Wichita eagle., 1889-03-05
THE FITZROY VASES.

j shall merely make necessary change in
names and locale, leaving the facts exactly
as they were detailed to me by one person
ally interested in the story.
In a rambling old rectory in the Midlands
there had stood for more than forty years
two china vases-not specially admired or
valued by the owner-dusted by the sacri-
legious hands of every chance housemaid,
yet, curiously enough. pnbroken 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 the forty years the rector,
who had a more dignified ecclesiastical title
as well, died Like Mr.. Bardel, he ''gIided
almost imperceptibly from the world" and
left his china behind him. Hinc iNoe lGch,ynaot
The rector left two sons, Robert and
James Fitzroy. The property was divided
pretty equally between TIE two, except that
to Robert, the elder, went the furniture,
pictures, plate and china. Before the final
settlement, however, James Fitzroy said to
Robert: II have fancy for those two
vases out of the hall-more for aud lang
syne than any thing el.e.'' To which Robert
replied, with generosity more conspicuous
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 barris-
ter by profession and a farmer by prefer
ence, took his spoils away. The vases were
placed in the drawing. room of his country
house, where his wife, partly because her
t111ch oil
value to them, busted them herself.
One day a lady Of their acquaintance
called at The Briars. After the usual plati-
tudes about the weather and the dullness of
the season the visitor glanced round the
room in search of new subject. The III
aptitude of one's friends sometimes gets
worn threadbare under discussion in the
country, andviolent efforts after novelty have
TO be resorted to- The arrant gaze lighted on
the strange vases, and the quest was over.
"Oh, what lovely vasesl Where did you
get them, Mrs. Fitzroy!"
They came from my husbands fathers.
Were they not in the room when you called
last, Mrs. Hemmings''
:" No, that am sure they were not. do
admire them TREMENDOUSLY; don't you!"
Here the visitor crosses the room to inspect
mime of devotion which follows can be
more easily imagined than described.
~ like them very well,'' replies the hos
tess, unsympathetically; shut have seen
great many vases / like BETTER
The visitor returns to her seat, but can
not keep her eyes and thoughts from the
object of her admiration.
A week afterwards Mrs. Hemming calls
mn nv
Lady Sarah Mordaunt, who is unknown
personally to Mrs. Fitzroy, but who is an
ardent china-maniac. Mrs. Hemming in
PRODUCES her friend. Together they strike
becoming, appreciative, and, to the unsym-
pathetic, somewhat ludi -rous attitudes be-
fore their idol. Mrs. Fitzroy plays second
fiddle to her own china Lady Sarah Nor
daunt Is even louder in her praises than
Mrs. Hemming Together they insist, I'M
moved by the passive resistance of their
hostess, on removing the contents of glass
case hitherto filed with bric-a-brac, and in
stalling in Its place the two vases. De-
parting with a solemnity becoming to the
occasion, they thus exhort Mrs Fitzroy:
If you and your husband do not really
value this china, why not send it TO Messrs.
Christie & Manson, and let them sell it to
some one who villa"
Lady Sarah Mordaunt, with, indeed, an
enthusiasm worthy of the cause, was quite
rude about It, The world outside china
mania 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 sank deep into the re-
ceptive soul of Mrs. Fitzroy, and eventually
permeated even the more pachydermatous
entity which composed her husband. The
barrister communicated with the famous
firm Of auctioneers. They asked for a de-
scription Of the china, which was given
Ultimately, by their advice, the vases were
sent up to King street. St. James Square,
to be inspected, and sold for what they
would fetch.
"Let US have a little jaunt up to town, my
dear" remarks Mr.. James Fitzroy to his
wife; "if the china is all they say, the
vases ought to fetch a ten-pound note each,
and that will pay our expenses. We have
not had holiday for a long time" Like
John Gilpin, when proposing similar ex-
cursion, Mr. Fitzroy was unaware that the
future was big with fate. There the simiIe
breaks down.
Accordingly to town they went, putting
up at the Bedford Hotel in Covent Garden.
After few days spent in the extremely
innocent enjoyment in which married men
indulge in London when they have their
wives with them, Mr.. FitUoy received
notice from Christie & Manson that his
vases would be sold on certain day the
following week at the end of the sale of
Count Mirabeau's china Count Mirabeau
was q name dear TO connoisseurs. and even
celebrated outside the charmed circle. He
was, in fact, hierophant of the china
fetish
II should like to see this collection Of
Count MIrabeau's they talk so much about
in the papers," said Mr. James Fitzroy.
AZ think we will go to the sale'
With this view, when the day arrived,
they went prepared to swallow quietly
their own land their vases comparative
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 yet come.
Making their way with difficulty through
the room, Mr.. and Mrs. Fitzrcy met an ac-
Quaintance from the Midland shire IN which
they lived.
HALO, Fitzroy! what are you doing
here's never knew you were a maniac.
" hat brings you 70 Christie's on china
dayr'
. don't go in for this sort of thing as
rule, but thought l should like to see
Count Mirabeau's collection. They talk so
much about it. Besides, have little thing
in the sale myself
The friend did Tot heed the last part Of
the remark. but answered the first. 30,
Count Mirabeau Yes. that is fine enough,
confess; but it is nothing compared
to some china al the further end of the