Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-10-10

much alone. I le captain of the brig
spoke cheerily to me now and then,
but we We're met by light contrary
winds that necessitated his giving
most of his attention to the manage
ment of his vessel, so that he could
DOT permit himself to yield to the love
of gossip that was inherent in him.
The weather was perfect, and not
,withstanding our constant shifting
and lacking about to catch the cratic
breeze, the gay little brig made merry
and rapid way over the sparkling
Mediterranean, at rate that prom
Used our arrival at Palermo by the
sunset of the following day. AS the
evening came on the wind freshened,
and by the time the moon scared like
q large bright bird into the sky we
were scudding along sideways, the
edge of our vessel leaning over to kiss
the waves that cleaned like silver and
gold. f1ecked here and there with phos-
pherescent flame. We skinned al
most under the bow of magnificent
yacht,-the English flag foated from
her mast, her sails glittered purely
white in the moonbeams, and she
Sprang over the waters like sea-gull.
A man, whose tall athletic figure was
shown off to advantage by the yacht
ing costume he wore, stood on deck,
his arm thrown around the waist of
girl beside him. We were but minute
or two passing the stately vessel, yet
saw plainly this loving group of two,
and-I pitied. the. man! Why? He
was English MISUNDERSTANDING son of
a country where the very soil is odor-
n nj WRIT hn n,
beside him must be perfect pearl Of
a mistake in these thirgs! Never?
Are you sure? All, believe ME,
there is not much difference nowadays
between women of opposite nations.
Once there was-I am willing to
admit that possibility. Once, from all
accounts received. the English rose
was the fitting emblem Of the English
woman, but now, since the world has
grown SO wise and made such pro-
7gress in the art of running rapidly
down hill. is even the aristocratic
British peer quite easy in his mind
regarding his fair peeress? Can. he
leave her to her own devices with
safety? Are there not men, boastful
too, Of their ''blue blood who are per-
haps ready to stoop to the thief's trick
OF entering his house during his alb
sence by means of private keys, and
away his wife's affections?-
and is not she. though a mother of
three of four children, ready to receive
with favor the mean robber of her
husbands rights and honor? Read
the London newspapers any day and
You will find that once ':moraT Eng
dand is running neck-and-neck race
with other less hypocritical nations in
pursuit Of social vice. The barriers
that once existed are broken down;
professional beauties" are received in
circles where their presence formerly
would have been the signal for all re-
spectacle women instantly to retire;
ladies Of title are satisfied to caper on
the boards of the theatrical stage, in
costumes that display their shape as
undisguisedly as possible to the eyes
of the grinning public. or they sing in
concert halls for the pleasure Of show
ing themselves off, and actually ac-
-cept the vulgar applause Of unwashed
crowds with smile and a bow of
gratitude! Ye gods! what has become
of the superb pride of the old regime,
the pride which disdained all osten-
tation and chung to honor more closely
than life! What striking sign Of
the times, too. is thls:-let woman
faint her virtue before marriage, she
is never forgiven.-her sin is never
forgotten; but let her do what she
will when she has husbands name
to screen her, and society winks it's
eyes at her crimes. Couple this fact
with the general spirit Of mockery
that prevails in fashionable circles
mockery Of religion. mockery of senti-
ment, mockery of all that that is best
and noblest In the human heart,-add
to 1t the general spread of Stree
thought" and therefore Of conflicting
and unstable opinions,-let all these
things together go on for few years
longer and England will stare at her
sister nations like a bold woman in a
'domino,-her features partly conceal
ed from pretense at shame. but her
eyes glittering coldly through the
mask, betraying to all who look at her
how she secretly reyels in her new
code of lawlessness coupled with
greed. For she will always be ayari-
'cious,-and the worst of it is, that hey
nature being prosaic, there will be DO
redeeming grace to cast glamor
about her. France is unvirtuous
enough. God knows, yet there is sun
shiny smile on her lips that cheers
the heart. Italy is also unvirtuous.
yet her voice is full of bird-like mel
'ody, and her face is a dream Of per-
feet poetry! But England nutritious
will be like cautiously calculating,
somewhat shrewish matron, possessed
of unnatural and unbecoming friski-
ness, without either laugh or song, or
. smile, her one god. gold. and her one
commandment the suggested eleventh.
''Thou shalt not be found out.'
slept that night OH deck. The can.
tain offered me the use Of his little
cabin. and was in his kind hea rted
manner. truly distressed at my per-
:sisteEt refusal to occupy it.
ut Is bad 10 sleep In the moonlight.
'signOr, lie said. anxiously. 1t makes
men mad. they say"
I,.smiled. Had madness been nv
destiny. should have gone mad last
night, ] thought
"IIaye no fear!' answered him
gently. 1.-The moonlight liz II joy to me
lit llas no Impression on my mind
save that Of peace. ] shall rest well