The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-09
Copyright. 1881
On Board the Yacht Pink,
BELOW Fire Ialand

81 fna On Board the Yacht Pink,
Below Fire Island.
Everybody knew what was the mat.
ter with me after / came back. Some
said IL was that tired feeling for which
newspapers advertise so many patent
medicines. According to one doctor II
was nervous prostration. according tc
another E.had something to do with the
vacuum where the brain should be- This
caused a pain, for I knew that what ]
wanted was thoroughly good Whit OF
sea air and a short though merry life
on the ocean wave. So the captain OF
the Pink-he called 1t that because ii
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 go away from this
weary world for a little while, live
aboard the Pink and realize how much
we loved each other.
Sometimes when there are two women
on board a yacht they are apt to grow
nasty. but 1 am old enough to have
passed the envious stage. i appreciate
Molly's good looks. while try to make
myself appear as well as possible. like
70 see the ensign make love to Molly.
though I shouldn't care TO be neglected
by the captain or the colonel. / read
about rich men having steam yachts
built and I wonder and wonder again
where their senses are. for 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. controlled by the mind
of a man.
We are Immensely comfortable. the
five OF US. Our host is q charming bach
elor with heart big enough TO love all
womankind and whose marriage would
be a great grief TO all except those wo-
men who had never met him. Then there
Is the ensign, who has been to Egypt.
seen the beauties OF India, Paris and
London and eventually laid his heart at
the feet of an American woman, while
rs for the colonel--well the colonel ia a
delicious remnant OF the past, not worm
out. big enough to be useful, witty
enough TO be entertaining and having
the courtesy of Bayard. Molly is
young, pretty and In love, while I-well
1t has been many a long day since /
was In love, but find that there Is
much enjoyment in life, and q friend ia
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.
s Tonight the moon IN out. and Molly
and I are stretched on low chairs with
the men at our feet on soft cushions
The moonlight has made a pretty pic-
ture or IL, and the sailors are singing |
some everyday ditty that loses its COM |
monplace 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 thinking about /
things, said: who of you does not love |
10 see good melodrama? 1t is lifelike; |
mat Is the charm oftt. The society play |
IL lie in the drawing room, but the |
nelodrama takes In all sorts and con-
niuons or men. The melodrama is an
mpresslonist picture - the colors are
ala on crudely. but distinctly--while the
society play Is Meissonier, where ev-
'ry detail is wrought out so finely that
! hardly affects one unless magnify
ng glass Is used. Some Of the play
Nriehts are putting too fine q point on
heir pencils. On white sheet OF pa
'er they can only make light gray lines,
ina while gray and white are cool look
as they are neither impressive nor
ruthful, for life is sketched out in NOR
ant strokes. and IL the gray comes in
Il all II is between the black and the
vhite. LIES picture is never gray and
T.lte."
That is all very we'll" said the colo
quietly but why, when we go to
melodrama, do the tears run down
face OF Molly. Why does Bah sit so
tly in the back of the box? Why does
~ old heart ache so hard I am forced
} think IL will break my shirt front?
Z" rell you why - because the meIo-
3rla is nearly always the old, old sto-
y of love and forgiveness and OF hones-
y triumphant over vice: because IL re-
nlnds us in this old world of ours that
he time comes when we must remem-
er that love, goodness. gratitude and
onor are not confined TO the drawing
oom, but mayb be discovered where least
expected"
Now, as for me-" remarked the cap
ain, II thought it was the emotional
lde that affected you women"
YES" replied Molly. that does
mount 90 q good deal: but. say what
'ou VIII, IL in tho heart beat that con-
radicts us all. no matter how hard we
na2 try 10 prove we have no heart"
The looked so bitterly at the captain
= she said this that he laughed threw
is cigarette into the water and asked.
III agree that we have hearts, bue I
vant somebody to tell me what she
scans by n hear. bestt'
The ensign spoke first, 1T is-well.
on know. II In the something that
iakes you feel that humanity has been
ouched and that each .tlne your heart
hrobs there Is another one 70 answer
t."