t. Sometimes, too, it
is known as the Blaschka Collection of Glass Flower Models, for the
making was done by Leopold Blaschka and his son Rudolph, both of whom
were Bohemians. It happened that several years ago Harvard University
wished to equip its Botanical Department with flower specimens which
might be used for study by the students. The question at once arose how
this was to be done. Real flowers would of course fade, and wax flowers
would melt or break. What could be used? There seemed to be no such
thing as imperishable flowers."

Mr. Cabot paused a moment while the others waited expectantly.

"There were, however, in the Zooelogical Department some wonderfully
accurate glass models of animals made by a Bohemian scientist named
Blaschka, who was a rather remarkable combination of scholar and
glass-maker. Accordingly when it became necessary to have fadeless
flowers one of the professors wondered if this same Bohemian could not
reproduce them. So he set out for Blaschka's home at Hosterwirtz, near
Dresden, to see."

"Did he have to go way to Germany to find out?"

"Yes, because in the first place he did not know that Blaschka could
make flowers at all; and if he could he was not certain that he could
make them perfectly enough to render them satisfactory for such a
purpose. So he traveled to Germany and found the house where lived the
famous glass-maker; and it was while waiting alone in the parlor that
he saw on a shelf a vase containing what seemed to be a very beautiful
fresh orchid."

"It was made of glass!" Jean declared, leaping at the truth.

"Yes; and it was so perfect that the Harvard professor could hardly
believe his eyes. At that moment the scientist entered. He confessed
that he had made the flower for his wife; indeed, he had made many
glass orchids--one collection of some sixty varieties which had been
ordered by Prince Camille de Rohan, but which had later been destroyed
when the Natural History Museum at Liege had been burned. Since then,
Blaschka explained, he had given all his attention to making models of
animals. He said that his son Rudolph helped him, and that they two
alone knew how the work was done. It was their knowledge of zooelogy and
of botany added to their skill at glass-making which enabled them to
turn out such correct copies of real objects."

"Of course the Harvard professor was delighted," Jean ventured.

"Indeed he was! Before he left he won a promise from Blaschka an