The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-11-02
The Daphne.
From Appleton's journal.

Suddenly there was heard upon the re-
sounding piazza the rapid rat-a-tat- tat OF
ladies' feet.
More trouble" said the gentleman
''It sounds like Mamie Armitage," re-
sponded the lady. listening with her hand
lowering like a dove over her tea service.
There was passage of bell-ringing and
interlocution, in which servant played Il
part. Then there was IL sound of rush
ing of skirts The matron arose and has
tened into the bijou paror adjoining. The
door was burst open. and there appeared
a wild and gasping fairy, all in blue and
white. She had bracelets on her wrists ;
a jingling chatelaine depended from her
belt; and some of her pretty blonde hair
had struggled down upon her round fore
head. She seemed to be violently repres-
sing herself Her bosom was in tumult.
and she wrung her soft hands She gazed
for an instant at the tea room door, which
was slowly closing, and then she opened
her red lips, threw out her arms, and. in
the very fury of sorrow, darted upon her
friend, crying:
"Oh Polly, Polly-rve quarrcled with
George"
"Quarreled with George !"
Eyes. quarre!ed with George It's true,
it's true Oh, please don't make me say it
again please DON'T" And she cast her
self upon her friends neck, and, winding
her arms about her, she pressed her burn
ing cheeks upon that secure and tender
refuge, the shoulder, and gave herself up
to gret
The master Of the castle appeared at the
door But there instantly came into his
wile's face. as it confronted him over the
throbbing form of the confiding one, a
sudden eats paw Therefore, he quietly
retreated, and returned to his table again.
"Quarreled with George :" pursued the
sympathizer "can it be possible Is it,
(slowly)-"is it-a-a tiff. Mamie? or is
it" (quickly).a very serious matter? "a"
"Why. we have separated" cried the
sufferer; we have had very hard words
and we have taken leave of each other for
ever
Here there was a long silence, one of
those pauses which always occur in such
eXtremties, and which are occupied in
sensibly by both parties in an approach to
a common ground. One of the two people
became more calm as her friend was cam
and the friend became more sorrowful
even as the other was sorrowful.
Poor Nannie," she murmured in her
ear, poor child-you were SO happy too"
"Oh, oh. 50 happy" was the return. in
Il broken whisper; 80 rerg happy, Polly.
die"
And what is it about. Mamie? ?'
'.Oh. about the Daphne"
What? Georges yacht?"
Yves. Oh, how hate the name 1t
has made me so terribly miserable l 50
long for rest, Polly-so long to hide me
somewhere out of the way of human be-
ings and human concerns. IL am very
weary and heart .brOk ken-I-oh, dear-Oh,
dear" !"
There was tale to be told The shades
were closed, and they went and sat down
where the sea-breeze blew upon them. 1t
was indeed about the Daphne, the boat
which was so truly famous for sailing on
the wind. She was Il schooner of seventy
and odd tons burden, shaped like u fish =,
winged like an eagle, and poised like a
swan. She was only two years old, and
had already out-saied the club fleet in all
Weathers. and had borne away the cyan
Schoonhoven Cup two years in success
sion
''To-morrow, said Miss Mamie, with
interpolated sobs. You know that this
great race of 1873 is to come off. If the
Daphne wins it she will retain the cup,
and"
"Oh, know all about it," was the blithe
response; Tom has been telling me for
three weeks. 1t will be II tremendous al
fair. and should think that all the world
was coming-oh, let me ask you before
forget; do you remember how much the
Daphne won by, in 1871 ?"
"ln 1871 ?' queried Miss Mamie, in a
feeble voice I'm 1871, think it was by
eight and three-quarters minutes yes, that
is right, eight and three-quartcrs minutes"
And in 1872 ?"
Miss Mamie, with her pretty finger on
her quivering lips, reelected moment
''ln 1872 the Petrol, Georges great ri
val. came in ahead; but the Daphne had
a time allowance of fifteen minutes, and
50 she really beat the Petrol and the whole
fleet by five minutes. | know George was
delighted He said he had rather have
won that race than a dozen like that of
1871"
'And who owns the Petrol. Mamie ?"
"Oh. Clary Vedder," said She
"Clary Vcdder! why, that little fly
away, Susie Stats is his alliance. She was
the one that was SO much in love with
George, in the Trosachs, two years ago.
But he didn't smile upon her, and she's
hated him ever since. All. wouldn't she
be happy if her Clary's Petrol would only
carry off the cup!" And the astute tacti-
clan shook her head and reflected upon the
matter But in a moment she returned to
earth again with start: 'Forgive, Nam
ME; come, poor child, tell me, tell me all
about your trouble" and she wound her
arm about her afresh, and bent her head
to listen.
But George is so taken up with his
pleasure, Polly. 1t is yacht, yacht, yacht,
from one weeks end to the next. Yester-
day he was doing nothing but experiment.
ing with new self-detaching boat fall.
He is all the time thinking OF dead water,
and his new wire rigging, and his copper
sheathing, He is allowing his soul to rust
out, Polly. One can't be playing all the
time" Here she ran off into velvety de-
nunciation of George and all his works.
She granted him handsome, and generous,
and ardent, and supremely intelligent,
but, alas Polly" she cried with trem-
ulous light in her soft eyes. "he doesn't
see the great world as see it,"
And you asked him to give up yacht
ing, Mamie P"
Yes, Polly, l begged him to think of
the precious time he was wasting. | told
hlm that | did not believe he was serious
enough, and he said he thought he was
too serious already. and"
"And then, what P"
why, then, exclaimed that with his
talents he ought to be doing something
great in some way or other. The world is
full of terrible wrong and wickedness, and
| told him that he was very culpable not
to be reformer."
And what did he say to thatP"
"Well, he said 'Pshaw ="
'Did hep"
"Yes. simply replied: Il implore you
to stop this waste OF your youth. Deter
mine to make up your mind to do greater
and better things than cruising about in a
pretty boat say to yourself, i will cease
| urged him to come to decision at once,
to turn about Immediately, to make the