Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-08-07
Copyright, 1881
On Board the Yacht Pink,

Everybody knew what was the mat
ter with me after I came back. Some
said it was that tired feeling fer which
newspapers advertise so many patent
medicines. According to one doctor 1t
was nervous prOstration, according to
another it had something to do with
the brain, while another gently limited
at vacuum where the brain should
be. This caused pain, for l knew that
what l wanted was a thoroughly good
Whit of sea- air and a short though
merry life on the ocean wave. So the
captain of the Pink-he C; & ed it that
because it was always fresh as paint
and as sweet as a carnation-himself
invited Molly, her ensign, who was
home on leave; the colonel and me to
20 away from this weary world for
little while, live aboard the Pink and
realized how much we loved each 9TH
e..
Sometimes when there are two wo-
men on board yacht they are apt to
grow nasty, but | am old enough to
ciate Mollys good locks, while | try
to make myself appear as well as pos
sible | like to see the ensign make
love to Molly, though l shouldn't care
to be neglected by the captain or the
colonel l read about rich men having
steam yachts built, and I wonder and
wonder again where their senses are,
fer there is nothing IN this world SO
beautiful as a boat that is well built
and that goes sailing over the water
like a swan-an idealiZed swan, con-
trolled by the mind Of man.
We are immensely comfortable, the
IF us. Our host is a charming
rrhSa heart big enough to
AZ wrlnnankind and whose mar
1oVe sWould be a great grief to all eE-
ceDt those women who had never met
him. Then there is the ensign, who
has been to Egypt, seen the beauties
of India, Paris and London and event
ually laid his heart at the feet of an
American woman. while as for the col
onel-well, the colonel is delicious
remnant of the past, not wornout, big
enough to be useful, witty enough to
be entertaining and having the cour-
tesy of Bayard. Moilytis young,
pretty and in love, while well, it
has been many long day since | was
in love, but ] find that there is much
enjoyment in life, and friend is a
good thing to have. We loaf around
and talk and sleep and dream away
the sunny hours, while we wonder how
the people at Newport are standing the
heat and whether those at Bar Harbor
are really enjoying themselves Or only
making pretend to.
Tonight the moon is out, and Molly
and l are stretched on low chairs with
the men at our feet on soft cushions.
The moonlight has made a pretty pic
ture of it, and the sailors are singing
some everyday ditty that loses its
commonplace sound and blends in with
the general air of romance and makes
us very quiet and very happy. At
last the ensign, who is given to think
ing about things, said: "Who of you
does not love to see a good melodrama?
1t is life-like; that is the charm of it.
The society play is life in the drawing
room, but the melodrama takes in all
sorts and conditions of men. The
melodrama is an impressionist picture
the colors are laid on crudely, but
distinctly-while the society play is a
Meissonier, where every detail Is
wrought SO finely that ii hardly affects
one unless magnifying glass is used.
Some of the playwrightS are putting
too fine point On their pencils. On
white sheet of paper they can only
make light gray lines, and while gray
and white are cool locking they are
neither impressive nor truthful, for life
is sketched out in mordant strokes,
and if the gray comes in at all it is be-
tween the black and the white. Iife's
picture is never gray and white"
"That is all very we'll" said the COL
onel quietly, "but why, when We go to
gee a melodrama, do the tears run
down the face of Molly? Why does
Bah sit so quietly in the back of the
box? Why does my Old heart ache so
= hard am forced to think it will break
my shirt front? I'll tell you why-be-
cause the melodrama is nearly always
the old, old story of love and forgive
ness and of honesty triumphat over
vice; because it reminds us in this Old
world of ours that the time comes
when we must remember that love,
goodness, gratitude and honor are not
confined to the drawing ROOM but may
be discovered where least expected"
Now, as for me-" remarked the cap
: tain, Il thought it was the emotional
side that affected you women"
YES" replied Molly, that does
amount to a great deal; but, say what
you will, it is the heart beat that con-
tradicts us all, 10 matter how hard we
may try to prove we have 20 heart"
She looked so bitterly at the captain
as she said this that he laughed, threw
his cigarette into the water and asked,
I'll agree that We have hearts, but I
want somebody to tell me what she
means by heart beat?"
The ensign spoke first, at is-well,
you know. it is the something that
makes you feel that humanity has been
touched and that each time your heart
throbs there is another one to answer
It."
"It's-well." said Molly, 81 can feel it
kut don't know how to explain it ex-