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

CHAP, ni.] SELF-CULTUEE. o^
way, and succeeds in eventually teaching himself, will value the
education thus acquired much more than he to whom it has been
imparted as a mere matter of duty on the part of parents or of
society. What the self-educated man learns, becomes more
thoroughly his own, makes a more vivid impression upon his
mind, and fixes itself more enduringly there. It usually also
exercises a more powerful influence in the formation of his char-
acter, by disciplining his spirit of self-help, and accustoming
him to patient encounter with, and triumph over, difficulties.
We have seen how Stephenson's play hours were occasionally
occupied—in a friendly rivalry with his fellows in feats of
strength. Much also of his spare time, when he was not actually
employed in working the engine, was devoted to cleaning it and
taking it to pieces, for the purpose of mastering its details. At
this time he was also paying some attention to the art of brake-
ing, which he had expressed to Coe his desire to leai-n, in order
that he might improve his position, and be advanced to higher
wages.
Not many of his fellow-workmen had learnt to read ; but
those who could do so were placed under frequent contribution
by George and the other labourers at the pit. It was one of
their greatest treats to induce some one to read to them by the
engine-fire, out of any book or stray newspaper which might find
its way into the village of Newburn. Bonaparte was then over-
running Italy, and astounding Europe by his brilliant succession
of victories ; and there was no more eager auditor of these ex-
ploits, when read from the newspaper accounts, than the young
engineman at the Water-row Pit.
There were also numerous stray bits of information and intel-
ligence contained in these papers, which excited Stephenson's
interest. One of these related to the Egyptian art of hatching
birds' eggs by means of artificial heat. Curious about every-
thing relating to birds, he determined to test the art by experi-
ment. It was spring time, and he forthwith went a bird-nesting
in the adjoining woods and hedges, where there were few birds'
nests of which he did not know. He brought a collection of
eggs of all kinds into the engine-house, set them in flour in a
warm place, covering the whole over with wool, and then waited