The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-14
On Board Of fh8 Pink.
Bah Goes Yachting on the Broad Blue Waters PHILOSOPHY
and Sea Breezes.
On Board the Yacht Pink.
Rnln,- lNirn leland

On Board the Yacht Pink.
Below Fire Island.
Everybody knew what was the mat
ter with me after | came back. Some
said it was that tired feeling for which
newspapers advertise so many patent
medicines. According to one doctor
it was nervous prostration, according to
another it had something to do with the
brain, while another gently limited at
n vacuum where the brain should be.
This caused pain, for | knew that
what l wanted was a thoroughly good
Whit of sea air and Il short though mer-
ry life on the ocean wave. So the Cap
tain of the pink-he called it that be-
cause it was always fresh rs paint and
as sweet as Il carnation-himself invited
Molly, her Ensign, who was home on
leave, the Colonel and me to go away
from this weary world for 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 | am old enough to have
passed the envious stage. L appreciate
Molly's good looks. while ] try to make
myself appear as well as possible. | like
to see the ensign make love to Molly.
though | shouldn't care to be neglected
by the CAPTAIN or the Colonel. / read
about rich men having steam yachts
built, and | wonder and wonder again
where their senses are, for there is
nothing in this world so beautiful as n
boat that is well built and that goes sail
ing over the water like a swan-an
idealized swan, controlled by the mind
of man.
LIFE ON THE YACHT.
We are immensely comfortable. the five
of us. Our host is a charming bachelor
with a heart big enough TO love all wo-
mankind and whose marriage would be
a great grief to all except 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 eventually laid his heart at the feet
of an American woman, while as for the
ColOnel-well the Colonel is Il delicious
remnant of the past, not worn-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 well, it has been
many long day since | was in love,
but / find that there is much enjoyment
i'm life land a friend is Il good thing
to have. We loaf around and talk and
sleep and dream away the sunny hours.
while we wonder how the people at New
port are standing the heat and whether
those at Bar Harbor are really enjoy
ing themselves or only making pretend to.
Tonight the moon is out, and Molly
and / are stretched on lew chairs with
the men at our feet on soft cushions.
The moonlight has made a pretty picture
of it, and the sailors are singing some
everyday ditty that loses its common
place sound and blends in with the gem
eral air or romance and makes us very
quiet and very happy. At last the En-
sign, who is given to thinking 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 I'D all sorts and con-
ditions of men. The melodrama is an
impressionist picture-the coiors are laid
on crudey, but distinctly-wbile the So
ciety play is a Meissonier. where every
detail is wrought out so finely that 1T
hardly affects one unless magnlfylng
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 looking
they are neither impressive nor truthful,
for life is sketched out in mordant
strokes, and if the gray comes III at
all it is between the black and the
white LIES picture is never gray and
white
MELODRAMA OF LIFE.
"rhat is all very we'll" said the Col
onel. quietly. .'but why. when we go to
see 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? III tell you why-because the
melodrama is nearly always the old, old
story of love and forgiveness and of
honesty triumphant over vice: because it
reminds MS 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 but
may be discovered where least expected
"Now. rs for me-, remarked the Cap
tain. II thought it was the emotional
side that affected you women
.Yes.'' replied Molly, ''that does
amount to good deal; but, say what
YOU will. it is the heart beat that con
t;adicts us all, no matter how hard we
may try to prove we have no heart
She looked so bitterly at the Captain
as she said this that he laughed, threw
his cigarette into the water, ana asked
"JII agree that we have hearts, but
want somebody to tell me what sh'
means by n heart beat!
80, .,,oI.o Gret ssIt ic-wplI