The life of George Stephenson, railway engineer - Lighthouse ...

144 LIFE OF GEOEGE STEPHENSON. [chap. xiu.
purposes as the Killingworth "brakesman" and " engine-wright."
The great secret of his success, however, was his cheerful perse-
verance. He was never cast down by obstacles, but seemed to
take a pleasure in grappling with them, and he always rose from
each encounter a stronger as well as a wiser man. He knew
nothing of those sickly phantasies which men, who suppose them-
selves to be " geniuses," are so apt to indulge in ; nor did his
poverty or necessities ever impair the elasticity of his character.
When he failed in one attempt, he tried again, and again, until
eventually he succeeded.
The author well remembers hearing Mr. Stephenson deliver
an address to the young men composing a Mechanics' Institute,*
at whose soirees he was a frequent and favourite guest, on the
subject of his early struggles, and the means by which he had
achieved his success in life. " He blushed," he said, " to follow
more brilliant speakers,'' (Dr. Buckland and others had preceded
him,) " for he stood amongst them there but as a humble mechanic.
He had commenced his career on a lower level than any man
present there. He made that remark for the purpose of encouraging
young mechanics to do as he had done to persevere.
And he would tell them that the humblest amongst them
occupied a much more advantageous position than he had done
on commencing his life of labour. They had teachers who,
going bfefore them, had left their great discoveries as a legacy
and a guide ; and their works were now accessible to all, in such
institutions as that which he addressed. But he remembered
the time when there were none thus to guide and instruct the
young mechanic. With a free access to scientific ^books, he
knew, from his own experience, that they could be saved much
unnecessary toil and expenditure of mental capital. Many in-
genious young mechanics, if they failed to profit by the teaching
of those who had preceded them, might often be induced to be-
lieve that they had hit upon some discovery in mechanics ;
—
and
when they had gone on spending both time and money, they
would only arrive at the unpleasant discovery that what they
had cherished as an original invention had been known many
years before, and was to be found recorded in scientific works."
„* Soiree of the Leeds Mechanics' Institute, let December, 1847.