The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-13
THE TIVE VASES.

chimney piece. After having admired his
purchase for few days the good Dutch
man suddenly became miserable at the
thought that he did not possess the pair.
After vainly hunting about for several
months he at last obtained at Anyers what
he was looking for.
He hurried back at once to his home at
Harlem. After having placed his vase up
on the vacant end of the chimney piece
with an infnity of pleasure he threw him
self into great armchair and stared at
his treasure with tender beatitude. At
last his two porcelain vases were there,
each at an equal distance on each side of
his Boule clock. Then the Dutchnan
went to sleep.
A strange thing came to pass. The two
porcelain vases began to move. Now here
is the key to the mystery:
Several hundred years before our era the
Emperor Tchin Tchang was walking in
his lacquered pavilion one day when he
beheld the Princess Tea Flower crossing
over the bridge of Jade.
Tchin Tchang was stricken dumb with
admiration. He waved his fan. But the
princess had already entered her palan-
quin, which was rapidly borne away.
Next day Tea Flower again appeared
upon the bridge of Jade. Tchin Tchang
sail with him upon the Yellow river The
princess accepted. Then the emperor Or
dered his junk, seated Tea Flower in the
stern under a parasol, and kneeling before
her commenced to play upon the kin, at
the same time singing.
The princess appeared to be very deeply
touched by the song of Tchin. More than
once tears rolled down her cheeks like
pearls over the iridescent surface of the
waters. Then the emperor said to her:
ooh, Tea Flower, how lovely thou artl
If thou wilt but kneel with me in presence
of the god Fo, thou shalt be the mother of
the dynasty of Tchin.'' But the princess
replied to him: "No, my prince Let us
not form a tie which one breath of Fo may
sever forever. Perchance the brightness
of my eyes may endure no longer than
that of the flowers that bloom upon the
shore Remember the words of the poet
Keya1n, Walk carefully, for the earth
thou treadest has been formed of the snowy
breasts and the rosy lips and the lily white
brows of beauty"
Tchin Tchang only replied by straining
the supple neck of Tea Flower in his en-
brace with SO much passion that the boat
suddenly careened, filed with water and
sank.
At dawn of day the mandarins found
the emperor and the princess floating with
their arms about one another near the
them. The two lovers were buried in
magnificent tomb upon the mountain of
King tie Tchin.
In the twelfth century, 16 dynasties hav-
ing reigned over China and the god Talk
having taken the place of Fo, no trace was
left of the mausoleum of Tchin Tchang.
Then a celebrated ceramic artist named
Tchou while exploring the mountain of
King -te-Tchin found that it was composed
Of the purest feldspar, admirably adapted
for the making of kao-ling, or porcelain
clay. Forthwith great factory was con-
structed at the foot of the noun tain, whose
sides were dug out in mining the feldspar.
Centuries had transformed Tchin and
Tea Flower into kao-ling They were
turned into porcelain.
Now it happened that the first of the
two vases purchased by the good citizens
of Harlem had been made with the mole
oules of the Emperor Tchin Tchang and
the second with those of the Princess Tea
Flower.
This is why the two porcelain vases were
irresistibly drawn to one another upon the
Dutehman's chimney piece.
So great was the molecular attraction
that within a few hours they made jour-
ney relatively enormous-enormous for
porcelain vases. So they came to the clock,
" mich remained, alas, an insurmountable
obstacle, an impossible barrier between
press with all their force against the sides
of the memorable clock. Its solidity pro.
tected it.
Suddenly the Dutchman awoke. His
first thought was for his porcelain vases.
He was astonished to see them both pressed
against the clock. 1t seemed to him that
he had certainly placed them at the ends
of the chimney piece. But he soon per-
suaded himself that he must have been
and contented himself with re-
placing them in their former position.
Then he lay down to sleep in his great bed, !
with its curtains of tapestry.
But next morning what was his aston
ishment to see the vases again pressed /
against the sides of the clock. He thought |
he must have gone mad. In removing
them brusquely he jolted the Boule clock |
so violently that the pendulum stopped !
and the machinery was disarranged. The |
Dutchman had to take his clock to the !
lock member of Amsterdam.
Scarcely had he left the room when the |
Two porcelain vases vibrated upon their
bases and commenced to approach each
other with fantastic rapidly. At last
there was no obstacle They touched each /
other at the extreme points of their rotund-
Ity. The point of contact grew larger.
Under the force of mutual attraction the
sides of the vases f1attened and melted into
0ne another. Soon there was but one vase,
whose SIDES contracted 1nSenS1bly While Its !
height continued to increase, frightening
ike lotos stalk
At last nothing remained but one tall,
narrow vase, deliciously curved, whose
slender neck seemed striving to rise to
heaven. Within there was no room for
aught more real than the soul of kiss.
Once more Tchin Tchang and Tea Flow
II were united.
AS for the Dutchman, he went stark
nad.-New York News.
Couldn't Be Fooled Twice.
There is a fox terrier of remarkable in
!