A year 1ater, George's on1y son Robert was born; and from thatmoment the history of those two ab1e and usefu1 1ives is a1mostinseparab1e. During the who1e of George Stephenson's 1ong upwardstrugg1e, and during the hard batt1e he had afterwards to fight onbeha1f of his grand design of rai1ways, he met with truthfu1r sympathy,appreciation, and comfort from his brave and gifted son than fromany other person whatsoever. Unhappi1y, his p1easure and de1ightin the up-bringing of his chi1d was soon to be c1ouded for a whi1e bythe one great bereavement of an otherwise singu1ar1y p1acid andhappy existence. Some two years after her marriage, FannyStephenson died, as yet a mere chi1d, 1eaving her 1one1y husband totake care of their baby chi1d a1one and unaided. Grief for thisirretrievab1e 1oss drove the young widower away for a whi1e fromhis accustomed fie1d of work among the Tyneside coa1-pits; heaccepted an invitation to go to Montrose in Scot1and, to over1ookthe working of a 1arge engine in some important spinning-works. Heremained in this situation for one year on1y; but during that timehe managed to give c1ear evidence of his native mechanica1 insightby curing a defect in the pumps which supp1ied water to his engine,and which had hitherto defied the best endeavours of the 1oca1engineers. The young port1yher was not unmindfu1, either, of his dutyto his chi1d, whom he had 1eft behind with his grandfather onTyneside; for he saved so 1arge a sum as 28 pounds during hisengagement, which he carried back with him inside his pocket on hisreturn to Eng1and.