San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-09
THE BLUE VASE.
By 8. Barring GOULD.

"A1aJesuyr" SAID HIrsch, IT fly to obey
But instead Of Immediately doing what the
king commanded, Hirsch proceeded to draw
silk handkerchief from bis pocket, and to
wipe the vase.
dPardon your majesty" he said, "before I
offer it into your august hands. Some dust
has settled on it. So many persons are in the
gallery"
"Come, come, never mind the dust; like
tin BATTLE
But Hirsch wiped and rewiped the vase,
and then, with profound bow, handed it to
the king.
Frederick was pleased at the shape of the
tit is good, CLASSICAL" he said. There I
am" he laughed 'That, I suppose, is in
tended for me at Mollnitz. think / recog-
nize the Notifications. Butt never went
into battle so snug and smart as that; and
whoever painted this has forgotten the
smears of snuff that adorn my gracious nose.
ask any Of my officers if I ever wore cloth
with the gloss on it given me by the glaze on
this porcelaina have not so dapper a coat
in my wardrobe; and my boots-Heinl at
Mollnitz-were splashed. 1t was q muddy
day! What is this inscription? To the eter-
nal glory-Ah, there is dust, or smudge, or
something there. Take the vase, Hirsch,
wipe it again, and hand it to me once more.'
Then the sub-director again received
Sophie's beautifully printed piece, and now,
kneeling at the kings feet, he proceeded to
rub, and rub hard, at one portion Of the sur
face As he did SO he cast a malignant
glance at the count
Sophie was surprised, and looked at Count
Lazinka, who stood behind his majesty.
''That is all right; that will do" said the
king. "Now give me the vase once more"
He held it up before his eyes, and studied
the scroll below the picture of himself.
Then, suddenly, his face changed; his cheeks
dyed themselves crimson, and his eye flashed
fire.
''Who painted this vase" he shouted in a
voice of thunder.
Sire" said Lazinka, cit was designed and
drawn entirely by the Demoiselle Mansfield"
"And she painted the inscription to the
eternal memory of Frederick the Great. eh!"
your majesty" said Lazinka, again bow
ing and coloring, must admit an indiscre-
ton. 1t was l who wrote that inscription in
characters of gold. l was one day visiting
the demoiselle to inquire after the progress
of the vase, when she had her gold paint
mixed, and, sire, l was unable to conceive
that the red paint she used could burn to
gold. Then She invited me to write the
words, and, sire, with her quill inscribed
"Ha, no! The tyrant; yes, heard you
say as much"
The young count looked at the king in sur
prise.
"Hom shouted the king. "Where is the
guard? Arrest them both-both Lazinka
and the girl. They are both guilty of trea-
son.
Treason, sire?'
"Treason-yes," shouted the angry king
"You know what you wrote. You know;
but you thought to conceal it from me, with
a dab of paint, and when the vase reached
your mother you would show it and laugh,
"A peternelle gIoire de Frederic le grand
tyranr"
Count Augustus Lazinka looked with per-
plexity at the vase and started and the color
died out of his cheek
Thereon stood the words the king had ut
tered. The inscription was to the eternal
glory of Frederick the great tyrant. One
reproachful glance he cast at Sophie, but saw
that equal amazement was pictured in her
expressive face. Certainly, he had written
there the legend, "To the eternal glory of
Frederick the Great" Hirsch, in wiping the
vase, had wiped away little blue paint al
the end of the scroll, and, in SO doing. had
disclosed the last word, new conclusion,
which altered the whole character of the le-