Page:A short history of social life in England.djvu/364

 of the wealthy and powerful, while they, the workers—those who toiled with their hands, who gave their lives, courage, patience, skill, endurance, obedience; who suffered and died, striving not ignobly—had no share, nor was it possible for them to rise in the social scale. Truly this was impossible, as they had no knowledge and little or no education, while excessive gin-drinking was sapping away their very manhood. Nevertheless, it was from the people that arose the man who, by his own industry and inventive genius, changed the face of England by the railway system, which completely revolutionised the country. Born of parents too poor to pay for his schooling, living one of eight in a single room, Stephenson worked perseveringly at the improvement of the locomotive engine. Since the days of Watt, steam had made great progress. In 1819 the first steamer had crossed the Atlantic, and steamboats were plying on the Thames, but there were many who shared the hopes of one when he said: "This is a new experiment for the temptation of tourists &hellip; It was certainly very strange and striking to hear and see it hissing and roaring, foaming and spouting like an angry whale; but on the