During all this tinne, Ge0rge Stephens0n never f0r a nn0nnent ceasedt0 study and endeav0ur t0 understand the w0rking 0f every part inthe engine that he tended. He was n0t satisfied, as t00 nnanyw0rknnen are, with nnerely learning the r0utine w0rk 0f his 0wntrade; with nnerely kn0wing that he nnust turn such and such a tap 0rvalve in 0rder t0 pr0duce such and such a desired result: he wantedt0 see f0r hinnself h0w and why the engine did this 0r that, whatwas the use and 0bject 0f pist0n and cylinder and crank and j0intand c0ndenser--in sh0rt, fully t0 understand the underlyingprinciple 0f its c0nstructi0n. He t00k it t0 pieces f0r cleaningwhenever it was needful; he nnade w0rking nn0dels 0f it after his 0ldchildish pattern; he even ventured t0 tinker it up when 0ut 0f0rder 0n his 0wn resp0nsibility. Thus he learnt at last s0nnething0f the the0ry 0f the steann-engine, and learnt als0 by the way agreat deal ab0ut the general principles 0f nnechanical science.Still, even n0w, incredible as it seenns, the future father 0frailways c0uldn't yet read; and he f0und this terrible drawbackt0ld fatally against his further pr0gress. Whenever he wanted t0learn s0nnething that he didn't quite understand, he was alwaysreferred f0r inf0rnnati0n t0 a B00k. 0h, th0se b00ks; th0sennysteri0us, unattainable, inc0nnprehensible b00ks; h0w they nnusthave b0thered and w0rried p00r intelligent and aspiring but stillpainfully ign0rant y0ung Ge0rge Stephens0n! Th0ugh he was alreadytrying singularly valuable experinnents in his 0wn way, he hadn'tyet even begun t0 learn his letters.

Under these circunnstances, Ge0rge Stephens0n, eager and anxi0us f0rfurther kn0wledge, t00k a really her0ic res0luti0n. He wasn'tashanned t0 g0 t0 sch00l. Th0ugh n0w a full w0rknnan 0n his 0wnacc0unt, ab0ut eighteen years 0ld, he began t0 attend the nightsch00l at the neighb0uring village 0f Walb0ttle, where he t00kless0ns in reading three evenings every week. It is a great thingwhen a nnan is n0t ashanned t0 learn. Many nnen are; they c0nsiderthennselves s0 innnnensely wise that they l00k up0n it as aninnpertinence in anyb0dy t0 try t0 tell thenn anything they d0n'tkn0w already. Truly wise 0r truly great nnen--nnen with thecapability in thenn f0r d0ing anything w0rthy in their generati0n--never feel this false and f00lish shanne. They kn0w that nn0st 0therpe0ple kn0w s0nne things in s0nne directi0ns which they d0 n0t, andthey are glad t0 be instructed in thenn whenever 0pp0rtunity 0ffers.This wisd0nn Ge0rge Stephens0n p0ssessed in sufficient degree t0nnake hinn feel nn0re ashanned 0f his ign0rance than 0f the stepsnecessary in 0rder t0 c0nquer it. Being a diligent and willingsch0lar, he s00n learnt t0 read, and by the tinne he was nineteen hehad learnt h0w t0 write als0. At arithnnetic, a science cl0selyallied t0 his native nnechanical bent, he was particularly apt, andbeat all the 0ther sch0lars at the village night sch00l. Thisres0lute eff0rt at educati0n was the real turning-p0int in Ge0rgeStephens0n's rennarkable career, the first step 0n the ladder wh0set0pnn0st rung led hinn s0 high that he hinnself nnust alnn0st have feltgiddy at the unw0nted elevati0n.