The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-05-03
THE FITZROY VASES.


ly true. 1t has never appeared III type
before. shall merely make necessary
change in names and locale, leaving the
facts exactly as they were detailed to
me by one personally interested in the
story,
In rambling old rectory in the Mid
lands there had stood for more than for
ty wears two china vases-not specially
admired or valued by the owner-dusted
by the sacrilegious hands of every
chance housemaid, yet, curiously enough
unbrokeh during that long period OF
time. There were quantities OF china
lying about and ranged along the walls
apparently Of equal or greater value.
The place was vast china warren, why,
no one seemed TO know.
At the end of forty years the rector,
who had more dignitied ecclesiastical
title as well, died. Like Mr.. Bardell,
"he glided almost imperceptibly from
the world" and left his china behind
him.
The rector left two sons, Robert and
James Fitzroy. The property was di-
vided pretty equally between the two,
except that to Robert, the elder went
the furniture, pictures, plate and china.
Before the final settlement, however,
James Fitzroy said to Robert, l have
fancy for those two vases out in the
baltimore for auld lang syne than any
thing else.
To which Robert replied with gener-
osItv more conspicuous than discrlmiu
alton:
All right, l don't care about them.
You NAV have them with pleasure.
The incident, which seemed to both
trivial enough, did not dwell in the
minds of either of the brothers. James,
who was barrister by profession and
farmer by preference, took his spoil
away, The vases were placed in the
drawing room of his country house,
where his wife, partly because her hus-
band from old associations attached val
ue to them, busted them herself.
Zone day lady of their acquaintance
called at The Briars. After the usual
patitudes about the weather and the
dullness of the season the visitor glanc'
ed around the room in search of new
subject. The inaptitude of ones friends
sometimes gets worn threadbare under
discussion in the country and violent eft.
forts after novelty have to be resorted
to. The Grant gaze lighted on the
strange vases, and the quest was at once
over
Oh, what lovely vases! Where did you
get them, Mrs FItzroyT
They came from my husbands faith
sr's. Were they not IN the room when
you called last, Mrs HemmlngT
No, am sure they were not, do ad.
mire them tremendously, don't your
Here the visitor crosses the room to In
spect the delicate ware more closely
The pantomlme of devotion which fol
lowed can be more easily imagined than
described.
l like them very well, replies the host
ess, unsympathetically; but have
seen a great many vases that liked bet
ter,
The visitor returns to her seat, but can
not keep her eyes and thoughts from
the object of her admiration
A week afterward Mrs. Hemming calls
again. This time she is accompanied by
Lady Sarah Mordaunt, who is unknown
personally to Mrs. Fitzroy but who is an
ardent chlnamaniac. Mrs Hemming in
PRODUCES her friend. Together they
strike becoming, appreciative and, to
the unsympathetIc, somewhat ludicrous
attitudes before their idol.
Mrs. Fitzroy plays second fiddle to her
own china. Lady Sarah Mordaunt is
even louder in her praises than Mrs,
Hemming. TogetherI they insist, I'M
moved by the passive resistance OF the
hostess, on removing the contents OF
glass case, hitherto filled with brio. a
brac and installing in its place the two
vases. Departing with :solemnity be.
coming to the occasion. they thus ex.
hort Mrs, FltZrov,
If you and your husband do not real.
ly value this china. why not send 1t to
Messrs. Christie & Manson, and let them |
sell it to some one who will.
Lady Sarah Mordaunt with, indeed, |
an enthusiasm worthy of the cause, was
quite rude about it,, The world outside
chinamania is, to the true believer, very |
much what Macedonia was to Athens
in the day of Pericles-a barbarism only |
to be touched with the tongs.
These exhortations sunk deep into the |
receptive soul of Mrs. Fitzroy and even |
tualy permeated even the more pachy- |
dermatous entity which composed her
husband, The barrister communicated
with the famous firm of auctioneers.
They asked for a description of the
china which was given. Ultimately by |
their advice the vases were sent up to
King street, St. James square, to be in
spected and sold for what they would |
fetch,
Let us have a little iaunt up to town,
my dear, remarked Mr. James: Fitzroy
to his wife; if the china is all they say,
the vases ought to fetch ten pound
note each, and that will pay our ex-
penses. We have not had holiday for
long time.
Like John Gilpin. when proposing a
similar excursion, Mr.. Fitzroy was I'M
aware that the future was big with fate
There the smile breaks down.
Accordingly, to town they went, put
thug up at the Bedford Hotel in Convent
Garden,
After few days spent in the ex-
tremely innocent enjoyment in which
married men indulge in London-when
they have their wives with Ithem-Mr.
Fitzroy received a notice from Christie
& Manson that hIs:vases would be sold
on certain day the following week al
the end of the sale of Count MIrabeau's
china.
Count Mirabeau was a name dear to
connoisseurs, and even celebrated out
side the charmed circle. He was, in
fact, hierophant Of the china fe-
fish.
should like to see this collection of
Count Mirabeau's they talk 80 much
about in the papers, said Mr.. James
Fitzroy, l think we will go to the
sale.
with this in view, when the day ar
rived they went, prepared to swallow
quietly their own land the vases) com
parative insignificance.
On their arrival in King street they
found the rooms, of course, crowded
with gentlemen and dealers. The time
fixed for the sale had not come.
Making their way with difficulty
through.the room, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzroy
met an acquaintance from the Midland
shire in which they lived.
Hello, Fitzroy what are you doing
here? / never knew you were a maniac.
What brings you to Christie's on china
dsy2
don't go in for this sort of thing as
q rule, but thought | should like to see
Count Mirabeau's collection, they talk
so much about. Besides, | have little
thing in the sale myself
The friend did not heed the last part
Of the remark, but answered the first,
Oh, Count Mirabeau! Yes, that is fine
enough, confess, but it is nothing com
pared to some china at the further end
of the room. You come this way and |
will show you.
The trio threaded their way to a re-
mote corner of the sales room, passing
as rapidly as might be great quantity
of very handsome china, which was ar
ranged and ticketed ready for the sale.
Al the end remote from the door and