ut
laborious occupations, such as pumping water out of the mines. To other
purposes steam was imperfectly applied, but it remained for Watt to make
more practical and efficient use of it.

This, indeed, is the history of almost every useful art. A discovery,
which, after it is known, seems so simple that every one wonders why it
remained hidden for so many years, yet proves simple enough to
immortalize the name of the fortunate inventor. It is said there was
hardly a physical science or one art with which Watt was not intimately
acquainted. His philosophical judgment kept pace with his ingenuity. He
studied modern languages, and was acquainted with literature. His memory
was extremely tenacious, and whatever he once learned he always had at
his command; and yet this brave earnest worker and gifted man was a
sufferer from ill-health all his life. With constitutional debility,
increased by anxiety and perplexity during the long process of his
inventions, and the subsequent care of defending them in court; yet,
through constant temperance and watchfulness over his peculiar
difficulties, his life was preserved to the great age of eighty-three
years. He had in his character the utmost abhorrece for all parade and
presumption, and, indeed, never failed to put all such imposters out of
countenance by the manly plainness and honest intrepidity of his
language and manner. In his temper and disposition he was not only kind
and affectionate, but generous and considerate of the feelings of all
around him, and gave the most liberal assistance and encouragement to
all young persons who proved any indication of talent, or applied to him
for patronage or advice. He was twice married, and left his two sons,
long associated with him in his business, to carry out some of his plans
and discoveries of the great utility and power of steam. All men of
learning and science were his cordial friends, and such was the
influence of his mild character and perfect firmness and liberality,
even to pretenders of his own accomplishments, that he lived to disarm
even envy itself, and died the peaceful death of a Christian without, it
is thought, a single enemy.

GEORGE STEPHENSON.

A small collection of houses in a mining district, called Wylam, about
nine miles west of Newcastle-on-Tyne, we find to be the birth-place of
George Stephenson, born June 9th, 1781.

His father was a very humble workman, who filled the position of fireman
of the