West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-04-26
THE TWO VASES.


What / am about to relate is abso-
Iuteiy true. 1t has never appeared in
type before. l shall merely make a
necessary change in names and locale.
leaving the facts exactly as they were de.
tailed to me by one personally interested
IN the story.
In rambling old rectory in the Mid
lands there had stood for more than forty
years Two china yases-not specially ad-
mlrcd or valued by the owner-dnsted
by the sacrilegious hands of every
chance housemaid, vet, curiously enouoh
unbroken during that long period of
time. Thcrc were quantities of china
lying about and ranged along the sails
apparently of equal or greater value
The place was a vast china warren why
no one seemed to know.
At the end OF the. forty years the
Rector, who had more diVnifed
ecclesiastical title as wen. died ike
Mr. Bardell, she glided almost inner
ceptibly from the world" and left his
china behind him.. g.
The hector left two sons, Robert and
James Fitzroy. The property was
div ded pretty equally between the two.
except that to Robert, the elder. went
INC furniture, pictures, plate and china
Before the final settlement, however.
James Fitzroy said to Robert ~ have
fancy for those two vases out of the
hall--more for apld lang syne than any
thing else. To which EobeIt replied
with generosity more conspicuous than
discrimination ''All right: I don't care
about them. You may 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 a barrister by profession and a
iarmer by preference, tdok his spoil
away The vases were placed I'm the
drawing room of his county houso.
where his wife, partly because her hus
band from old associations attached
value to them, busted them herself
One day lady Of their acquaintance
called at The Briars. After the usuai
piatitudes about the weather and the
dulness Of the season, the visitor glanced
round tle room in search of a new sub
Jecti The Grant gaze lighted on the
strange vases, and the quest was over.
'Oh, what lovely vases Where did
you get them, Mrs. Fitzroyg"
They came from my husbands Ia
theirs. Were they not in the room when
you called last, Mrs HemmingYp
NO, am sure they were not. / do
admire them tremendously; don't Won y,
Here the visitor crosses the room 10 in.
spect the delicate ware more croseIy.
The pantomime Of devotion which fol.
lows can be more easily imagined than
descrb bed
II like them very well, replies the
hostess, unsympathetically "but have
seen great many vases that like bet
ter"
The visitor returns 10 her scat. but
cannot keep hen eyes and thoughts from
the Oh, ect of her admiration.
week afteTward 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 chInamaniac. Mrs. Hemming
introduces her friend. Together they
strike becoming, appreciative, and, 10 the
unsympathetic, somewhat ludicrous At
tiiudes before their idol Mrs. Fitzrov
plays second fiddle 10 her own china.
Lady Sarah MOrdauut Is even louder i'm
her praises than Mfs. Hemming. To
gether they insist, unmOved by the pas
siYe resistance Of their hostess, on re.
moving the contents of ulass hitherto
filed with bric-a-bfac. and insfalin0 In
its place the two vases. Departing Iisl,
solemnity becoming 10 the occasio, 4
they thus eyhort Mrs FitzrOy sqf Won
and your hu. band do not really value
this thina, why not send 30 10 hlessrs.
Christie 81 Mason, and let them send 81
to some one who willP
Lady Sarah Mordaunt, with, indeed
an enthusiasm worthy OF the. cause. was
cutie rude about it The world outside
chinamania Is, 60 the true boliovar. very
much what Macedonia was 20 Athens in
the day Of Periclos barborism only
20 be touched with the toBgs
These exhoriatioRs sunk deep into the
receptive soul OF Mrs. FitnOy, and event.
ually pemcaled even the more pachyl
dermatous entity which composed her
husband The barristcr communicated
with the famous firm of aucfioncois.
hey asked for p description Of the
chifn, which was given. Ultimately. by
their advice, the vases were sent up TO-
King street, ST. Jamcss Square, TO be-
inspected, and sold for what they would
fetch
"let.us have little iaunf up 10 town.
my dear remarked Mr. Janes fftzrog
10 bis wife "if the china 81 ail fhev
say. tho vases ought TO fetch ten
pound note each and that win pay our
expenses. VIC have not had n holiday
for q long time. Like John Gnpin.
when proposing q similar excursion.
Mr. Fitzroy was unaware that the future
10 big with fate There iho smile
kG qown