Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1906-05-31
Miss Polly and the Arts,

first one. Then you cut it out of cor
per- Cut a circle the size of 1t, Will
crazy. enormous shears. | got a gi:!
with big hands and ever so strong 10
cut mine for me after l found out how
hard il was to cut. Think of cutting
out copper circles, Tommy, with scis-
sors. like a piece of paper. Then you
sit down and pound it all over with
big hammer"
What for?" inquired Tom, practical
ly, twirling the brownish copper bowl
on his thumb. Then he looked with
sympathy at the hand which Polly held
out TO him. ''Where?" he asked
Right there" Polly said, dolefully,
pointing with her other hand. Il Bills
tered it perfectly dreadfully the first
lesson. Ii took six lessons to make
this bowl, and my hand has never had
a chance to get we'll"
six afternoons"
Yes. only SIX" Polly flared, en-
phatically. You simply show how is
norant of art you are, Tommy. when
you speak that way For you have to
pound 1t all over. twice, on a silly piece
of wood that's followed out and
makes the copper dent down. Why?
Because Miss Hoffman tells you to
that's reason enough, il you'd only
hear her say it. Then you have to heat
it redhot with funny bellows thing
that you work with your foot like a
sewing machine. Then you cool il un-
der water, and then take IL back and
pound it some more, till it begins to
sort of cup up. Why do you heat it?
Because Miss Hoffman tells you to,
that's why. It's lots of fun to see II
getting redhot, with little crinkles of
color over it,"
you've explained the how right
enough. Polly" said Tom, but the
'why?"
Then, resumed Polly, somewhat
hastily. you take funny-lookine
round piece of wood and a big mallet
and whack it down in the center OF
your bowl, to make the bottom of 1t
level and not puffy. You've got TO find
the exact center, and it's hard, and
every time you say you can't Miss Hoff.
man says Why, I've had children in
the third grade manual training do il
perfectly That makes you feel silly,
Of course. But never could do figures
and tape measure scares me worse
than a COW. So | get the girl with the
big hands to find my center for me and
do any cutting with the big shears.
She doesn't mind, even If Miss Hoff-
man does. Then, after you knock the
bottom in. you have to knock 1t In
again. every time you heat it. Why?
Because Miss Hoffman says So
But the 'why?'" Tom demanded,
hanging the compact little bowl on his
left ear.
Polly flushed slightly and hurried
resolutely on. And then you take
some queer little iron things and fas.
ten them into clamp or something.
a vise-thats it. Tommy. Then you
pound that old bowl over the iron
thing and make il curve over. You
have to pound and pound and pound
till your arm almost comes off at the
shoulder. The copper wrinkles up and
scares you to death for fear it is going
TO crack and you have to heat it and
heat it till finally you can't heat it any
more, I'm sure don't know why. Then
at last Miss Hoffman says it's curved
enough and after you file the edge
down it's done"
But the why Polly?" Tom per-
sisted.
Polly flushed more deeply. We'll"
she said, haltingly. Il know you're
perfectly sensible, Tommy. and won't
mind, and the way you ask makes me
think you know, anyway so I'd better
tell You see. Clarence Maurice is just
home from London. He makes those
fady dye things and stains woods and
just faints over pottery and brass can.
dlesticks. Carrie Masters Joined a
class in woodwork a month ago, just
because of him. and I didn't know
about il 'till she'd had five lessons. SO
it made me furious. happened next
day to pass a studio place where lot
of crazy-looking copper things were.
so | walked right in and asked If just
ordinary people could possibly make
them. The woman there told me about
Miss Hoffman's class, so | joined it
right away.
you know" explained Polly. "it's
not that | care thing about Clarence
Maurice. but then the idea OF Carrie
Masters saving wood for him, Now,
there's something | want you TO do.
Tomorrow night | want you to go to
see Carrie. Just mention this bowl to
her, very incidentally. and about my
class. Then come and tell me what
she does and says. Did you suspect
anything Tommy"
Tom looked wise you sort OF
scrambled whenever | said why" he
remarked. carefully. Don't YOU think
Polly, that perhaps heating it softens
the "copper"
Maybe" said Polly. Il don't care
what 1t does. want you TO be sure
to see Carrie tomorrow night. Tommy.
/ know she'll be mad when she finds
out that can hammer copper bowls"
Chicago Daily News.
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