le. The carving on this settle
is intended to be in separate panels, about two inches apart. These
panels will look all the better if no two are quite alike; a good way to
give them more variety will be to make every alternate one of some kind
of open pattern, like a fret. These piercings need not extend all over
the design in the panel in every case: some may have only a few shapely
holes mixed up with the lines, others again may be formed into complete
frets with as much open as solid. (See Fig. 57.)

The carving should be shallow, and not too fine in detail, as it will
get a great deal of rubbing. The material should be, if possible, oak;
but beech may be used with very good effect--in neither case should it
be stained or polished.

[Illustration: FIG. 57.]

Fig. 58 is a clock case. Something of this kind would make an excellent
"opus" such as I have alluded to, and give plenty of scope for
invention. As clocks of this kind are generally hung on a wall, the
brackets, from a practical point of view, are of course unnecessary, but
as it is important that they should _look_ as if they were supported and
to satisfy the eye, something in the way of a bracket or brackets is
generally added. A bracket like the one in the illustration, not being a
real support constructively speaking, but only put there to give
assurance that such has not been overlooked or neglected, becomes a kind
of toy, and may be treated as such by adding some little fancy to make
it amusing, and give an excuse for making a feature of it. This will be
a good place to try your hand at some modest attempt at figure work. In
designing your bracket, should you wish to introduce a little figure of
man or beast, I think you will find it more satisfactory if the figure
is separated from the structural part by a slight suggestion of solid
surroundings of its own. Thus the little roof over, and the solid bit of
wood under, the figure in the illustration serve this purpose, lending
an appearance of steadiness which would be wanting in a bracket formed
of a detached figure. At any rate, never make your figures, whether of
man or beast, seem to carry the clock; you may hunch them up into any
shape you like, but no weight should be supposed to rest upon them.

[Illustration: FIG. 58.]

For sake of the carving, oak will be the best wood to employ in making
this clock, or one like it, but Italian walnut will do equally well. The
size should be fairly large, say a