That which made me
succeed with the
bicycle was precisely
what had gained me a
measure of success in
life — it was the
hardihood of spirit
that led me to begin,
the persistence of will
that held me to my
task, and the patience
that was willing to
begin again. 

​—   Frances Willard
(1839–1898) is the
author of How I
Learned to Ride the
Bicycle.  A social
reformer, she worked
for the causes of
women’s suffrage and
education, public
kindergarten, prison
reform, temperance
and the eight-hour
workday.