mash and the pieces have not been saved."

"Well, James," is the reply, "there is only one course to pursue, that
is, to put a fresh piece of wood, join it as neatly as possible and
match the varnish. I think we have a piece of old stuff sent us by an
Italian dealer that will suit that exactly." The store of odds and ends
of pine is rummaged over and the piece, with some pencil notes on it
of date, etc., brought out and compared with the fractured fiddle.
"Could not be better, James," says the chief. "Now take off that table,
or what remains of it, and pare the ragged edges at the part near the
sound hole.

"At that part you had better shave it at an angle from the upper surface
and make a corresponding start on the fresh wood; they must both fit
to a nicety, and when so the old wood will overlap the fresh stuff.
You will take care to have the upper surface of the fresh wood a little
above the level of the old, to allow of finishing down to a good level
when the time comes for the final touches."

This is all seen to, the large slice of wood is for the present left
square at the top, it is thick enough to represent the appearance of
the slab of wood used by the original maker before the table was cut
into form. There is some gouging to be done and shaping of the parts
adjoining the old wood.

It has, of course, been necessary to provide a sort of mould for fitting
and pressing from above the thin shaved edge of the old material on
to the new. Precaution, however, is taken to firstly glue the parts
that are to be brought together at the joint. This will prevent the
shaved surfaces from slipping when pressure is applied.

These parts of the process having been done and the glue dried
sufficiently, the under surface is levelled all round as a continuation
of the under part of the old border.

The table, therefore, can now be laid flat, and should fit well on to
the ribs and linings as it did before the fracture. James now has
recourse to the advice of his chief as to the best course to pursue.

"Shall I trace the other side, sir, and mark it down on the fresh wood
so as to make it balance?"

"Certainly not," answers his chief, "this is what you must do. Lay the
table on the ribs as if you were about to glue it down, you can let
it be held in position by a couple of screw-cramps, then, with a lead
pencil, take as a guide the ribs, holding it so that a mark can be made
all round representing the projection of the ne