Charles A. Spencer was a lens-maker, and devoted years to the
perfection of achromatic lenses. He had devised a process so
delicate that he could adjust the curve of the lens so as to
increase the defining and resolving power of the lens beyond all
other opticians. But a fire destroyed his shop and nearly all of
his tools, which had taken years of toil and study to construct,
together with a large amount of finished and unfinished work. He
was badly crippled, and had to begin all over again, and only
with the utmost toil and perseverance was he able, little by
little, to replace the necessary tools and recover his former
position.--JAMES T. WHITE, “Character Lessons.”
(1338)