Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-20
nATRIM0NY AND OLD CHINA.

plenty of time, and occasionally few pounds
TO spare, have gradually contracted love for
bric-a-bfac the pursuit of which enables me to
XIII good many weary hours and to hoard up.
In the shape Of old china, M oney which other
wise would be frittered away on equally useless
but less valuable objects.
Headey aud We're among the most regular
attendants at Christies, Sotheby's and other
auction rooms, and. during the season of the
sales we met somewhere almost daily. our mu-
tual taste soon le'i to an acquaintance.
Headiey was Il tall. gentemanly man of about
80. aud evidently had studied the ceramic art
deeply, lie put INC right on several little mat
tiers, aud once or twice saved ne from buying
spurious productions. As the true collector
loves nothing better than 10 show his bet
cbecrs 30 another who understands and apnr.-
ciates their beauties. 1t was not !-u.r before
Headley asked NE to ne- MIN a visit for that
purpose.
.'Cc.rr- early" he said; then we shall have
time to go through the cabinets by daylight.
Afterwafd J will give you some dinner"
Heatilcys house was in quiet square I'm
good il not the most fashionable part of Lon
don. found my host delighted to see me- and
painting to show his treasures He was a gen
uine member of that species known as 1.-THE
enthusiastic collector" whose passion for accu-
mu!at;nE Tarites amounts almost to a mania;
and i am bound to say that his collection was
one 10 ee proud of. | should tire the reader
ignorant of those delicate distinctive sIibtleties
dear 10 a collectors heart were | to eXpatiate
upon the beauties OF his old Dresden, Seyres
WedgwCod and Bentley, rose-backed Nankn
blue-and-white hawthorn pattern. etc. ad-
Rired greatly. and envied more.
The collections were arranged with great
taste in suitable cabinets and among the MANY
choice specimens j think the one that struck
me most was magnificent old Chelsea tea set
1t occupied the center of one OF the cabinets
with articles of lesser value ranged around II
as though paving homage 10 its superior worth
Leaving out of the question the beautiful blue
anu white decoration, the TetcuIated gliding
and the artistic painting, the set was very val
liable from the fact that it was perfect
Headley seemed pleased at the admiration
expressed, and said. with smile
''fOu, collector. may not be surprised at
hearing that ! nearly bartered my happiness to
make that set perfect
laughed, thinhing he was joking. and re-
piled:
Il don't think would 90 quite as far as that:
put 1 am sure my happiness would be greater if
owned It."
So would any mans be. Look at the paint
Ing. the gliding the shape, the color. Feel the
texture of it, he added taking the teapot from
Its velvet-lined nest and fondy carcssng it with
MS long white fingers you / could tell i'm
the dark 1t was Chelsea by the softness of the
paste
"Where did you get 1T from3''
II ilad the teapot sugar basin. two cups and
saucers first. They belonged to my mother
and as told you. / was nearly paying too
dearly for the rest of 1t. But | will tell you all
about 1t after dinner if yOu would care to hear
the story"
The summer afternoon passed very pleasantly
among the old China. and at seven o'clock we
were summoned othe dinner table
i was presented to Mrs. Headley a charming
young woman of about %. She gave me o cor
All oil Il Al. l..Al.
enough. We were served on old Oriental plates:
the spoons and salts-cellars were Of the coveted
Queen Anne period. and the glass was rare old
Venetian. Headley certainly had refined and
expensive tastes. and, 1T seemed, plenty of means
wherewith to crafty them.
When Mrs Headlley rose she begged u.s. pleas
antly. not to linger too long over the wine as
she was all alone.
Your husband has promised me the history
Of the Chelsea set" / said. but under the cir
cuEsstances shall ask him to be as brief as pos
sible''
'.If he does tell you. Mr.. Burke" she said.
laughing. Il shall never. never forgive him; and
nwouid be impossible for ME to look you in the
face again"
my dear" said HeadIey ..our friend Burke
is collector himself and can sympathze with
my weakness. should never think of relating
u unless 1t were to Il kindred spirit who will
foliy enter into my feelings
After closing the door upon my fair hostess
reflled Hiy beautifully tinted glass with LATTE
and waltet, with some curiosity, for the prom
ieed recital.
Headly commenced:
''Of course, it is ail a joke now, and I can well
afford to laugh at it; but when the affair am
going to tell you of happened it was serious
enough The portion of the Chelsea set owned
at nrst belonged to my mother she inherited it
from her father, and there its history is lost
when L was first seized with the passion
for collecting it naturally formed the nucleus
OF my cabinet. Every one admired it
and envied me the possession of it. One
day-it was after / had formed decent
collection and was getting well known as q
ouyer-WhartOn. the dealer. called upon me to
show me a few things he had picked up in the
country. drew his attention to my Chelsea
He examined it closely and said: Very strange:
saw the rest of that service a few DAYS ago
asked him where. and he told me it belonged
so q lady living at Shepherds Bush. Was 1t for
sale! Certainly not. or he would not have told
me about it until he had secured it, He had
0nered to give her large sum for it, but moth
ing would induce her to part with it. 1t was,
nke mine. a family relic, and as the owner was
In no want of money there did not seem to be
any chance OF persuading her to surrender it.
neF name, ne informed Inc, was Miss CrOftOn:
her residence, No. 142 College road, Shepherds
Bush.
Now. Burke you WILL know, sympathize
with ME when say that. having discovered that
the rest OF that exquisite set was i'm existence
felt that life was almost intOerabie without it.
and that at any sacrifice it must be mne On
that point my mind was at once made up.
1.-THE first thing was to see the china. and
satisfy myself that Wharton had made no mis-
take; SO the next day called upon Miss Croft
ton l found her a pleasant, polite lady of
ABOUT 80 and she presented the appearance Of
spnster whose circumstances were very COM
portable Ii has always seemed to me that any
tnlng TO do with china makes the whole world
KIN and when l explained the object of INV call
Miss CrOfton refused to listen to any apology.
put at once led me to the cabinet holding the
treasure Ny informant had told the simple
truth. had the teapot two cups and saucers
and the sugar basin. while Miss Crofton was the
Fortunate owner of the cream-jug, four cups
and saucers. and the two dishes. And as with
dazzled eyes. gazed on her portion of that ex-
quisite service felt as though sacred duty had
developed upon me to unite the lOng-separated
ceramic family; and knew should find little
happiness until ali the beautiful members of 1t
repOsed safely In my possession.
Miss CrOftOn and soon became good friends
especially when, upon comparing notes and
tracing back the pedigree Of the Chelsea. We
decided that at some time my mothers and her
father's families must have been closely allied
when We had established this fact to our salts
I0ctiOl ypnturpd IN hint nc ootol,- n, 4