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Before sundown, that day, a straight-grained shake of pine, free from knot or blemish, had been well smoothed down with the draw-shave, and on its fair surface, writ large, was the beloved name of the New England poet, thus: WHITTIER.
Else it is no true poem. Some people imagine that any hickory stick will make an axe-helve. But this is far from the truth. When I had whittled away for several evenings with my draw-shave and jack-knife, both of which I keep sharpened to the keenest edge, I found that my work was not progressing as well as I had hoped. "This is more of a task," I remarked one evening, "than I had imagined."
Each operation and each tool the saw, knife, plane, screw, hammer, chisel, draw-shave, sandpaper, lathe will be studied with reference to its orthopedic value, bilateral asymmetry, the muscles it develops, and the attitudes and motor habits it favors; and uniformity, which in France often requires classes to saw, strike, plane up, down, right, left, all together, upon count and command, will give place to individuality.
"Mercy, what are you going to do?" exclaimed Harriet. "Deliberately, and with malice aforethought," I responded, "I am going to litter up your floor. I have decided to be reckless. I don't care what happens." Having made this declaration, which Harriet received with becoming disdain, I laid the log by the fireplace not too near and went to fetch a saw, a hammer, a small wedge, and a draw-shave.
About a week later Scattergood chanced to pass Deacon Pettybone's house, and saw the old gentleman sitting on the front porch, shaping a large piece of wood with a draw-shave. "Afternoon, Deacon," said Scattergood. "Set and rest your legs," said the deacon. "Jest puttin' the finishin' touches on this timber leg of mine." "Sturdy-lookin' leg, Deacon." "Best I ever made.
The bottom of the iron-woods must, of course, be shaved off evenly with a draw-shave and some people would nail on each a shoe of strap-iron, but that is really needless. Iron-wood wears smooth against the snow and ice and makes a noble runner anyhow.
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