The Ottawa free trader., 1850-05-25
Story OF q China Pinto

/ VI
/ The name which common consent has given {,
the best kind- of pottery and porcelain indicate,
It's origin, ami the name china is applied will
equal intclligibility 10 the ornaments on the man
tel piece tie cr,cbcry in the closet. or to tina
vast empire which stretches from the north t,
the south of the east coast of Asia. To this coun
try II Is probable that We are indebted for nun,
articles in daily use and it is certain that the Chi
ncsc were acquainted with the use Of spectacle.
and magnfying glasses, gunpowdcr and cast iron
long before the light of civilization which aros,
Ike tue sun IN the east, and now Eliminates II
the wcst--had reached our shores.
Our present manufacturers have Ear outstripuct
7 in beauty of material the pottery Of the old Chi
uc,e specimens, but fashion still gives prefcrrnr,
to Chinese pattern. aud forms. remarkable IN
stance Of TIN. preference is To be found in the fact
that the sale Of the common blue plate, know
as the willow pattern exceeds thst of all H.,
other, put together The name Is derived from
the figure Of the tree which occupies the centre
Of the plate, and which is intended to represent
awillow in the spring, which uuf,ls its blossom.
before is leaves appear.
Who is there, since the earliest dawn Of the IN.
telligcnt perception, WHO has not inqui,idycy
contemplated the mysterious on lhr willow pat
Tern plate! Who IN childi-h curiosity, has moi
wondered what those three person, in blue out
Inc lid upon that bridge; whence they came
and whittier they were flying! What does the
hoatman without oars on that white stream
Who people tie houses in that charmed island
Or why do those dsproportionatc doves foreye,
kiss each other, rs iflntensely joyful over somC
good deed done Who is there, through who's,
mind such thoughts rs these have not passed, a,
he found his eye resting upon the willow patterr
plates where they lay upon the dinner table, VI
brightly ghltcrcd upon the cottage plate rail
! The old willow pattern plate BY every asso
caion in spite Of It's want OF artistic beauty, it i
dear to us. 1t is mingled with our earliest rec
oIlcctions 1t Is like the picture ofan old friend ant
companion whose portrait we see everywhere
but of whose likeness We never grow weary. I'm
changed are its charms, whether we view il rs :
| fiat oval dish-roundcd into cheese plate-hol
lowed out into soup tureen, or contorted int,
the shape Of n ladle! Still, in every change o
form, are the three blue people rushing over th,
bridge still the boaman sits lstlcss on the stream
and the doves are constantly kissing and iui,er
ing IN great glorliication at the result
What IL ia oil about --ll p, e>vutiy inform
the reader, if he will provide himself with an or
,hodox plate and 90 with Us through the follow
ing story which Is said to be TO the Chinese wha
our Jack the giant killer" or Robinson Crusoc,
Is to us. IL Is the story Of tho Willow Patterr
| Plate.
| On the righthand side is seen Chinese house
OF unusual extent aud magnifccnce The wealth
and resources ofthe owner are indicated by its be
ing of two stories in height-a most rare thing il
Chlna-by the existence Of outbuildings at the
back, TO the right,) and BY the large and rar,
trees which are growing upon all sides of tht
main building. This house belonged to man
DARN OF great power and influence, who had
massed considerable wealth in serving the empe
ror IN department corresponding to our excise
The work, as is the case in other places beside:
China, was performed By an active secretary. ma
med Chang while the business Of the master con
sisted in receiving bribes from the merchants, al
whose smuggling and illegal traffic he wnked in
exact proportion as he was paid for it. The wife
Of the mandarin having however, died suddenly
he requested the emperor To allow him to retire
from his arduoss studies, and was particularly ur
gent in his suit, because the merchants had begun
to talk loudly of the uniainess and dishonesty OF
the Chinese manager of the customs.
The death Of his wife was u fortunate excuse
for the old mandarin, and in accordance with hi,
petition, an order signed by the vrrmilliun pencil
OF his imperial majesty the emperor was ISSUED
to merchant who had paid q handsome donccur
to his predecessor
To the house represented on the plate did the
mandarin retire, taking with him his only daugh
ter, kong'see, aud his secretary Chang whose ser
vices he had retained fort few months IN order ,t
put lis accounts in such array rs 10 bear scrut
ny, t. from any unforeseen circumstances, hy
should be called to produce them. When the
faithful Cl1ng had completed his duty he was
discharged. Too late, however, The yonth had
seen and loved the mandarins daughter. At sun
set, Kong see was observed to lnger with hei
maid on the steps which led TO the banquet room
and Ns the twilight came on, she stole away
down the path tot distant part Of the grounds
ana there the fond luycrs, on the last evening ui
ChaDss engagement vowed mUtug! promises ol
love and eonsiancy Aud ON many an evening
afterwards, when Chang was supposed TO bc
miles away, lovers voices IN that place might be
heard amongst the orange trco.; Iul us dntNnes.
came on, the huge peoues which grew upon the
wall HAD their gorgrun' petal shaken olf as Chang
scrambled through their crimson blossoms. B,
the assistance of the lndy's hadlmail. these In
tcryicws were obtained without the knowledge
Of the old mandarin for the luvcrd well knew
the hard fashion Of the country, and that tlri,
stations in life being unequal, the father wou.
never consent to tho unicn. Changs merit, how
ever, was known, and the uiNiotuna,e wishes u
the young people pictured time when such ut
obstacle would be removed by his success. rhc-
believed as they hoped, and the year of,hcir fun
cy had only two seasons--spring time and sum
mIr.
BY somo means nt last, the knowledge of on,
of their interviews canip 10 the old man, whu