ading animal painters of the
monarchy, was decorating this ware with wonderful pictures of stags,
hounds, horses, in which work he excelled. But because of the
Mohammedan law that no copies of living creatures could be used for
designs the Turks refused to purchase these dishes. Hence Vienna,
eager to retain the Oriental trade, was forced to change its artistic
trend and make instead porcelains adorned with arabesques and
geometrical figures. At the present time," concluded Mr. Croyden,
"there are extensive pottery and porcelain factories throughout
Germany and Austria-Hungary, and much of our finest ware comes from
these countries. Were you to study history you would find that many of
these factories sprang up from small beginnings, and that amid the
turmoil of European strife they had a stiff fight for existence."

"I think I never considered before the effect of war upon anything but
persons," remarked Theo musingly.

"Alas, the destruction war wages against human life is bad enough,"
answered Mr. Croyden. "But see, too, how it retards the arts and
industries of the world. May the day be not far distant when nations
shall find a more Christian and intelligent method of settling their
differences, and when wars shall cease forevermore!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER IX

THE ROMANCE OF FRENCH CHINA-MAKING

The next day when Mr. Croyden put his head in at Theo's door to say
good-morning he found the boy sitting up in bed eating his breakfast
and his first remark was:

"How long did it take France to find out how to make porcelain,
Mr. Croyden?"

The manufacturer laughed.

"I declare if you are not beginning this morning just where you left
off last night!" he exclaimed. "What kind of porcelain do you mean,
hard or soft paste?"

"Oh, any kind."

"You have not forgotten the vast difference between the hard and
soft ware, have you? I should be discouraged if you had."

Theo shook his head.

"I don't believe you would let me forget even if I wanted to," he
replied with an impish chuckle.

"I certainly shouldn't," smiled Mr. Croyden. Then he added more
seriously: "Soft paste china, or pate tendre, as it is called, was
made at St. Cloud as early as 1695, and some of it was very
beautiful. Such ware looks more creamy and is not so cold and harsh to
the touch. It is, however, much more fragile and for that reason,
although a great deal of it was manufactured, the industry never
became a wide-spread