PHYSICS AND PHILOSOPHY 313 



from my hand and sent flying through a window, 

 just missing a workman's head, instead of up- 

 braiding me the man came to my aid and for ten 

 minutes gave me a series of practical lessons that 

 would serve me to-day. He told me why the 

 gouge had caught in the wood, he pushed the 

 slide rest closer to the work and making me 

 lower the hand that held the tool said: "Now 

 hold it firmly and don't be afraid," and I fol- 

 lowed his instructions while the shavings flew 

 until I had a fairly true cylinder before 

 me. 



I rejoiced that I had mastered the theory of 

 turning by hand and needed only a little prac- 

 tice to become an adept, but another lesson was 

 awaiting me. My instructor had just put a 

 razor edge on a turning chisel and taking his 

 place at the lathe swept the tool the length of 

 the work from which streamed an almost un- 

 broken shaving while the perfect cylinder of 

 wood that was left could scarcely have been im- 

 proved by polishing. He gave me the chisel 

 with careful instructions how to use it and the 



