Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-05
The Cloisonne
Vase.


covered bursting out from the huts OF
the opposite side of the river. They
were SO dangerously near the foreign
signal station that the U. s. s. Shen-
overwhelmingly close at hand at
tho customs buoy--sent boat crew
ashore to assist in putting them out.
They were just in time, for the railing
around the signal stan was already
on fire and the signal man was climb
ing down his ladder with his few
worldly belongings In his arms. The
sailors quickly organized bucket
brigade and succeeded in extinguish.
ing the confagration before any fur.
thor damage was done to the customs
property, but not before half doz.
en- native huts had been destroyed.
Lieut.. Gleason. In charge of the
party, did what he could to quiet
down the excited villagers. who were
rushing hither and thither. shouting
and screaming at the top of their
voices, but 1t was not until police
boat appeared on the scene that any.
thing like order was restored. The
native sergeants. armed with clubs
crowd back from the signal station
and threatened them in their own dia-.
lect with every kind of punishment
IL they did not instantly retire.
The women seemed more difficult to
manage than the men,. They were
frantically dragging their children
about by the arms and while trying to
save their few household goods were
screaming out the names OF those
who were lost In the smoke. In the
rat lrk ~ t1,n
suddenly arose--no one seemed to see
or know where he came from--and,
holding an old glass bottle aloft, cried
out, as he poured the contents of it
on the last burning shack. "Tien ping
ching sui! Tien sn hsie d hwo" (The
vase! The water Of heaven quenches
the ires Of earthly His words we're
like magic in their effect. The villag-
ers duieted down and even the native
soldiers and policemen regarded him
with awe and allowed him to empty
the bottle In peace. To he sure. there
wasn't very much "fire Of earth" left
for his water from heaven" to
quench. but what there was did its
duty most effectively. as far as the
was the all-important thing for the
moment
II was far more satisfactory to them
than the yellow water Of the Wang
Poor even the putting efforts of the
English fire engine from the Settle
ment. which had once crossed the
river-and. as their fowery language
expressed 1t. THE charm of the heav-
emily liquid had dampened the ardor
OF the f1re-god," and all was we'll
A few evenings later Lieut.. Gleason
and some OF his brother officers from
the Shenandoah were dining at the
American consulate. when the con-
versation turned upon the incident of
the burning village. and he related
the appearance of the old man and
the magic bottle.
I've heard great deal about their
curious native ideas and supersti-
TONS" he said to Mrs. Cortelyou, the
consurs wife, but this Is the very
first time have seen them practically
Illustrated. ! don't know who the old
me he was the head of the village. or
something of that kind--but he GER
tafnly had them In his power, all
right. Why. they had more faith in
mat quart or holy water than in all
our ships f1re-buckets."
They must have the same charm
over them that the medicine men
nave over our Indians In South Da-
kota." replied Mrs. Cortelyou. my
husband was attached to one OF the
army posts there as surgeon. years
ago. and he says many of my house
boys stories remind him exactly of
his experience among the redmen."
II wonder If you would mind call
Ing the boy In for a moment: / am
curious to ask him question or two,
The truth 10, this thing grows more
Interesting and mysterious every day.
and am anxious to find out more
about It,"
why. most certainly" az she laid
her hand upon the table bell.
boy, you can savvee that Hwang
Poo FIRE last week?"
my can savvee."
who b'longee that one piece old
man pour bottle water that fireside9"
"Blongee villagee number one head
man. catchee long whitee beard"
"a II same joss MANI
mo all samee---he have buy dat
water joss house side, velly good
putchee out Are
You can savvee what side that
joss house .makee sell"
my no can savvee. S'pose you
talkee cook, he can savvee; my
b'longee Mink Poo man. no can
savvee Shanghai joss"
''They evidently do not worship the
same divinity In these two places"
interrupted the consul, "and their
local jealousies are such that no one
OF them will give any information
about the other"
II suppose 1t would mean a row In
my kitchen during the dish wash
ing" said his wife, 'if the Ming Poo
house boy cast any reflections upon
or revealed any of the secretu oS-tba