There are numerous ways of produc- 

 ing imitation Pearls, one of which, in- 

 vented many years ago by a French bead 

 maker named Jacquin, gives remarkably 

 accurate reproductions. The Jacquin 

 Pearls are made from an easily fusible 

 bluish glass, which is first drawn into 

 tubes, and from these, hollow globules 

 of the desired size are blown. These 

 are covered on the inside with a solu- 

 tion of isinglass and a substance called 

 essence of Pearl, which is blown in warm 

 and spread over the interior by rapid 

 motion. When dry the globules are filled 

 with wax. Tlie essence of Pearl, which 

 constitutes the important feature of Jac- 

 quin's process, consists of a silvery sub- 

 stance found beneath the scales of the 

 fish known as the bleak (Cyprinus al- 

 burnus). It is in the form of thin, ir- 

 regular rhombic plates, and is obtained 

 by washing the scales, one pound of es- 

 sence being derived from seven pounds 

 of scales. From 18,000 to 20,000 fish 

 are required to produce the latter amount 



of scales. The substance is, therefore, 

 costly, and owing to this fact and the 

 amount of labor and skill required to 

 make the Pearls, they bring a consider- 

 able price. They can be distinguished 

 from genuine Pearls by their greater 

 hardness and a colder feeling in the 

 hand. The holes in the false Pearls, 

 moreover, are comparatively large and 

 have a blunt edge, while those made in 

 real Pearls are small and have a sharp 

 edge. False Pearls are sometimes made 

 by turning pieces of mother of Pearl 

 into a spherical form, but they are clum- 

 sy imitations and can be at once detected 

 by the difference of luster as a whole 

 and the variations of luster on different 

 surfaces. A very good imitation of 

 black Pearls is made by cutting pieces of 

 hematite into a spherical form. These 

 counterfeit the luster of the black Pearl 

 in a remarkable degree, but can be dis- 

 tinguished by their greater weight and 

 hardness. 



Oliver Cummings Farrington. 



IN A GARDEN OF ROSES. 



I dwell in a garden of roses ; 



My soul is afloat in delight; 

 The scene, though of earth, seems immortal. 



Such intoxication in sight. 



A mass of green leaves for a background- 

 A background all sprinkled with glow, 



For everywhere is a blossom 

 Of ruby, or gold, or of snow. 



A garden of stars out of heaven. 



And I in the midst of it all, 

 Just singing a song of the fancy, 



And chasing the petals that fall. 



Then, breathing the scent of the flowers, 



I lie in the shade-cooling noon 

 And give myself up to the resting 



That comes as a God-given boon. 



Willis Edwin Hurd. 



44 



