ore, with any degree of safety,
even if a good grip can be obtained and with the safeguard of some
padding, as the first is bound to injure the wood around, leaving an
ugly imprint of the grip, and thus making things worse in appearance
instead of better. The other is likely to be productive of slipping
out of position, the hold not being retained, and vexatious results
ensuing with the accompaniment occasionally of unprintable language
coming from the repairer. The best way on all occasions will be found
to be that in which patience is not taken as a virtue but as necessity,
and the presence of Old Father Time altogether ignored, which may often
mean time saved. Constant practice may give facility in keeping pace
with that steady old party with the hourglass, but a good result is
seldom obtained when the clock is much consulted during the progress
of the work in hand. It is this which has caused the complete ruin of
many a damaged gem from Cremona's workshops of the olden time. We will
therefore suppose the repairer to be unfettered by time and that he
will be properly paid for work that will tend to restore the commercial
value, as well as the usefulness and beauty.

The main consideration will be the manner of getting a proper
attachment of parts that cannot be wedged or forced together at once,
in fact, to get a good purchase or leverage. This must be either
obtained indirectly or dispensed with altogether. For the former,
building up or "making," as it is termed, must be resorted to, and which
may include temporarily glueing fresh wood on to the old parts to be
separated or cut away afterwards. Many inexperienced repairers are too
apt to look upon all glueing as for permanency, but practice should
soon make it plain that all joinings are effected only for such length
of time as may be desirable. In making or building up a part from which
we can obtain a stand or commanding point from which to get a more direct
purchase, it may be necessary to glue one or more pieces of wood, cut
to a proper shape and stuck with a dab of thick glue and left until
dry. For this purpose the soft white wood or poplar referred to at the
beginning will be found useful, it is so easily cut with a chisel or
knife keen edged--this condition is an essential at all times. By the
bye, some readers may be thinking of the best means of getting a nice
clean edge to their knife or chisel. There are several kinds of oilstone
or hone in repute for g