Historical Poem
1883
MY WHEEL
O MAGIC wheel
Of burnished steel
How part of myself thou art!
As we roll along
'Mid the hurrying throng
That peoples the busy mart.
Let's haste away
From the heat of day
To the woods' refreshing shade,
Where the babbling brook,
In some sheltered nook,
Is gurgling a-down the glade.
Where the oriole swells
His throat as he tells
Of his flight through ethereal space,
And his music flows
While the earth's repose
Is deeper because of his grace.
I can talk as we roll,
And I know that a soul
Must lurk in thy wonderful frame;
A spiritual essence,
Some far hidden presence,
Some genius of magical fame.
I know well they power
In each trying hour,
Thou servant so faithful and true;
When the swift rushing wind
Is left muttering behind,
As thou sippest the sweet morning dew.
Or when Sol dips his crest
'Neath the glorious west,
And the sunlight congeals into dark;
We will skim by the sea,
We will shoot o'er the lea,
We will follow the meteor's mark.
Thou life-giving wheel,
Whose sinews are steel,
My veins imbibe life from thine own;
And I sink to my rest
With a true loyal zest,
While my dreams are my 'cycle's alone.
Rest, then, on the moss
Where the soft zephyrs toss,
Thou circlet of beauty and pride;
While th'invisible wings
Attached to thy strings
Are folded in peace at thy side.
—Tyler, N.P. "My Wheel." The Wheelman. September, 1883, p. 448.
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In a seaport town in the late 19th-century Pacific Northwest, a group of friends find themselves drawn together —by chance, by love, and by the marvelous changes their world is undergoing. In the process, they learn that the family we choose can be just as important as the ones we're born into. Join their adventures in
The Tales of ChetzemokaTo read about the exhaustive research that goes into each book and see little vignettes from the stories, click on their "Learn More" buttons!
Wordcraft Collections
The Wheelman's Joy
Victorian Cycling Poetry and Words About Wheels
There is something inherently romantic about cycling, and there has been since the first riders set their wheels to the road. This collection of nineteenth-century poetry, prose quotes and bon-mots about cycling reflects both the ardent passion and the innocent affection cycling inspires. From the glory days of high-wheel cycling through the boom of the safety bicycle, riders were falling in love with their wheels, with new-found freedoms, and above all with each other. This delightful little collection tells of those days in their own words, and evokes sentiments which every cyclist will find timeless. Compiled edited and introduced by Sarah A. Chrisman, author of the charming Tales of Chetzemoka cycling club series, This Victorian Life, Victorian Secrets, and others.
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Quotations of Quality
A Commonplace Book of Victorian Advice, Wit, and Observations on Life
Eloquent statements are like the seeds of beautiful flowers: in the fertile garden of the mind they grow and blossom into inspiration, reflection, and rewarding conversations. The Victorian era was a time when people expressed themselves skillfully and beautifully, and the writings of that age are a rich legacy from the past. This little volume is a collection of sentiments on an array of subjects, among them:
Books: "A minute's reading often provokes a day's thinking." —W.H. Venable, 1872. "Books are those faithful mirrors that reflect to our minds the minds of sages and heroes. A good book is the precious life-blood of a master spirit treasured up on a purpose for a life beyond." —J.F. Spaunhurst, 1896.
Writing: "Every new book must have, in the consciousness of its author, a private history that, like the mysteries of romance, would if unfolded have an interest for the reader, and by unveiling the inner life of the volume show its character and tendencies." —Sarah Josepha Hale, 1866.
Language: "The [Ancient] Greeks said that barbarians did not speak, they twittered." —Charles DeKay, 1898.
The Sexes: "It is better for men, it is better for women, that each somewhat idealize the other." —Gail Hamilton, 1872.
Love: "True love is that which ennobles the personality, fortifies the heart, and sanctifies the existence. And the being we love must not be mysterious and sphinx-like, but clear and limpid as a diamond; so that admiration and attachment may grow with knowledge." —Henry Frédéric Amiel, 1880.
Optimism: "Refuse to dwell among shadows when there is so much sunshine in the world." —Hester M. Poole, 1888.
History: "The past is our wisest and best instructor. In its dim and shadowy outlines we may, if we will, discern in some measure those elements of wisdom which should guide the present and secure the welfare of the future." —Frederick Douglass, 1889.
Work: "Make the most of your brain and your eyes, and let no one dare tell you that you are devoting yourself to a low sphere of action." —Anonymous, late 19th-century
Keep this book in a place where its wisdom can refresh your spare moments, or buy a copy for a friend to brighten their day. May the flowers of thought thus planted bear rich fruit for you.
Compiled and edited by Sarah A. Chrisman, author of The Tales of Chetzemoka, This Victorian Life, and others.
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