You young rascal! I have half a mind now not to send to your
mother that blue vase you admired so much."

"That blue vase! The one with the girl's head on it?" cried Theo. "Are
you really going to send it to Mother?"

"If you behave yourself I am," came grimly from the older man. "And if
she will let you come and visit us again some time."

"Oh, Mother'll be crazy over that vase. It is a corker!" exclaimed
Theo. "I can tell her how I saw them making it."

"You shall carry it back to her then, since you think she will like
it," declared Mr. Croyden. "That is unless you would rather select as
a present a piece of C. C. ware," he added humorously.

Theo smiled and shook his head.

"Or maybe you would prefer a bit of Samian ware, or jet ware, or
Rockingham ware, or yellow ware, or stoneware, or ironstone china, or
white granite, or Queen's."

"Jehoshaphat! Are there all those kinds of earthenware?"

"Yes, and that is not the full list, either," replied Mr. Croyden. "We
have a great many kinds of crockery, and as each variety has its
cheaper as well as its more expensive grades, it makes an almost
endless number of styles. The better types of white earthenware are
made from carefully selected and well mixed clays, and more nearly
approach porcelain, of which they are imitations. Often their design
is quite good and in consequence they fill a large place in many a
modest home. Indeed, although we ourselves do not go in for such
chinas we respect a well-made piece of earthenware, for the making of
good earthenware is an art in itself. Many a rule attends its
successful manufacture. For example, the bottom of a heavy piece must
not be too thick, or it will crack, because a tremendous strain comes
on the base when the clay begins to dry and shrink. The sides pull
from every direction, and therefore the bottom must be sufficiently
thin to be elastic, and sufficiently thick to be strong. And that is
only one of the problems to be faced by pottery and earthenware
makers. So you see they, as well as we, have troubles."

"I guess no business is without its troubles," observed Theo.

"No business that is interesting," answered Mr. Croyden. "It is
getting the better of such difficulties that gives zest to
manufacture, making it a constant field for man's fertile brain. I
think the old Italians were right when during the golden days of
Venetian history they recognized the intellectual status of
glass-makers, silk-makers, an