Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-12
DRlFTED INTO IT.
Dealer in Rare China Tells How Chance
Determined Her Life Work.


money to pay her way through college
by dealing in rare china and ancient
family heirlooms has brought to light
the fact that this phase of the china
business has been carried on in New
York for the last five years by a num-
Der of young women.
One of these busy and successful wo-
men was seen in her New York studio
recently. where, surrounded by all sorts
of antique, unique and original decOra-
tions for the modern fashionable home
she was busily experimenting the
packing of some low. squatty and par
ticularly ugly china teacups.
She looked up with a bright smile
and friendly nod as her visitor APP
peared in the doorway.
Come in, won't you?" she said,
pleasantly; that is, if you can get in
and please excuse the litter. We are
busy getting off a special order today.
and | always oversee the packing of
this rare china myself. Have You no.
ticed those cups? Aren't they beau
ties? Ugly? Well, pardon me for say
ing SO, but that is because you don't
know a piece of fine old china when
you see ii. Now. perhaps it might in
terest You to know that every one of
those ugly little cups is worth much
more than its weight in gold. They are
Tor a customer who has one of the fin
est collections of rare old china in the
world, and l assure you / consider them
great find
At an invitation to make herself
comfortable. the visitor withdrew to
the window sill. in order that she might
not be in danger of coming into COL
llsion with any of the hundreds of
breakable things scattered about the
shop on dozens of tables and shelves.
What do you think of my Old Curl
osity Shop" asked the proprietor. An
interesting place. isn't it? never grow
tired of it myself. and never lose nv
enthusiastic love of my business. Tell
you something about it? Certainly, al
though my little business may not be
quite as fascinating to other people as
it is to me.
How did come to go into It? Drift
ed into it, as SO many people do into
their real life work. / was always fond
of antiquities, and l believe that even
as child was collector. All the
old rubbish of the house that no one
else wanted boarded, and when | left
my home in the country to come to
New York l brought some of it with
me. Well, it was the same old story
the little country girl that will come
to the city to become an actress
Well, that was l, and mine was the
usual fate.
In three months all the money had
saved by teaching country school was
gone. and 1 was stranded Down to
my last dollar, 1 did not know what tc
do or where to go. 1 had in my trunk
beautiful old crucifix of pearl and
sandalwood that had belonged to my
Observation-Disclosures, and thought
that that might bring me in few dol
lars. so l wrapped it up and took it
down to an antiquity shop on Fourth
avenue. The dealer told me cutely
enough, that he had no use for such a
thing, and l was about to leave the
shop when lady came in, flushed, hot.
tired, and just-to tell the truth-a wee
bit cross. She was hunting for a par
ticular kind of very ancient brass
candlestick, and complained in an ag-
grieved way that she had looked all
over New York and had worn herself
completely out in the effort to find
what she wanted. The shopkeeper.
in a twitter which assured me that his
customer was a person of great import
ance, ransacked his stock in vain-the
much desired candlestick was not there.
AS the customer, much disappointed
and almost ready to cry with vexation,
was sweeping out of the door l mus
tered all my resolution and. with the
courage of despair in my heart, ap-
preached her and said that if she would
give me day or two thought 1 could
get her Just what she was looking for.
She seemed surprised, but pleased, too,
and after a moments hesitation handed
me a card that fairly made me gasp
and told me that If l succeeded in find
ing the candlestick to bring it to the
address and she would pay me a liberal
commission.
WELL you may rest assured that l
lost no time in beginning my hunt for
that candlestick, and / found it, too;
rare old beaten brass affair it was and
a perfect beauty. 1 took it to her be-
fore the two days We're up and she was
delighted. She paid me a commission
that seemed to me a fortune then, and
told me that she had worn her nerves
and her temper to a fragile hunting
that very candlestick and never should
have found 1t but for me. We became
great friends after that, and / not only
helped her in filling out her collections,
but she introduced me to her friends
who were interested in antiquities-and
there / was, with an assured business
in my hands. 1t was not by any means
a fortune at first, Of course, but enough
to insure me a safe and decent living,
and from that hour / abandoned all
ambition of becoming a theatrical star
and devoted myself to my modest little
business, heart and soul.
"Of course there are hundreds OF col
lectors in the city, but they are mostly
men and their business is entirely diff
ferent from mine. 1 not only do the
collecting, but / supply the knowledge
of wares, the taste. the shrewdness and
the discernment of limitations which my
wealthy customers have neither the
time nor the inclination to put into
4. =, ..I,...o. To illIIStrate If Mrs