George Stephenson's signature, as it stands in the books, is that of a person who seems to have just learnt to write. Yet it is the signature of a man, written slowly and deliberately, in strong round hand. With all his care, however, he had not been able to avoid a blotch; the word " Stephenson " has been brushed over before the ink was dry.

After the ceremony, George and his newly-wedded wife proceeded to the house of old Robert Stephenson and his wife Mabel at Jolly's Close. The old man was now becoming infirm, though he still worked as an engine fireman, and contrived with difficulty "to keep his head above water." When the visit had been paid, the bridal party prepared to set out for their new home at Willington Quay. They went in a homely old-fashioned style, though one quite usual in those days, before macadamized roads had been adopted, or travelling by railway so much as dreamt of. Two stout farm horses were borrowed from Mr. Burn, of the Red House farm, Wolsingham, where Anne Henderson, the bride's sister, lived as servant. The two horses were each provided with a saddle and a pillion; and George having mounted one, his wife seated herself on the pillion behind him, holding on by her arms round his waist. Robert Gray and Anne Henderson in like manner mounted the other horse; and in this wise the wedding party rode across the country, passing through the old streets of Newcastle, and then by Wallsend to their home at Willington Quay, a long ride of about fifteen miles.

We may here mention that Mr. Burn, the farmer at Wolsingham, shortly after married Anne Henderson; and a good wife she proved. In those times the farmer and his servant did not stand so far apart, in point of social position, as they do now. Household servants were themselves generally the daughters of small farmers, and there was no great condescension in the master taking to wife one who had proved herself a clever and thrifty housekeeper. Paterson, the small farmer of Black Callerton, with whom George Stephenson had lodged while working at the Dolly Pit, in like manner married another sister, Betty; and she too, like her sisters, proved a valuable and worthy helpmate.

George Stephenson's daily life at Willington was that of a regular, steady workman. By the manner, however, in which he continued to improve his spare hours in the evening, he

was silently and surely paving the way for being something more than a mere workman. While other men of his class were idling in public-houses, he set himself down to study the principles of mechanics, and to master the laws by which his engine worked. For a workman, he was even at that time more than ordinarily speculative-often taking up strange theories, and trying to sift out the truth that was in them. While sitting by the side of his young wife in his cottage dwelling, in the winter evenings, he was usually occupied in making mechanical experiments, or in modelling experimental machines. Amongst his various speculations while at Willington, he occupied himself a good deal in endeavouring to discover Perpetual Motion. Although he failed, as so many others had done before him, the very efforts he made tended to whet his inventive faculties, and to call forth his dormant powers. He actually went so far as to construct the model of a machine by which he thought he would secure Perpetual Motion. It consisted of a wooden wheel, the periphery of which was furnished with glass tubes filled with quicksilver; as the wheel rotated, the quicksilver poured itself down into the lower tubes, and thus a sort of self-acting motion was kept up in the apparatus, which, however, did not prove to be perpetual. Where he had first obtained the idea of this machine-whether from conversation, or reading, or his own thoughts, is not now remembered; but possibly he may have heard of an apparatus of a similar kind which is described in the "History of Inventions." As he had then no access to books, and indeed could barely read with ease, it is possible that he may have been told of the invention, and then set about testing its value according to his own methods.

Much of his spare time continued to be occupied by labour more immediately profitable, regarded in a pecuniary point of view. From mending shoes he proceeded to making them, and he also drove a good trade in making shoe-lasts, in which he was admitted to be very expert. William Coe, who continued to live at Willington in 1851, informed the writer that he bought a pair of shoes from George Stephenson for 78. 6d., and he remembered that they were a capital fit, and wore well. But an accident occurred in his household about this time, which had the effect of directing his industry into a new and still more profitable channel. The cottage chim

