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       THE SHOE-MAKER.
  This is a useful and profitable trade,
though very extensive. Leather is the chief
article he uses for shoes and boots ; but he
has sometimes other materials, such as silk,
jean, nankeen, &c. for ladies' shoes.  In
order to join the upper, leather to the sole,
he must have, onabench near him, his knife,
his awl, and a stone to sharpen his tools; be-
fore him, on his right, a hammer and lap-
stone; and on the other side, a tub of water
in which he keeps a quantity of wax in balls.
He sews the leather with thread waxed over,
and thereby made a strong and durable sub-
stance, called a wax-end. To each end of
this thread is fastened a hog's bristle, which
guides the thread through the holes made in
the leather with an awl. Both bristles are
put into each hole, and one wax-end is
worked like two. Shoe-makers' wax is
commonly made by melting together about
equal parts of pitch and yellow rosin; in
warm weather it is necessary to have a
greater proportion of rosin than in the win-
ter. For ladies' light coloured shoes
and other fine work, different wax is used.
The best and strongest thread for an end, is
made of hemnp. Shoes and boots are made
on lasts, pieces of wood imitating the fect.