The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-11


doubtless glanced through the WINDOWS
of some OF these shops. become so nu-
merous since 1t IL the fashion to buy an
tique furniture, and the very smallest
dealer feels obliged to have his Middle
Age" room. IL is something that keeps
ny to the times the smthy, the uphol-
sterers store. the chemists laboratory.
the artists studio. In these mysterious
d,ns. where the shutters admit a pruden;
halliday. the dust is the thing most no.
ticeably old: the cobwebs are more au-
thentic than the guipures, and the old
pear tree Is younger than the mahogany
which arrived yesterday from America.
The shop OF my bric-a-brac merchant
was veritable Sapernaum; all ages and
all nations were gwen rendezvous; an
t.truscan lamp Of red earthenware rested
on dress of boule whose ebony panels
were severely outlined by copper fila
ments. a couch of the time of Louis XIV.
ncI chalantly stretched its deer feet under
a heavy Louis XIV. table with ugly oak
en- spirals and carvings OF leaves and
reptiles. An embossed Japanese armor
glittered in corner. bisque cupids and
nymphs, grotesque Chinese figures. crack
Ell vases. cups Of SAKE and OF cd Seyres
crowded the shelves and brackets. On the
blue aud red. relieved by tracings Of gold
next them enamels OF Bernard Palsy.
representing serpents and lizards in re-
lief Cascades OF silver embroidered silk.
waves Of brocatelle scattered with shin
inE heads by n cross ray of sunlight, por-
traits OF all epochs In frames more or
less furnished. smiled through their yell
low varnish.
The merchant followed me cautiously
alCng the tortuous passageway between
the piles OF furniture, guiding with his
hands the hazardous flight of my coat
tails. watching my elbows with the anx-
ious attention of the antiquary and the
. ueLrer. He was an odd figure-that mer-
chant. He had an enormous head, bald
and shiny. surrounded by halo of thin
white hair, which intensified the bright
salmon hue of his skin; the whole giving
him an air of patr.archal simplicity. con
tradicted. however, by the twinkling Of
two small yellowish eyes. which shont
. like louis dor. His aquiline nose sug.
gested the Oriental type. His hands, thin
velned. covered with projecting cords lilI'
= the strings on the neck of n violin,-th,
: rails resembling those terminating tn
o membranous wings of a bat-had tn
= trembling motion Of age, dlsquieting 4
see, but these same hands with their rest
less agitation, became firmer than stee
/ n.lrers or lobster claws when they close
p over some precious object-an onyx dish
q a Venetian glass. a Bohemian plate. tn,
queer old fellow had an air so profound
BY cabalistic. so like that of a rabbi. tina
he seemed to have worn 1t three centnr
les.
"A "wnl you buy nothing today. Monsieur
Here is curious Jaeger. whose blad
waivers like a flame. Notice these groove
re for the blood to drip through; these ir
\. dentations on the other side to tear OF
the entrails when the dagger is will
g drawn; 1t Is a savage weapon, of goo
20 steel, and II would do very well with you
r. trophies. This two-handled sword also
very beautiful. II Is from Joseph of HI
ut ra. and IN superb work.
G. mo, have plenty of weapons ar
ut IL OILS of carnage. What wish Is a lit
pt ngure--some object or other to serve
a paper-weight. I cannot bear the INIT
IN tior bronzes which the stationers sell al
f. which one invariably finds upon the cou
or ters."
Id The old dwarf searching among his a
ed tiques, places before me some re
ch bfcnzes, or as he says. some bits OF NAL
chite. some little Hindu and Chinese idc
q OF a kind of jade. incarnations of Brain
ut and Of vshnu very fit for that usage.
II far from divine. Of keeping in place +
h papers and letters.
dy I was hesItating between a porcela
pm drs ron dotted with warts. and lit
It'll Mexican fetch, abomlnable enough, r.
TIN rtstnting I'm the nude the god Witzilipl
m ALI, when I perceived n charming TO
". which at first took for fragment OF
ter antique Venus. IL had the beautiful "
I'D dish tint which gives to the Florenti
bronze that warm llfelke appearance
ldc preferable TO the verdigris tone of or
ct nary bronze which one easily imagir
lily statues IN putfefaction. II had satinli
rlcss It's form was round and polished
ar, m by the love kisses of twenty centuri
4. a. MT
zen a product OF the middle age. perhaps
In casting of Lyslppusl
emit This foot il what WISH said to
ar merchant. who gazed at me with an ir'
re- ic air as took up the demanded object
his examine II more closely.
ter I was surprised at its lightness. II v
md not metal IL was n foot of flesh. an 9
talmed foot-a mummy's foot Look
IN at II again, I saw the grain OF the
en- and the almost imperceptible gauffer
ril- of little bands. The toes were small {
ub- delicate. terminating In perfect nails. p
the and Transparent as agate. The big toe
Ifttle apart-ln the ancient way-gave
ded foot a slight effect like that Of bird.
30 sole. family streaked with invisible hat
TO irgs. showed that Il had never touc
Gu the earth: that II had come In contact
In ly with the finest reed mats OF the
well and the softest rugs of panther skins.
''Ha, hal You wish the foot of
OIL Princess HermOutnlSf sdu the uieith
. as with an odd sneer. fixing on me his ow
eyes. "Ifa, Hal Hal For a paper-weis
the AT original ideal An artistic ideal W
and would old Pharaoh say? whoever
out formed him that the foot of his belo
daughter would serve as paper-we
,llet We uld indeed have surprised him. He
the n granite mountain excavated to
AL therein the thrice-deep tomb-pain
gilded. covered with hieroglyphics.
With fne paintings Of the judgment of sou
eye added this singular little merchant In
for .undertone. as n TO himself. -
How much will you ask for this Z
nrent of a mummy"
"Ah! The most that l can. for IL
superb piece IL had las counterpart
could not have II for less than 500 fra
have Nothing Is more rare than the daug
the of a Pharaoh"
"Assurediy. u Is not common, but, {
,a,c nov. how much do you want for II
!, 4. viii tell you In the beginning ] have
- i've louis for II. I VIII pay no more.
'iofe can search me-waistcoat and trou
but you will find only n miserable
with ivS claws"
Five louis for the foot of the Prii
Hermouthis! IL Is very little. very