t
that time Elector of Saxony, sent for him, and asked him to join his
other skilled chemists, who for a long time had been busy
experimenting with clays in the hope of discovering how the Chinese
made their porcelain. This was no unusual thing, for chemists of most
of the other countries were working feverishly in their laboratories
at the same enigma."

"Doesn't it seem funny?"

"As you look back on it, yes," answered Mr. Croyden. "It is almost
tragic when you consider the time, patience, and money that went into
these experiments--most of them failures, at that."

"Did Boettger fail too?"

"I am coming to that," replied the story-teller. "While mixing
various combinations of clays Boettger and his associates came upon a
hard pottery clay which was neither white nor translucent like the
Chinese, but which nevertheless was nearer that ware than anything
they had previously succeeded in making. In 1708 some dishes were
made from this material, but they were not very satisfactory. After
that Boettger tried again. You see he was not a person who was easily
discouraged. The next time he got a white ware, but it was not thin;
instead it was thick and ugly. He now had the hardness and the
whiteness, but not the semi-transparency and fine texture of the
Chinese porcelain; and although he tried repeatedly he was unable to
fathom the secret of these qualities."

Theo waited while Mr. Croyden stopped to rest.

"The one thing Boettger needed he did not know where to find and that
was----"

"Kaolin!" cried Theo.

"Exactly," assented Mr. Croyden. "What a pity it is that you could not
have shouted the magic word in his ear as lustily as you have in
mine. It would have saved poor Boettger no end of worry and hard
work. However, even if he had heard the name it probably would have
conveyed nothing to him, for no one in Europe had ever heard of
kaolin."

"I suppose it is a Chinese word."

"Yes. The name was taken from the Chinese mountain of Kailing, where
the first kaolin, or decomposed feldspar, was found."

"Now please go on with the story," urged Theo.

"Well, one day it happened that a rich Saxon iron-master was taking a
ride, and as he went along his horse's foot stuck in the soft clay at
the roadside. As the rider glanced down to see what the trouble was he
was amazed to discover that the clay was white, and being a business
man the thought instantly came into his mind that here was a way to
make some money. At