l in the china-shop, but let me assure you that a poor workman can
do almost as much damage in a porcelain factory."

Mr. Marwood drew out his watch.

"I believe we shall now have just about time before luncheon to go
down to the kilns," he observed presently. "Should you like to?"

"Indeed I should."

"There is not much that we can see, I am afraid. However, we may be
able to catch a glimpse of some of the ware being packed in the
saggers."

"What is a sagger?"

"It is a large clay container in which unfired pottery or porcelain is
packed while it is passing through the firing process. These large
clay vessels have come into general use as the best thing for the
purpose. They stand the heat and at the same time are less liable to
break or chip the goods than are containers of any other material. We
make them ourselves here in the mills. In fact, there is an entire
section in the clay-shop devoted to nothing but sagger making. Special
machinery grinds and mixes the clay; special men fashion by hand the
great containers; while other men do nothing but work in the wad-mills
where rolls of clay to cover the top of the saggers and protect the
unfired ware from smoke are made."

"Don't the clay saggers ever break?" questioned Theo.

"Sometimes, alas!" admitted Mr. Marwood. "When they do the china in
them must be rescued from the kilns and put into new saggers. The old
saggers are then broken up; the clay in them ground and sifted; and
after being moistened again and mixed with fresh clay other saggers
are modeled."

"Is the same sort of clay sagger used for the glazed as well as for
the unglazed wares?"

"No. For the glazed china we generally use glost saggers that have
been covered on the inner side with a coating of enamel."

All this time as they talked they had been passing through the mill
and they now entered a low hot building where a series of brick ovens
with arching tops covered the floor.

"Here," said Mr. Marwood, "are the firing kilns. After the ware has
been brought here in baskets it is very carefully packed in the
saggers, and the saggers in turn packed in these great brick ovens.
Before they are put in the kilns have to be cooled so the heat to
which the ware is subjected may increase gradually."

"But it must take forever to pack all the saggers into the kiln,"
declared Theo as he viewed in consternation the interior of one of the
waiting ovens.

"It takes a long time--about five hours,"