boys, for shortness, called "Geordie." Our picture represents the rough cottage and dirty village, with children playing on coal-heaps, where George was born. Robert, the father, was employed as a fireman of a pit engine, at twelve shillings a week. Somehow he had learned to read himself, and often told George some of the strange tales he had read; but he could not send his boy to school, for there was not one, and if there had been he could not afford to pay for him.

But George was a sharp little fellow. When he went with his father to the engine he was always watching its movements, and as he grew up he was ever wide awake to see how everything was done, or he would try to invent some new plaything or little machine. Such a lad as this was sure to make himself wanted, and he now took wages, out of which he contrived to get a little schooling.

When a young man he tried his hand at many things by which to get a honest living, but his chief thoughts were about making the steam engine into an "Iron Horse" to draw loads of coal along the tramways, as the plates of iron then laid down for horses to draw coal wagons over were called. He saw before his own mind's eye a picture of what both the engine and the rails must be, and he had faith that the thing might be done.

At length his perseverance met with encouragement. In 1819 the Hetton Coal Company employed him to make eight miles of new railway with travelling engines to

move over it. On November 18, 1822,. it was opened before great crowds, who were filled with wonder to see a moving steam engine drag seventeen wagons, weighing sixty-four tons, at the rate of four miles an hour.

He was then employed to lay down the Stockton and Darlington railway, which was opened, September 27, 1825, when all the world wondered to hear that passengers had ventured, for the first time, to travel over the line in a thing like an omnibus!

What next? What but his great triumph over natural obstacles and ignorant prejudice by laying down the Manchester and Liverpool railway over a great trembling bog. Ere he began he had to appear before a committee of the House of Lords. "If a cow were to get on your railway, what would be the consequence ?" inquired one of their lordships. "So much the worse for the coo!" was his cool reply, amidst roars of laughter. This railway, when finished, was opened by the Duke of Wellington, I think, in 1829.

Since then I cannot now tell you even the names of the nations in which railways have been made, or how many thousands of miles they occupy, or how many millions of money they cost. But all, wonderful as it is, has come through the blessing of Him "from whom cometh every good gift, and every perfect gift," on the skill and perseverance of

66

GEORDIE, THE SON OF OLD BOB!"

THE HONEST DROSKY DRIVER.

A RUSSIAN TALE.

T happened one day that just as Ivan and his horses, both very cold, tired, and hungry, after a hard day's work, were going home for rest and food, he was hailed in the darkness by a gentleman who wished to go to a distant part of the city of St. Petersburg.

Ivan hesitated: it was bitterly cold, the snow was beating in his face, and he was already late in going home; he therefore declined taking the gentleman, saying that his employer would be displeased at his keeping the horses out so late. The gentleman insisted, begged, promised him large pay, but all was vain, until he exclaimed, "Boy, you must take me!"

"Is there sorrow, most honourable ?" said Ivan, quickly. "Then I will surely go," and the next moment the gentleman had sprung into the sleigh, which, in winter, took the place of the drosky, and the horses were speeding through the streets.

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"It's

Quick, my doves!" cried Ivan to his steeds. the last work for to-day-go ahead! Up the hill! up the little hill !"

Thus talking to his horses, they soon reached an elegant house, where the gentleman alighted, paid Ivan a liberal fare, then gave him a white silver rouble for him

self, and hurried into the mansion. Ivan was quickly at home, and, half-frozen and hungry as he was, he first put up and fed his horses before he even went into the house to warm himself. The master began to scold at the late hour; but when he saw the liberal sum which Ivan faithfully paid into his hands, his manner changed, and he praised him for an honest lad.

"You are a true soul, Ivan !" said he; "true and noble as gold, and shall have the warmest place beside the stove, and the biggest piece of meat for your supper. Here, my little son! here, sit down now, and eat with a good appetite. You are hungry?"

"Yes, hungry as a wolf!" said Ivan; and truly he showed it was so. Never had the supper been so good.

The next morning Ivan was, as usual, the first in the stall to start on his day's work; and, greatly to his surprise, he saw something shining amid the straw in his sleigh. It proved to be a breast-pin formed of rich diamonds, and he never for a moment doubted that it belonged to the gentleman he had taken the evening before. A great temptation was that pin to poor Ivan: the gentleman, if he missed it, had no reason to think he had lost it there; if he did, it was so dark that he had neither seen his face nor the number of his sleigh, and so was not likely to suspect him; while, if he were to sell the pin, it would make him and his mother independent and comfortable for their whole lives. Ivan looked

at it very hard, but he was too honest. "No!" said he, "Ill-gotten gain brings no blessing!" and, putting the pin in his pocket, he set off in search of the gentleman. He had not seen him so as to know him again, nor did he know his name; but he knew where he had taken him, and, driving there, inquired of the servant if he were still there. It was with some difficulty that he made the man understand whom he wanted, and then learned that his passenger had been the Prince Krinkoff, who lived in another part of the city.

Springing into his sleigh, with his usual-"Now forward! forward, my doves!" he sped to the spot, and was admitted to the presence of the prince. He had not yet missed the pin, but, as a present from the Czar, he said that he valued it at more than it was worth, and great was his astonishment at Ivan's prompt honesty. The prince was a kind and generous man. A few words drew from Ivan the story of his life, and, pleased with the character that his questions produced, the prince offered him a place in his own household.

Ivan's good fortune was beginning. Gratefully accepting the place, he gave up his vehicle to his employer, and returned to his new position. The prince rang a bell, and summoned his head-clerk to his room, where he gave the boy into his care, with orders to employ him as an under-clerk until he was fitted for something more. The clerk, whose name was Alexis, had a face by no means