ome rotten-stone powder at
hand, dip in the latter and rub as before lightly round and round over
the parts to be dead polished; this will give a nice refined, even
appearance, with comparatively little glare. A final wipe off with a
soft cloth as before, will bring matters to a conclusion.

CHAPTER VIII.

INJURIES THAT CAN BE REPAIRED FROM THE OUTSIDE--INSERTION OF FRESH WOOD
IN FRACTURE OF THE RIBS--THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON THE GLUE IN VIOLINS.

We may now take this portion of the work as finished and turn to the
consideration of repairs of fractures or filling up of parts last. It
is early yet to think of opening the instrument for the purpose of
rectification of anything that appears to have gone wrong either with
the general structure or with small details. A golden rule to be
observed by all repairers is that of never opening an instrument--that
is removing the upper or lower table--until all other means of
correction have proved futile. Extensive repairs to the interior may
be accomplished without opening after a very careful look over with
proper calculation. There are several reasons for keeping the above
rule well in mind, among them, that if the violin is old and has
undergone much affliction while under the hands of many doctors, some
of these possibly belonging to the "heroic school," it may be found
that the last visitant of the interior had straightened, bent, or
contracted and held some of the parts together while the glue was in
process of drying and that sufficient time had not elapsed since the
occurrence for the strained parts to settle down under their new
condition. An opening of the violin, removal of upper or lower table
or any large portion, must be undertaken after due consideration and
every precaution has been taken that nothing shall be disturbed if the
reparation can be accomplished without. An opening of the instrument
for the purpose of one repair may lead to the necessity of half a dozen
before closing up again. Our opening ceremony will therefore be
postponed until a future occasion, and we will confine ourselves to
the consideration of such external injuries of ancient or recent origin
that may be with the least inconvenience restored to ordinary health
or even strength. The numbers of such and their varieties are more than
can be related, the curious manner of their occurrence, too, would be
an addition that would indefinitely prolong the story.

Taking, therefore, small