196 LUTHER BURBANK 



the privilege of working by the piece instead of 

 by the day, and by special activity under this 

 arrangement he could make two or three times 

 as much as formerly. 



After gaining some experience in this work 

 he contrived an improvement in the power turn- 

 ing lathe that enabled him to earn from ten to 

 sixteen dollars a day. With this good fortune, 

 he was greatly elated and gave himself to the 

 work with increased industry; but the clouds of 

 dust that came from oak lumber began to im- 

 pair his health, and it was thought best that he 

 should leave the shop for a time. Later return- 

 ing to the Ames Works, he was again employed 

 at pattern making and wood turning for a short 

 time. 



All this time his love for nature and out-of- 

 door life had not lessened. Letters written to 

 friends at home while employed by the manu- 

 facturing company at Worcester were full of 

 references to long walks, the beauty of sky, 

 trees and flowers, the song of birds, and the pip- 

 ing of the frogs. His fondness for studying 

 human nature dates back to these days at 

 Worcester, for in one of his letters at that 

 time he wrote: "I take great pleasure in 

 studying the hundreds of new faces which I 

 meet each day." 



