The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-09

backed chairs against the walls, which
made one look instinctively above them 10
the portrait of an ancient and tall-capped
Dame Rokev. who sat so very stiff and
straight that she surely must have had a
little lacky TO run around after her 10
pick I'D anything that she perchance
might drop.
Beside the fire sat Miss Pink, with the
light shining on her gray hair and mus
lin kerchief and busy needles. The Major
In a very tall collar, sat opposite carving
q niece of wood. Between them, they
made room for Lizabeth and me. Liza
beth was their little niece with whom l
went to school; and my father. then
across the water, had given me PERMISSION
10 return with her and spend her Dlrth-
day at the ~RokeyPlace. AS SAT down
ON a spider-legged stool beside 'Lizabeth.
looked for the first time upon the
Ginger Jar. It stood in the corner by the
Majors elbow. a giant jar, the kind
that perhaps neither you nor l Will ever
sec. with ginger in II. 1t was Of a grayish
blue, and covered with indistinct figures
like the ghostly impression Of its own East
Indian palm trees. There may have been
seals. for bits Of red hung from the
waxed and knotted cords about It's broad
throat. picked off, doubtless, by genera
tons Of baby Rokeys.
While Miss Pink and the Major were
discussing the probability of snow, | ask
ed Lizabeth. in a low tone. If they kept
their ginger in that jar. She looked very
much surprised at this. and said: Gin
ger? Why, no.. / never saw n ginger
in It! It's used for-well-for just any
thing. you Know"
l did not know. but I soon learned.
ri - A.nAla L old n
bit of every secret in the ROkey establish
ment; and Il was not long before l came
TO the conclusion that Look In the Gin
ger jar" would have been far more appro-
Pirate on the family crest than the eX-
cellent motto about Honor. which the Ma
jOr had carved above the fireplace. Be-
fore l could ask 'Lizabeth another ques-
ton she said: Tell about the Ginger Jar,
Uncle Major; she wants TO know If 1t has
ginger in it,"
Ginger,' exclaimed the Major, really
so surprised that he stopped carving.
mo. certainly not; why, no,indeed!'
But now that | think Of II, | reckon
it's held q bit Of everything else one
could mention; pretty nearly everything
else, my dear
Miss Pink smiled down at me over her
needles. l think she OWNED that !
thought it a little strange that Of every
thing else the one thing not associated
with a ginger jar should be ginger"
Tel her about II. Brother" she said.
The Major closed his knife and rested
his hand on the top of the jar. Young
lady, he said, gravely turning to me,
this Is the oldest surviving member Of
our family"
! must have looked as much impressed
as l felt. for he smiled and bent his blue
eyes kindly upon me.
"Would you like to hear about itT' he
asked.
"Oh. yes. if you please, I would, very
much!" l answered.
He arose suddenly and took a long
stemmed pipe from the mantelshelf.
81 must smoke, then" he said. where's
my tobaccoT
Look in the ginger jar" suggested
Miss Pink; but he had already raised the
lid and was drawing out a little bag from
which he replenished his pipe.
Now, not too much smoke" said Miss
Pink.
mo. lust a few whiffs.'' replied the Ma
Tor. as he replaced the lid of the jar.
He leaned back and sent a little curl Of
blue smoke toward the ceiling. well"
he said presently, the story goes that
there was once an old Rokey, or rather a
respected ancestor, who lived In the East
Indies. and who was indiscreet enough TO
run off with and marry a princess from
under the royal nose OF a very fierce old
father. who renowned his daughter then
and there. We'll. a good while after this
the princess died. leaving one child. a
little boy. a faithful ayah brought word
10 the ancestor that the King had heard
of the birth of this child and was de-
termined TO possess It; probably TO kill
II as punishment to the Englishman who
had dared incur his royal wrath. or
possibly because there was no other heir
direct TO the throne"
Excuse me, Brother" interposed Miss
Pink; will you hand me that ball Of
blue yarn out Of the jarT"
Certainly" said the Major. When this
was done. he resumed: "Whereupon the
ancestor and the ayah concocted a plan
to save the child. 1t was impossible that
he should leave the country with it unde-
tected, so they devised this plan: The
ayah discovered just when the King in
tended demanding the child, and procuT-
ing the body OF a little Indian baby which
died the same day, left il with the ances-
tor and took the Kings little grandson,
and giving him some harmless stuff 10
make him sleep. put him in a great jar.
the sort used by the natives for packing
sweetmeats. II had holes in the top
the NldJOi utlu UP AIt III VI NA' pll~Ni
Jar-"and the ayah carried ii upon his
shoulder to the waters edge. where they
shipped such things; but no one could
persuade him to part with his jar Of gin
ger. Instead. he got In a boat and carried
the jar himself away down the river.
where he took 1t TO a place OF safety until
the ancestor could communicate with
him. OF course. the ancestor did not dare
leave the kingdom In company with the
nurse and child. so when he managed to
get away the ayah. and his great jar OF
ginger. ne went at the same time; and it
is said that the baby became fond OF his
peculiar quarters, and made the greater
part OF the voyage to England in his gin
ger jar. from which he never parted. Can
you not imagine his bright. black eyes
peering over the top? He was the first
Rokey TO settle in America"
'And this is the Jar" / exclaimed.
well" said the Major. 80 the story
goes"
Now. Brother. you know he did bring
II over with him." said Miss Pink; "and
the things In the cabinet, too.'
"Oh. OF course-of course, my dear"
a0EAad sEA Afaf. .- 49,