The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-01
THE CLOISSONNE
VASE.

NH IDNIGHT had Just struck from
M the great clock. on the tower OF
the Shanghai custom house
when flames were discovered bursting
out from the huts of the opposite side
of the river They were SO dangerous
~ near the foreign signal station that
the U S. s. "Shenandoah"-fortu
close at hand at the customs buoy
sent a boat crew ashore to assist in
putting them out They were just in
time, for the railing around the signal
STAFF was already on fire and the signal
man was climbing down his ladder with
his few worldly belongings in his
arms. The sailors quickly organized
buchet-brigade and succeeded in extin-
guisaing the conf1agration before any
further damage was done to the Gus
toms property, but not before a half
dozen native huts had been destroyed
Lieutenant Gleason. in charge Of the
party, did what he could to quiet down
the excited villagers. who were rush
ing hither and thither, shouting and
screening at the top of their voices,
but it was not until a police boat ap-
peared on he scene that anything like
order was restored. The native ser
geants, armed with clubs and long
bamboo stats, drove the crowd back
them in their own dialect with every
kind of punishment if they did not in
stantly 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 midst of the confusion an old
man 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 sui hsie di hwo!"
(The crystal stream from the heavenly
vase The water Of heaven quenches
the fires Of earthly His words were
like magic in their effect. The villag-
ers quieted down and even the native
soldiers and policemen regarded him
with awe and allowed him to empty
the bottle in peace. To be 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 native mind
was concerned and that was the all
important thing for the moment. 1t
was far more satisfactory to them than
the yellow water of the Wang Poor
even the putting efforts of the English
fre-engine from the Settlement, which
had once crossed the river-and. as
their fiowery language expressed it.
THE charm of the heavenly hquid had
dampened the ardor of the fire. god,
and all was we'll.
few evenings later, Lieutenant
Gleason and some of his brother officers
from the Shenandoah" were dining at
the American Consulate, whe.. 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 a great deal about their
curious native ideas and superstitions,"
he said to Mrs. Cortelyou, the Consul
wife. but this is the very first time
I have seen them practically nlustrat-
ed. don't know who the old chap
was-though my cabin-bo tells me
he was the head Of the village. or
something of that kind-but he GER
tainly had them in his power. all right
Why, they had more faith in that quart
of holy water than in all our ships
fire. buckets"
"They must have the same charm
over them that the medicine-men have
over our Indians in South Dakota" re-
piled 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 red men"
at wonder IL you would mind calling
the boy in for moment; am curious
to ask him q question or two. the
truth is, this thing grows more inter-
esting and mysterious every day, and 1
am anxious to find out more about it."
why, most certainly" as she laid
her hand upon the table bell.
Boy, you can savvee that Hwang
Poo fire last week.?
My can savvee-"
who blongee that one piece old
man pour bottle water that fire side?"
"B'longee villagee number one head
man. catchee long whitee beard
"AIl same joss man."
mo all samee-he have buy dat
water joss house side. velly good
putchee out fire.
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 Ming Poo man. no can savvee
Shanghai joss"
They evidently do not worship the
same divinity in these two places" in
terrupted the Consul. and their local
jealousies are such that no one of them
will give any information about the
other"
L suppose It would mean a row in
my kitchen during the dish washing
said his wife. IF the Ming Poo house
boy cast any reflections upon-or re-
vealed any Of the secrets of-ths tenn
pies of the Shanghai idols"
Perhaps so; religious rivalries have
certainly caused US a good deal of
trouble in the world before this. Why.
when we were on the Indian station,
we used to hear of them almost every
day at tho Bombay Club. Don't you
remember what they told us there,
Watkins ?"-turning to his brother or
ncer.