue. When I read the latter I said " That is written by a crusty old gentleman who only wishes he could .ride a bicycle, but because ne can't or won't would like to stop every one else from cycling, at any rate oh Sundays." AU the protests in tho world will not stop Sunday cycling. Cycling has done more good in keeping young people out of temptation than all the preaching in theworld will ever do. I suppose "A.G.S." would sooner see young men in a bar-room or cooped up in some other building instead of having a little healthful recreation on Sunday. I know several clergymen who use the cycle on Sunday in order to hold services in distant parts of their parishes ; but I suppose they ought to walk, tire themselves out, and only hold two services on Sunday instead of three or four. The Rev. H. H. Tuke, vicar of Ripley, who is holding Sunday afternoon services for cyclists, said the other day, " I know, of course, that there are a goodly number of well-meaning, religiously-inclined people to whom cycling, or, indeed, recreation of any kind, on Sunday is an abomination. But lam not one of these. Provided—and this is the important part, mind—that Sunday cycling does not lead to the total neglect of public worship, I regard it as uot only pot sinful, but as in the highest, degree beneficial both morally and physically." .: I recommend this to the kindly consideration of some of your correspondents.— Yours, &c, F.AP.