The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-01-25
BY ALFRED MOVES.

New York Tribune).
The classes of the aUXtliarleS were
chartered in an order befitting a demo-
cratic age. First, a number of private
yachts were taken over and transf1g-
ured. Their white and gold were washed
over with service gay and their lux
uriouS trappings adapted to the grim
work before them. His majeSty's ships
are distinguished chiefly by their grace
full lines and their leaning toward
classical names. 1t is a Homeric tale,
and the names are not negligible. But
Atalanta no longer runs before the wind
with a breast of snow, and it is many
a day since Bacchante lifted the golden
light of her wine cups over the dancing
channel waters. To rougiler nights the
Bacchante is dedicated now; to rough
er nights and coarser drinks-even to
rum, | think, on certain lawful occa-
stons. Sabrina, too, is listening for a
terrible song here she sits under the
south coast OF Ireland. and as for the
Iris, the old foam bows flash around
her course, but her wings have lost the
radiance of their prime. A deadlier
message is hers than the glory of color,
and right well she carries it. The Mar
cissus looks into darker waters. but not
for the drowning light of his own eyes.
It was the Narcissus that was once
told off. with a few others. to escort
a liner. The great ship went forward
itNS "a AoNitlS iiAS anu Ildu !eil ltle
Narcissus foaming helplessly in her
wake. But he put on full speed and
ollowed as best he could. 1t was we'll
that he did SO, for a submarine sud-
denly appeared, lying in wait for the
liner, and the Narcissus. although
thousands of yards astern at this time,
opened fire with such effect thu the
u" boat, surprising Echo. submerged
ana lett not even a trace of her.
Darinq F1auships.
Today the best of these yachts act as
tagshipS to the vast fleet of ira wlers.
drlfters and whalers. These last three
classes We're taken in the order given:
At first from the British Isles. and,
ifterward. in the case of the whalers,
from domlnionS as remot as New
~,oundland. The men. too, have latterly
been recruited from the furthcst shores
Of the British empire. These fishing
luxllIaries may almost be described as
ne peoples fleet, and their names are
IKE stray bars of folksong. We talk
Today as II poetry were dead in the
heart OF the British people or as ff she
we're a dusty denizen OF libraries, but
mere. indeed. her wings go beating out
% sea. Who are the secret MINISTRIES
that touch their craft with so subtle a
sense of all the lights and shadows of
their calling-the Fleet Wing. the
Thunderstorm, the Faithful, the Ocean
oho AK 3iot SlLI . All the
sad earnestness of a thrifty folk whose
shawl clad women look at daybreak
rom beaches Uttered with broken
spars. across the gray tumbling water
at sea, and look SO often in vain. are
concentrated into a few phrases on the
BOWS OF these boats-the Clean of
hope. the Breadwinner and the Kindly
light. A few are more directly fledged
the Sea Lark and the AIbatross. the
Night Hawk and the Storm Cock.
Others have apparently followed that
mysterious law by which certain
creatures assume the chaotic tints of
their environment and make them or
ganic-so that the herring gull has a
body Of foam. notified with brown
sand. and tho mackerel repeats the
blue and green of the waves in a vital
form. These are the craft that have
simply christened their bows in the
broken colors Of the seattle Surf and
Siivery Dawn. Others recall a thou
memories. But who are the un-
known treasuIers of the dreams of old
England that have named these? The
Robin Hood calls to the Dusty Miller
and both sail out together to cudgel
n smash the reviyalists Of an ancient
cruelty. Nothing could be more remote
from the glittering evil which they
fight than these gentle old COMPANIONS
tho Young Nun and the Marian, the
Primrose and the Barbara Cowie, the
Blue Bell Inc the Busy Bee. the Comely
Bank and the Christmas Daisy. I saw
them all go out to sea at sunset, and
it seemed that England was opening
her great, silent heart and letting out
her inmost thoughts. embodied in these
little ships. "to guard the sacred fire"
There were others Of a more per-
sonal nature, telling of courtships in
English lanes-the Rose and Oak,
where strength and beauty met and
kindled, d. with q touch Of the dfminu-
tive-the little language" Of lovers
the Girl Marjorie. or perhaps Of par
entail affection. SO that cradle and drift
err might rock together in dreams. al