, 1889-04-21
THE BOAT.

Sky and water. Both two
iElmensities that extend as far as theeye
can reach. Not n breath Of air rufles
the mirror like surface of the sea. There
is no rent in the Opaque curtain Of clouds
through which the sunbeams might
CLINT The atmosphere is heavy and the
air seems barely sufficient for the birds
that are flying low, grazing the water In
their flight. All nature is overwhelmed
10y an enormous fatigue, These indica-
tons would deceive n seaman accus-
toned to these tropical seas, who would
Immediately recognize the sequel and
the results of one of the terrible hurri-
canes which are so disastrous in these
ATTITUDES.
In fact, 1t was a terrific gale. All
night long the whistles Of the steamers
have sounded during the tempest their
l%ugubrious, shrill shrieks, which were
overwhelmed by the more powerful voice
of tho wind. In vain nave men bias
phemed the name of God; in vain have
weeping women implored his aid. Pitt
less in its rioting, the sea has in an hours
time crushed and swallowed everything
from the humble fishing smack to the
gigantic steamer; and now, all that is to
be seen is a few planks drifting along on
its placid surface.
However, in the distant horizon ap-
pears a black speck, which grows larger
every minute.
As it draws LEI enough to be distin-
guished it proves to DO n ships boat, a
sorry skiff. so badly constructed, so
badly put together that n store clerk,
out for n holiday at Asnieres, would
think twice before v~enturing out in it.
How has it beer possible for this mere
nutshell to resist the power which has
destroyed SO many giantsl Probably
by one of those happy accidents, those
chances which accompany all great up
heaval5 brought oil by the forces of
nature. Docs it not sometimes happen
that, after n conilagration which has
destroyed u whole town, the green
painted box. with n gilly flower, hat
bedecked some working girls window,
is found intact ON q heap of smoking
ruins. having passed scathless through
the flames which havo spread desolation
far and wider
On the stern of tho boat there is a
name, La Belle Julie. In it arc two men,
one rowing, tho other lying like a log in
inc OOIIOLn OF lne CIulL
The rover, n small. dumpy, dried up
man, tugs at his oars with all his might,
while his anxious eyes scan the gray i'm
mensity which surrounds him on all
sides. BY the rise and fall OF his painting
chest and the great drops of perspiration
which bcad his sunburnt brow, il is
evident that he has n heavy task and
that no has been laboring at 1t for n long
time.
From time TO time his gaze rests on
the inert mass at his feet, his companion.
The latter seems quite Il colossus, judg-
ing from the room he takes up In the
bottom of tho boat, and from his loud
snoring, which keeps time to the splash
of the oars as they dip into the sea.
While the arms of the rover ply the
oars his thoughts fly far, far away. In
his mind he sees hat little out-of-the-
way corner nesting between two cliffs,
the lower of which Is capped by achapel
of the Virgin, and which on bright days
allows one to see the distant roofs Of
Dieppe basking in the warm sunshine.
He thinks of his childhood, of his boy
ISL romps among the rocks at low tide
with Mark. the one who Is there snoring
on the bottom OF the boat, his great
friend, already quite strong and much
feared by the other youngsters, and who
had declared himself his protector.
Then it was his first communion, still
with Mark, in his holiday garb at the
chapel on the cliff, and then tine first
fishing party with his father and friends.
After that he recalled his wedding day
his marriage with Claudine Vatinel, one
Of the prettiest girls in the country, rosy
and white like an apple blossom in mid
April. AS a matter Of course his best
man on this occasion was Mark, who
looked grand in his Sunday clothes.
Ali how these memories fit through
Remy's brain. while his tired arms tug
at the oars,
There are sad memories too. The death
of his mother, carried off by pneumonia,
kissing with her already cold lips her
grandson WON. and stretching her thin,
trembling arms above his curly head as
she pronounced a blessing upon it This
was the beginning Of misfortune, the
first Of many dark days, There was that
other tempest more terrible even than
the one Of last night in which n mighty
wave carried off the old man his father,
and shattered to pieces the Claudine
that beautiful boat which he had bought
in partnership with Mark, who lost his
all at the same time. Dear Mark how
strong, how superb he had seemed as he
wrestled with the storm.
And when the hurricane had destroyed
their boat, he had thrown Reuiy upor
the floating mast, and with one hand h,
helped him maintain his hold upon thii
fragment of the wreck, while, with th'
other, he steered it to the rock which
they reached, and where they hac
awaited ebb tide to return with mourn
full steps to the village from which the,
had SO gayly departed. Times like thesa