ney took fire one day in his absence; the alarmed neighbours, rushing in, threw bucketfuls of water upon the fire; some in their zeal mounted on the ridge of the house and poured volumes of water down the chimney. The fire was soon put out, but the house was thoroughly soaked. When George came home he found the water running out of the door, everything in disorder, and his new furniture covered with soot. The eight-day clock, which hung against the wall-one of the most highly prized articles in the house-was grievously injured by the steam with which the room had been filled. Its wheels were so clogged by the dust and soot, that it was brought to a complete stand-still. George was always ready to turn his hand to anything, and his ingenuity, never at fault, immediately set to work for the repair of the unfortunate clock. He was advised to send it to the clockmaker, but that would have cost money; and he declared that he would repair it himself—at least he would try. The clock was accordingly taken to pieces and cleaned; the tools which he had been accumulating by him for the purpose of constructing the Perpetual Motion machine, enabled him to do this; and he succeeded so well that, shortly after, the neighbours sent him their clocks to clean, and he soon became one of the most famous clock-doctors in the neighbourhood.

It was while living at Willington Quay that George Stephenson's only son Robert was born, on the 16th of December, 1803. The child was from his earliest years familiarized with the steady industry of his parents; for there were few, if any, idle moments spent in that cottage. When his father was not busy in making or mending shoes, cutting out shoe-lasts, or cleaning clocks, he was occupied with some drawing or model, in constructing which he sought to improve himself. The child was from the first, as may well be imagined, a great favourite with his father, whose evening hours were made happier by his presence. George Stephenson's strong "philoprogenitiveness," as phrenologists call it, had in his boyhood expended itself on birds, and dogs, and rabbits, and even on the poor old gin-horses which he had driven at the Callerton Pit; and now he found in his child a more genial object on which to expend the warmth of his affection.

The christening of the child took place in the school-house at Wallsend, the old parish church being at the time in so

dilapidated a condition from the "creeping," of the ground underneath, consequent upon the excavation of the coal, that it was considered dangerous to enter it. On this occasion, Robert Gray and Anne Henderson, who had officiated as bridesman and bridesmaid at the wedding, came over again to Willington, and stood as godfather and godmother to little Robert, as the child was named, after his grandfather.

After working for about three years as a brakesman at the Willington machine, George Stephenson was induced to leave his situation there for a similar one at the West Moor Colliery, Killingworth. It was while residing at Killingworth that his remarkable practical qualities as a workman were first recognized by his employers, and that he slowly but surely acquired that reputation as an Engineer and Inventor by which he afterwards became so extensively known and honoured.

The congregation in a church near Newcastle were one Sunday morning plentifully powdered with chips from the white ceiling of the church, which had been crept under, being above an old mine. "It's only the pit a-creeping," said the parish clerk, by way of encouragement to the people to remain. But it would not do; for there was a sudden creep out of the congregation. The clerk went at last, with a powdered head, crying out, "It's only a creep."- Our Coal Fields and our Coal Pits.

CHAPTER VI.

BRAKESMAN AT WEST MOOR, KILLINGWORTH.

THE village of Killingworth lies about seven miles north of Newcastle, and is one of the best known collieries in that neighbourhood. The workings of the coal are of vast extent, giving employment to a large number of work-people. The colliery stands high and commands an extensive view of the adjacent country; it overlooks the valley of the Tyne on the south, and the pinnacles of the Newcastle spires may be discerned in the distance, when not obscured by the clouds of smoke which rise up from that vast hive of manufacturing industry.

To this place George Stephenson first came as a brakesman in the year 1804. He had scarcely settled down in his new home, ere he sustained a heavy loss in the death of his wife, for whom he cherished the sincerest affection. Their married life had been happy, sweetened as it was by daily successful toil. The husband was sober and hard-working, and his young wife made his hearth so bright and his home so snug, that no attraction could draw him from her side in the evening hours. But this domestic happiness was all to pass away; and the twinkling feet, for which the lover had made those tiny shoes at Callerton, were now to be hidden forevermore from his eyes. It was a terrible blow, but he

bore it as he best could. There was work before him to do -work, which Stephenson, like many more, found to be a balm for even the heaviest sorrow. But he long lamented his bereavement, and continued tenderly to cherish his dear wife's memory.

Shortly after this event, while his grief was still fresh, he received an invitation from some gentlemen concerned in large works near Montrose in Scotland, to proceed thither and superintend the working of one of Boulton and Watt's