ThisdiplomapieceofworksecuredMaudslay’sfooting，andnextMondaymorninghecameonasoneoftheregularhands。
Hesoontookrankintheshopasafirst-classworkman。Lovinghisart，heaimedatexcellenceinit，andsucceeded。Foritmustbeunderstoodthatthehandicraftsmanwhoseheartisinhiscalling，feelsasmuchhonestprideinturningoutapieceofthoroughlygoodworkmanship，asthesculptororthepainterdoesinexecutingastatueorapicture。Incourseoftime，themostdifficultanddelicatejobscametobeentrustedtoMaudslay；andnothinggavehimgreaterpleasurethantobesettoworkuponanentirelynewpieceofmachinery。Andthusherose，naturallyandsteadily，fromhandtoheadwork。Forhismanualdexteritywastheleastofhisgifts。Hepossessedanintuitivepowerofmechanicalanalysisandsynthesis。Hehadaquickeyetoperceivethearrangementsrequisitetoeffectgivenpurposes；andwheneveradifficultyarose，hisinventivemindsettoworktoovercomeit。
Hisfellow-workmenwerenotslowtorecognisehismanyadmirablequalities，ofhand，mind，andheart；andhebecamenotonlythefavourite，buttheherooftheshop。Perhapsheowedsomethingtohisfinepersonalappearance。Henceongala-days，whenthementurnedoutinprocession，”Harry”wasusuallyselectedtomarchattheirheadandcarrytheflag。Hisconductasason，also，wasasadmirableashisqualitiesasaworkman。HisfatherdyingshortlyafterMaudslayenteredBramah’sconcern，hewasaccustomedtowalkdowntoWoolwicheverySaturdaynight，andhandovertohismother，forwhomhehadthetenderestregard，aconsiderableshareofhisweek’swages，andthishecontinuedtodoaslongasshelived。
Notwithstandinghisyouth，hewasraisedfromoneposttoanother，untilhewasappointed，byunanimousconsent，theheadforemanoftheworks；andwasrecognisedbyallwhohadoccasiontodobusinessthereas”Bramah’sright-handman。”Henotonlywontheheartofhismaster，but——whatprovedoffargreaterimportancetohim——healsowontheheartofhismaster’sprettyhousemaid，SarahTindelbyname，whomhemarried，andshewenthand-in-handwithhimthroughlife，anadmirable”helpmeet，”ineverywayworthyofthenoblecharacterofthegreatmechanic。Maudslaywasfoundespeciallyusefulbyhismasterindevisingthetoolsformakinghispatentlocks；andmanywerethebeautifulcontrivanceswhichheinventedforthepurposeofensuringtheirmoreaccurateandspeedymanufacture，withaminimumdegreeoflabour，andwithouttheneedofanylargeamountofmanualdexterityonthepartoftheworkman。Thelockwassodelicateamachine，thattheidentityoftheseveralpartsofwhichitwascomposedwasfoundtobeanabsolutenecessity。Merehandicraft，howeverskilled，couldnotsecuretherequisiteprecisionofworkmanship；norcouldthepartsbeturnedoutinsufficientquantitytomeetanylargedemand。Itwasthereforerequisitetodevisemachine-toolswhichshouldnotblunder，norturnoutimperfectwork；——machines，inshort，whichshouldbeinagreatmeasureindependentofthewantofdexterityofindividualworkmen，butwhichshouldunerringlylabourintheirprescribedtrack，anddotheworksetthem，evenintheminutestdetails，afterthemethodsdesignedbytheirinventor。InthisdepartmentMaudslaywaseminentlysuccessful，andtohislaboriousingenuity，asfirstdisplayedinBramah’sworkshops，andafterwardsinhisownestablishment，weunquestionablyowemuchofthepowerandaccuracyofourpresentself-actingmachines。
BramahhimselfwasnotbackwardinadmittingthattoHenryMaudslay’spracticalskillincontrivingthemachinesformanufacturinghislocksonalargescale，thesuccessofhisinventionwasinagreatdegreeattributable。Infurtherproofofhismanualdexterity，itmaybementionedthatheconstructedwithhisownhandstheidenticalpadlockwhichsoseverelytestedthepowersofMr。Hobbsin1851。Andwhenitisconsideredthatthelockhadbeenmadeformorethanhalfacentury，anddidnotembodyanyofthemodernimprovements，itwillperhapsberegardednotonlyascreditabletotheprinciplesonwhichitwasconstructed，buttotheworkmanshipofitsmaker，thatitshouldsolonghavewithstoodthevariousmechanicaldexteritytowhichitwasexposed。