y began building a great porcelain factory at Meissen. By
1715 there was enough of the new ware ready to be put on sale at
Leipsic; and thus our beautiful porcelain, dubbed Dresden ware in
honor of the Saxon capitol, came into being. The first that was made
was plain white with a decoration of vines and leaves in low
relief. Later some of the dishes were made with a perforated border in
imitation of the Chinese and Japanese 'grains-of-rice' pattern.
Afterward the potters attempted the use of blue in a vain attempt to
reproduce Nankin Blue ware."

"I guess the other countries were pretty sore when they found Saxony
had learned how to make porcelain," put in Theo.

"They were greatly agitated, my son," laughed Mr. Croyden. "They
begged, bribed, and schemed to find out what the new clay was; but all
to no purpose. The works at Meissen were guarded day and night, and
every person employed in the factory was compelled to swear to keep
the great secret. Men were cautioned they would be shot should they
divulge the process. _Be secret to Death_ was the motto of the
manufactory, and that meant not only that they never should tell
anybody all their life-long; but if threatened with harm they should
prefer death to betraying their trust. They must even endure torture
itself rather than open their mouths. Some histories go so far as to
say that in order to secure absolute secrecy only the deaf and dumb
were allowed to transport the clay."

"I don't see but they were just as selfish as the Chinese."

"Quite as selfish, alas!"

"What became of Boettger?"

"I am sorry to say he never did much of anything else that was
praiseworthy. Sometimes too much success spoils people. But he had
done his work, and a great work, too, in launching this vast
industry. When he died he left behind him a group of thriving
factories. After his death the artists at the Meissen works gradually
abandoned copying Chinese and Japanese designs and began inventing
decorations of their own, using both gold and an increasing variety of
colors. They also began to secure the aid of sculptors, among them the
famed sculptor Kaendler who modeled statuettes of saints, animals,
birds, and persons in much the way the Dutch had done. These figures
or groups, however, were more finely executed, and were beautifully
colored. As the makers of them became more expert larger figures were
attempted until some of them were life-sized."

"Goodness!"

"It does seem ab