Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-01-06

Have you heard the story Of the
Ivory vase7" asked the stranger In an
ordinary tone Of voice.
mo. only that Mrs. OH found Il
after a long search in monastery
near Queiling." said Alice evenly.
And Mr.. Dunham's vase came from
nunnery IN North China" said the
stranger In musing tone. Perhaps
you would like TO hear the story Of
how the ivory vases came to be
mader~
7 would" said Alice.
VIII you not sit DOWN
Thank you--no-the story cannot
be very hong"
Well. several hundred years ago
there lived in the North OF China q
very beautiful maiden who was deeply
loved by carver Of ivory. They were
TO be married for, strange to relate.
their parents had chosen that they
should wed each other and so there
was nothing to cloud their happiness.
"one day they quarreled--it was
about the details Of the wedding feast
or the color Of the brideerooms robe
or something equally trifling. no doubt:
but they qusrreled and the carver in
ivory went far away, to Quei-ling in
fact. and became a monk The girl
became nun and entered a convent
not far from Picking.
Years passed, and during these
years both the nun and the girl re-
pented and grieved for each other.
Filled with sorrow and remorse the
monk took to mis- craft again and
carved many beautiful articles that
went forth into the world and made
the monastery famous. In his spare
time he engaged upon a task that oc-
cupied every moment and It took 1--WE
years to complete the task. He carved
the arst OF the ivory vases. And in
to the carving he wrought the story
OF his love and broken romance. When
he had finished one vase he took an
other beautiful piece of ivory and
spent Eve years fashioning another
one exactly like 1t, and this second one
be wrapped in a piece of silk upon
which he had written a poem. and he
placed 1t In a box and sent It by q
private messenger to that far away
nunnery in the north of China, TO tell
his sweetheart that love stfil lived
within his heart in spite Of his retire
ment from the world.
The second vase he kept ever be-
fore him IN his cell and when he died
1t was held as a wonderful example of
hts art and occupied for centuries an
hoaored place among the treasures of
the monastery.
The girls vase was treasured in
the same way ana IVES known as the
nuns vase Down through the years
these vases have come-perhaps to
teach lesson In forgiveness-to show
that love outlives death-may l trans
late the meaning Of the carving to
your" he asked gently.
Please" whispered Alice
She watched his fingers as they
passed over the delicate carving of the
ivory. pointing here and there as he
spoke:
Here are the lovers preparing for
their marriage-see the exquisite flow
ers he is sending to her? Here are
her parents and even the aged grand
mother and all are smiling and happy.
Next the lovers In altercation-they
turn their backs and each go differ
ent way. See the woman weeps and
the man takes pack on his shoulder
and journeys over mountains and
streams. Each is In search of forget
fulness. Each one enters a house of
silence-they are SO far apart. the nun
merry and the monastery. Behold their
anguish after the irrevocable step has
been takenl But the man forgives
and labors to perfect the vases so as
to tell his sweetheart that lovers quar-
rels are pitiful mistakes that can ruin
lives and-sh!" Raymond Borden
stopped short.
He never finished the story, for
Alice was sobbing softly on the 9TH
er side of the table and 1t was neces-
sary for him to come around and take
her in his arms and comfort her; for
what was the use OF telling her the
story so like their own II he could not
kiss away her tears and convince her
that it was not too late for them to be
happy?
The ivory vase lay neglected on the
table. but 1t Aad served the purpose of
its creator-to bring parted lovers to.
gether.
Copyright. 1913. by the Mcclure News
paper 6yndicate,)