Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-12-17
HER CHINA CRAZE"
What Kate Lost to Gain Superb
Pitcher.

~
: great blue and white pitcher. with
II, double twisted handle and its vivid
ultamarine Chinese landscapes and odd
scattered figures. 1t is of a stately
height and shape, and it has n cover.
The cover is one of its special charms,
for the knob is hideous little grinning
blue lion with curved tail. Nobody
knows how old the pitcher is, but Mad
anne Burrll says she will warrant it n
hundred and fifty, for her groat-amt
gave it TO her forty years ago, and she
said the lady who gave it to her had it
from her grandmother. If it were my
own pitcher would never part with it;
but | would not pay the price to get it
that my cousin Kate did.
Somehow, somewhere, the "china
craze seized Kate without my know
ing it. The width of our little old town
lies between our homes, and we do not
meet daily. really had supposed that
kensington embroidery, her mandolin
lessons, and her lovers filed Kate's
heart completely last winter. There
was rumor about George Cathcart,
and it surely seemed rs if there might be
something in it. Every body said what
n magnificent couple they would make,
she with her beauty and dignity, and he
with his manliness and wealth. / had
even gone so far as to wonder whether
an especially elaborate lambrequin that
! was making might not do for we'd
ding present
Rat ppa bny Il at onI I v,ara opt oo11-
ing together, and rs we were passing
dingy, weather-b old house, She
said, suddenly: "Lct us call on Madame
Burrill.
agreed, for had not been there for
year, and we all think it sort of duty
to visit Madame Burrll now and then.
So we went in, and found the old lady
as usual sitting in her highbacked rock
ing-chair, her complexion still with a
pretty touch of pink in it, though she is
hinety-three years old, if she is day.
AT the table sat her daughter Janet,
sewing for dear life on somebody's polo
naise; for the Burrills are quite reduced
now, as every body knows, and Janet
has to earn all the bread and butter they
get. We had not been there three min
utes before Kate began to be enthusias-
tic about the old-fashioned corner cup
board, and that led Miss Janet to get UP
and open it, upon which Kate eXclam-
alton of delight acted almost like the
music of Orpheus, and drew from the
shelves to the table first plate, and
then tea-caddy, and then cups and
saucers, the best of which were thin
ancient Chinese china, and the common
est were scalloped b.ue and white, the
old primrose pattern.
| saw Rates eyes grow greedy.
"Would you sell me Just one or two of
them?' she asked of Miss Janet, for she
knew how poor they were.
Miss Janet pursed her lips and shook
her head. "She won't sell even one"
she said, in an undertone, nodding to-
ward her mothers chair. The old lady
turned herself little to watch us, and
! fancy the PINK in her faded cheeks
kindled little more.
This plate, said Kate, lifting n
hower-besprent one, VIII ch had blush
tint in the white, and which you could
fairly see the light through.
"Mother refused ten dollars for that
plate from n man who called here, y
said Miss Janet, in an indifferent tone,
as one who recites some fact in ancient
history.
''But yoK|' ins'nuated Kate, with
glance at the toil-worn fingers.
"They amt mine yet" said Miss
Janet grimly, as she waxed a thread
and resumed her sewing.
Kate fiattered and coaxed in vain.
When she brgged for only one prim-
rose cup, the old lady leaned forward
and said: why, we drink out OF
them"-as if what Kate would pay
wouldn more than buy whole set of
common ware. There was what loolSd
to me like CLEAN of malicious pleas
ure in old Madame Burrill's eyes. She
liked to tantalize. That is just the way
she treats her own daughter, who is
over sixty herself. Poor Miss Janet
scarcely ever leaves her; but once she
did want to go ou: to spend the after
noon with some friends, and her
mother opposed it, At last she said:
very well, Janet, you may go, but
you may hnd me dead in my chair
when you get back. l am likely to
drop OIL any minute. II had mother
to care for, ms you have, | wouldn't
think any thing in the world too much
to do for her.
SO then, OF course, Miss Janet staid
at home.
And now the old lady had treat in
seeing the rich and pretty daughter OF
Judge Garland begging for something
that she had the power to refuse her.
Her eyes shone as she dropped back in
her chair and said: 'Open the cellar
door, Janet, and see II that buckwheat
batter has soured,
Janet obeyed, and lifted from shelf
In the cellarway a tall blue and white
pitcher, like nothing on earth we had
ever seen before, and looked into it.
1T sourlng, she said, briefly.
',oh' OH! screamed Kate, in rapture,
what lovely, what precious thing