Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-02-24
THE BITzROY VASES,

l shall merely make a 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 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-dus.ed by the sacri-
legious hands of every chance housemaid,
vet curiously enough, unbroken during that
long period of time. There were quanti-
ties 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 more dgnifed ecclesiastical title
as well, died Like Mr.. Bardwell "he
glided almost impercepubly from the
world,n and left his china behind him.
"Hence these tears"
The rector left two sons, Robert and
James Ftzroy. The property was divided
pretty equally between the two, except that
to Robert, the elder, went the furniture,
pictures, plate and china. Before the final
settlement, however, James Fitzroy said to
Robert, 81 have fancy for those two vases
out of the baltimore for auld lang syne
than ANYTHING else" To which Robert re-
piled, with generosity more conspicuous
than discrimination, "All right; | don't
care about them. You may have them
with pleasure"
The incident which seemed to both triv-
ial enough, did not dwell in the minds of
either of the brothers. James, who was a
barrister by profession and farmer by
preference, took his spoil away. The vases
were placed in the drawingroom of his
country house, where his wife, partly be-
cause her husband from old associations
attached value to them, busted them her
self.
One day lady of their acquaintance
called at The Briars. After the usual plat
itudes about the weather and the dizziness
of the season, the visitor glanced round the
room in search of a new subject. The in
eptitude of ones friends sometimes get
worn threadbare under discussion in the
country, and violent efforts after novelty
have to be resorted to. The Grant gaze
lighted on the strange vases, and the quest
was over.
"Oh, what lovely vases Where did you
get them, Mrs Fitzroy?"
"They came from my husbands fathers
Were they not in the room when you call
ed last, Mrs. Hemming?"
mo, l am sure that they were not. l dc
admire them tremendously; don't you?'
Here the visitor crosses the room to inspect
the delicate ware more closely. The pan
tomime of devotion which follows can b.
more easily imagined than described.
81 like them very WELL" replied the host
ess, unsympathetically "but have seen {
great many vases that | like better"
The visitor returns to her seat, but can
not keep her eyes and thoughts from thu
object of her admiration.
A week afterward Mrs. Hemming called
again. This time she is accompanied b!
Lady Sarah Mordaunt, who is unknown
personally to Mrs. Fitzroy, but who is al
ardent chinamanac Mrs Hemming in
PRODUCES her friend. Together they strik,
becoming, appreciative, and, to the unsym
pathetic, somewhat ludicrous attitudes be
fore their idol. Mrs. Fitzroy plays seconC
fiddle to her own china. Lady Sarah Nor
daunt is even louder in her praises thai
Mrs. Hemming. Together they insist, I'm
moved by the passive resistance of thei
hostess, on removing the contents of glas
case hitherto filled with bric-a-bric, and in
stalling in its place the two vases. Depart
ing with a soemnity becoming to the occa
sion, they thus eXhort Mrs. Fitzroy: II
you and your husband do not really valu
this china, why not send it to Messrs
NuTlSIle az mdnSOl, anu leJ JneIl sell IL U
some one who will?"
Lady Sarah Mordaunt, with, indeed, al
enthusiasm worthy of the cause, was quit
rude about it. The world outside china
mania is, to the true believer, very nue.
what Macedonia was to Athens in the da,
of Pericles-a barbarism only to be touche
with tOngs.
These exhortations sunk deep into tn
receptive soul of Mrs. Fitzroy, and eventu
ally permeated even the more pachyderma
tous entity which composed her husband
The barrister communicated with the ia
nous firm of auctioneers. They asked fo
absorption of the china, which was gveI
Ultimately, by their advice, the vases wer
sent up to King street, st. James Square
to be inspected, and sold for what the
would fetch.
"Let us have little jaunt up to towr
my dear" remarked Mr.. James Fitzroy t
his wife; ''if the china is all they say, tn
vases ought to fetch ten-pOund note eacl
and that will pay our expenses. We hay
not had a holiday for long time" LiB
John Gilpn, when proposing similar el
cursion, Mr.. FitzrOy was unaware that tn
future was big with fate. There the SINH
breaks down.
Accordingly to the town they went, pu
ting up at the Bedford Hotel, in Cover
Garden. After a few days spent in the e.
tremely innocent enjoyment in which ma
ried men indulge in London, when the
have their wives with them, Mr.. Ftzrc
received notice from Christie & Manso
that his vases would be sold on certai
day the following week, at the end of Il
sale of the Count Mirabeau's china. Coul
Mirabeau was a name dear to connOisseur
and even celebrated outside the charme
circle. He was, in fact, hierophant of IL
china fetish.
81 should like to see this collectiC
of Count Mirabeau's they talk so muC
about in the papers," said Mr. James Fit
roy. 81 think we will go to the SALE"
With this view, when the day arrive
they went prepared to swallow quietly the
own land the vasesO comparative insight
canoe. On their arrival in King sire
they found the rooms, of course, crowd'
with gentlemen and dealers. The tin
fixed for the sale had not yet come.
Making their way with difficulty throug
the room, Mr.. and Mrs. Fitzroy met an a
quaintance from the Midland shire
which they lived.
"Hallo, Fitzroy! What are you DOH
here? | never knew you were mania
What brings you to Christie's on chil
dayP"