The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-18
THE VASE.

were the Claverings and where did they
come from. the Clavering vase had cap
tured the town. and then inquiries were out
of tie question. since he who asked argued
himself unknown. Everybody who was
any one straightway knew that the CLAW
erings had come to town from 1.-The East
convenient source of mysteries-and that
they occupied a great mansion up by the
park; that Reginald Clavering. the father,
was a spiritualist. with every letter thereof
a capital; that Mrs. Reginald Clavering, the
mother. was a philanthropist. adept at or
ganizing, fecund with tracts, and capable
of advising and admonishing sisters in hum
BILE walks OF life as if she had once been
a female herself; that Augustine Clavering,
the daughter, that summer at the noun
tains had refused a proffered alliance with
the Baron De Kakiyak, Notwithstanding his
accent, his oils. and his dubious finger nails.
and that Lionel Clavering, the son, being
fully an inch and three-quarters across the
chest, and abnormal without a cigarette,
was a prominent member of THE Samson
Athletic Club"
OF course, everybody knew these element
airy facts as well as the numbers of ciphers
in old Clavering's pile and the net cash
price of Mrs. Clavering's diamonds; yet it
had been reference by the society papers to
the "Clavering vase" which had rendered
such public Information interesting enough
to be public. Then had followed a general
curiosity TO hear the tradition of this
unique pottery, which brought full meet
ingS to the boards that Reginald ClaYering
f~requented, which caused THE Half Hours
with the Prophets that Mrs. Reginald
Clavering led TO become scant ten minutes,
which gave Miss Augustine Clavering an
opportunity to enumerate the title through
the aid OF an incredible number of RS
and rs" and which even made Mr.. Lionel
ClaVering attempt to r~ecollect between
puIS. how romantic ii was; how grand
10 possess such an heirloom. Really, the
town must have a chance to inspect IL.
Nould not dear Mr.. Clavering permit it's
exhibition at the annual "Dorcas sale? '
les dear Mr.. Clavering would. The integ-
rlty OF the vase was vital to his family:
stlll, noblesse oblige. The Claverings had
never wrapped this wondrous talent i'm a
napkin; indeed, their customs regarding il
unknown.
SO the vase was exhibited under a glass
Case at the Dorcas sale" and connois-
seurs displayed their cunning in surmises
as 10 It's origin. "Palissy ware said one.
nonsense, retorted another; "a perfect
type of the first work at Minorca." 'tItrus-
can, suggested a third; but VIII IN the
1ourtn asserted "Cypriote,' the discussion
ended, since under that comprehensive head
the potsherds of the universe might be
Then there was the inscription on the base
Oh the vase; people spelled it out, and COM
mltted 1t TO memory. and went away feel
ing that they had gained in social stature.
Ana thlS was the reading OF II:
"Llive. Clavering, beget, and thrive
Whilst ye Clavering Vase survive"
The double LIS" and the ''ye' deter
mined all doubts. 1t was unanimously con-
coded that the Claverings added lustre to
the town by their presence.
They mark you as a thing set apart,
Lionel Clavering. And Dolly was right as
to the thing" if not as to its reserva-
Hum! Yes, of course" replied Lionel.
with unusual animation.
But 'beget.' now Lionel, what does that
mean" continued Dolly.
"Beget? Hum! Let me see. Why, yes,
of course. 'Beget' meant to get out, leave
England and come over in the Mayflower,
and all that you know. 'Begone' comes
from the same root"
claimed Dolly. and as space IS a proper
subject OF sublimity, this admiration was
quite appropriate.
Now this was the tale of the vase. which
society papers and friends and acquaint-
anceS had spread abroad: In the days OF
the TudOrS the ClaVeringS were a wealthy
family of rank in the west of England.
Even then the vase had been handed down
from father TO son as an heirloom essential
to their prosperity. The base, however, was
known to have been changed at various
epochs, SO as TO keep the inscription within
the vernacuiar. As for the gem itself, If
Conquerer. II was only because IL was
there already, awaiting the arrival Of that
wholesale importer of nobility. In the early
Gays or the StuartS the family had been
represented by two brothers who, unfortu-
nately, differed in religious faith, the
younger being firm in allegiance to the
church as constituted authorities saw fit
TO constitute IL, the elder maintaining his
right to worship in accordance with GER
tam simple principles which he held in
lists" D0""
This truly noble man then had renowned
MS titles. his estates, and. taking the luck
of the Claverings' with him, had embarked
with his wife and children on the MaylOw-
er. That the vase had survived the toss
uny craft was proof irrefragable of its
taliSmanic nature. Subject TO it's integrity,
the family had thrived and thrived. until
lts present full bloom had been attained.
This story having been printed and re.
printed and told and retold until it's echoes
mad been deadene by the din of something
Directories" for the town put down the
Clavertngs first, and then paused 10 con
slider. Reginald, the father. became the
protoplasm of business enterprises: Mrs
Reg1nal the mother, the mustard seed OF
ethical growth; Lionel, the son, the god.
father OF a cigarette and the patron saint
the principal prize in an extraordinary
draWing of the lottery.
So when Dolly Cephers announced to his
rather, Adolphus Cephers, retired forwarde.
and millionaire, that, having won Angus
tines heart, he desired her hand as a no
unnatural sequence, the old gentleman re.
garded his son with compu lstiOn.
Really he said, you are not the foo
that L knew you were. You couldn't have
done better If you had tried. ] congratulate
you, my boy. Youth, and beauty. and
wealth, and station. She's the only girl
isn't she?'
Yes" replied Dolly, quite clearly TO,
him. "Tha is, she has a younger sister
Bessie, you know, who spends most of the
time with an aunt in the East
All" muttered old Adolphus, who. hav
ing nothing to do. was quite energetic in
doing it. That looks suspicious. I mus
inquire into 1t. Likely they are ashamed
of her"
Now, the only possible reason WHY the
Claverings could have been ashamed OF
Bessie was that she was not quite up TO the
family standpoint of self-importance. She
dered, she sometimes doubted. Hence. since
Miss Griselda Clavering, of Armway. wa
alone and more than willing, il seemed in.
dicious that she should visit there. al least
until Augustine should become an elegant
Ruth TO Dolly Cephers's unworthy and OBJ.
SeQuiOuS BOaZ.
And yet to one who had never met the
Claverings Bessie was far from humble
she was still begirt by the penumbra of ms
ancestral haughtiness. Too apt was She tC
regard the world from a pinnacle of eXcIu.
slVenesS; too prone TO express views re-
garding common people which a Celestial
might have deemed uncharitable. Yet her
eyes were so unkindly. her lips so sweet
that involuntarily they argued against hel
speech and carried the day.
Child child!' Aunt GriSelda would saw
Il love you so fondly that 1 fairly could