San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-11

tudS cNCi was pCllCCbiy
for Jim's last meal among them.
Through some strange deficiency in
herself, she was unable to give him
what he most desired, but what she
could give him she lavished royalty.
She wore her prettiest dress in his honor,
and adorned it with his favorite flowers,
forgetful in her eagerness to please him
that this might make things harder for
him. She ordered all the dishes she
knew he liked for tea, and spent couple
of hours in the hot kitchen that scorch-
ing morning preparing cake that he
always praised.
With eager haste she took from its
glass doored cabinet the rare old Mason
china and rifed the garden of roses to
fill the quaint century old punch bowl
for the center Of the table. All things
possible should be done to make Jim
feel himself that night the honored
guest, the person of most importance in
their world. 1t was an heirloom--the
Mason china-quaint and curious, and
most highly priced. There was super
stition-how originated none knew
that the breakage of piece, whether by
design or accident, foreboded misfor-
tune to the house of Mason. Very care
fully it was always kept. being only
used on rare occasions when special
honor was intended. During the civil
war it had lain securely hidden in
heavy box under the brick pavement of
one of the cellar rooms, thereby oscar.
ing dire vicissitudes Many pieces had
been broken, said to have been followed
in every case by calamities harder to Ell.
dure than the loss of precious porcelain,
but much of it still remained. In de-
sign it was unique, in execution wonder.
full, and its history was romantic.
In the olden time rich and fancifuI
Mason had visited the colonies with one
of the expeditions sent out by the Vir.
ginia company, of London. He was an
artist of no mean repute, and during his
stay in the new world had made sketches
of the strangely beautiful scenery, and
studies from the wild, picturesque life
which captivated his imagination.
After his return to England he per-
fected these drawings from memory,
and some years later crossed over to
France and had them transferred to
china at fabulous cost. The result was
very beautiful, for each piece showed
small but exquisite portrayals of life and
scenery in the New World. The scenes
were varied and depicted in soft, glow
ing colors, and with u finish that made
each gem.
On one cup a hunter followed the
chase through the silent forest; another
showed dusky maiden dreaming beside
a waterfall; third, a group of deer
resting in sunny valley; a fourth, a
circle of braves around council fire.
When in after years the grandson Of
the artist had married bride with In
dian blood in her veins the punch bowl
had been added as special compliment
to the lady. and the china had been
sent wedding gift from the Masons of
England to the Masons of Virginia The
bowl was very graceful and contained
ON side lovely representation of the
landing at jamestown, with the tran
quill, smiling river, the vessel in the
ofing and the group of friendly red men
on the shore. On the other was, Of
course, depicted the rescue of Captain
John Smith by the Indian girl. The
bowl was finished at top and bottom
with wreaths of Virginia creepers, for
est leaves and blossoms.
To bring out this precious heirloom in
honor of guest was making him of
consequence indeed.
Jim knew all about it, and when he
caught sight of the pretty tea table he
understood the girls intention and shot
q quick, grateful glance across to her
from his brown eyes. A whimsical
memory of superb breakfast he had
once seen served to a man about to be
hanged obtruded itself, but he banished
it Loyalty. AS he took the cup with the
dreaming maiden on it from Mrs. Ma
sons hand, he said gratefully:
"How good of you to have out the
beautiful old china in my honor. When
| was boy, always imagined that
coffee from these cups tasted different
had woodsy, adventurous flavor. l
think so still"
1t was merry meal, despite the
shadow in the background, for the gen.
tlemen taking their cue from Pocahontas
We'd with each other in talking nonsense,
and depicting ridiculous phases of camp
life in the tropics, with Jim always for
the hero of the scene. And Jim, shak-
ing off the dismal emotions peculiar to
farewell visits, responded calamity, de-
Tending himself from each sportive at
tack and illumining his exile with such
rays of promise as occurred to him. He
knew these old friends were sorry to lose
him, and trying to lessen the wrench of