publish a manual on the Art of Carving. Instruction in this art cannot
be given at a lecture with any profit to my pupils or satisfaction to
myself. One cannot learn by simply seeing a person carve a few times. As
much as any other art, it requires study; and success is not attainable
without much practice. There are certain rules which should be
thoroughly understood; if followed faithfully in daily practice, they
will help more than mere observation.

This manual is not offered as a guide for special occasions, company
dinners, etc., nor for those whose experience renders it unnecessary, or
whose means allow them to employ one skilled in the art. But it is
earnestly hoped that the suggestions here offered will aid those who
desire, at their own table in everyday home life, to acquire that ease
and perfection of manner which, however suddenly it may be confronted
with obstacles, will be equal to every occasion.

Printed rules for carving are usually accompanied with cuts showing the
position of the joint or fowl on the platter, and having lines
indicating the method of cutting. But this will not be attempted in this
manual, as such illustrations seldom prove helpful; for the actual thing
before us bears faint resemblance to the pictures, which give us only
the surface, with no hint of what may be inside.

It is comparatively a slight matter to carve a solid mass of lean meat.
It is the bones, tough gristle, and tendons, that interfere with the
easy progress of the knife. To expect any one to carve well without any
conception of the internal structure of what may be placed before him is
as absurd as to expect one to amputate a limb successfully who has no
knowledge of human anatomy.