And often one gets in a fix
When he finds it with the _tacks_.

[Illustration]

But _wax_, not _tacks_, is what we want,
To make our _thread_ quite nice;
We catch it in the middle,
And to the end wax thrice.

Each time _waxing_ briskly,
Not stopping on the way,
For if we do we'll miss it,
And perhaps will have to stay.

Our _wax_ should be in season,
Soft wax in winter use--
Hard _wax_ in summer--reason,
Holding together our _shoes_.

[Illustration]

A fine point now we're about to make;
This part should be _waxed_ better,
So that the _bristle_ we may take,
Shall stick like the stamp of a letter.

We'll stop here about the thread,
To take a little whistle,
Until we find a pair to suit,
Then begin to _bristle_.

[Illustration]

The _bristles_ with care have been selected,
In keeping with the thread,
In this case we feel protected,
Because the _hog_ is dead.

From Russia, we are told, the best bristles come,
But cannot tell you why,
The _hairs_ upon our _hogs_ at home
Are not so good to buy.

[Illustration]

The union of thread and bristle, now,
Will keep us to our text,
For from this you'll no doubt see
What is coming next.

The _bristle_ is _split_ a little o'er half way,
In the left hand has its place,
Between the finger and thumb to play
An important part in the race.

One-half over the forefinger you see,
Held in place by the next,
The _thread_ and _bristle_ both agree
To be thus placed is best.

Do not _split_ but roll it on,
Some have said and done,
By _waxing_ the _bristle_ where the other is split,
And continued from sun to sun.

[Illustration]

Now either way to start will do,
As much depends on _twisting_,
The _hairy_ part is left for you
To make sort of _whisting_.

Back to the scene from whence we came,
With our _end_ in place to hasten,
Make a _hole_ quite through the thread,
The _point_ pass through and fasten.

[Illustration]

So much about the bristle said,
No doubt you'll think it strange
That needles are not used instead--
Some have tried the change.

They may be used with good effect,
In sewing through and through;
But when we use a _crooked awl_,
The _bristle_ stands by true.

[Illustration]

One more remark about the _end_
We thus have kept in view,
To