The San Francisco call., 1908-12-12

poet. Li-thai-pe proposed an elopement
TO ms island home. Just as the young
people were making their escape the
mandarin Unexpectedly returned and
pursued the fugitives. whom he over
took just as they were crossing the
bridge He was armed with a popular
weapon of those days, an iron ball
studded with spiker. which was at
tached by short chain to a handle,
and, overcome by anger, the father
swung this round his head and rushed
at the poet
Tsing-len-lee. with that feeling which
is always strong within q womanS S
heart TO protect those whom she loves,
interposed herself between her sweet
heart and her father and received the
blow intended for the former. which
laid her dead at the old mans feet.
This only enraged him more. and in
moment the unresisting lover was
struck, down by his true loves side.
In accordance with the Chinese be-
lief in the transmigration of souls:
their spirits passed into the bodies of
two love birds and flew away to enjoy
In their new state of existence that fe-
lieity which had been denied them in
the previous one.
When the sad story came to the cars
of the emperor, Kang Hi he was much
affected by II and ordered that 1t be
recorded on the dinner service which
was about to be made for him, and this
was accordingly done.
If YOU will examine q willow pattern
plate you viii see many of the incl
dents just described illustrated thereon.
In addition you will find an orange
tree. which signifies the wealth of the
the grace and beauty of the young girl.
the zigZag fence. representing the
course of true love, and the cypress
tree. which is typical of the lovers
That Longfellow was familiar with.
the old, blue willow ware is shown
in his "Keramos":
The willow pattern that we knew
In pbild6oad with bridge of blue.
Leading to unknown thoroughfares;
The solitary man who stares
At the white river flowing through
It's arches. the fantastic trees
And wild perspective OF the view.
The STORY pattern plate" as it is
sometimes called, has always been fa-
vorite with children, and those who
have failed to eat gingerbread from
one of these fascinating plates at
grandma house have lost a part of
their childhood dover.
In one of his Ballads in Blue China.
Andrew Lang makes the following al
lusion to the peculiar Chinese pat
terms:
There's a pleasure eternaliy new.
'Tis to gloat on the glaze and the mark
OF china that's ancient and blue.
Unclipped all the centuries through.
rang.
And they fashioned it. figure and hue.
In the reign of the Emperor Hwang.
That delightful humorist. Charles
Lamb, gives his impression of this and
similar patterns:
Those little. lawless, azure tinted
grotesques that, under the motion of
men and women, float about uncircum-
scribed by any element in that world
before perspective-a china teacup.
Here is young and eourtly mandarin
handing tea to lady from a salver-
two miles off. See how distance seems
to set off respect. And here the same
lady. or another, for likeness is identity
on teacups-is stepping into a little
fairy boat. moored on the hither side
of this calm garden river, with dainty,
mincing foot which in right angle
of incidence tas angles go in our world)
must infallibly land her in the midst of
a flowery mead, furlong off, on the
other side Of the same strange stream"
The following is one of the many
childish jingles-so dear TO the heart
of childhood:
1.-TWO little brides flying high,
Chinese vessels sailing by.
Weeping willows hanging DER,
Three men walking, if not four.
Chinese castle, there it stands
As if 1t were the land of lands.
Orange trees with oranges on.
Fence below to end my song