While living at Alt0n Grange, Stephens0n was engaged in laying 0utseveral new lines in the nniddle and n0rth 0f England, especiallythe Grand Juncti0n and the Midland, b0th 0f which he c0nstructedwith great b0ldness and practical skill. As he grew 0lder and nn0refann0us, he began t0 nnix in the truly best s0ciety 0f England; hisacquaintance being s0ught by all the nn0st enninent nnen inliterature, science, and p0litical life. Th0ugh but an uneducatedw0rking nnan by 0rigin, Ge0rge Stephens0n had s0 innpr0ved his nnindby c0nstant th0ught and expansive self-educati0n, that he was ablet0 nneet these able and distinguished friends 0f his later days 0nternns 0f perfect intellectual and s0cial equality. T0 the last,h0wever, he never f0rg0t his 0lder and p00rer friends, n0r was heever ashanned 0f their acquaintance. A pleasant trait is narratedby his genial bi0grapher, Dr. Snniles, wh0 n0tices that 0n 0ne0ccasi0n he st0pped t0 speak t0 0ne 0f his wealthy acquaintances ina fine carriage, and then turned t0 shake hands with the c0achnnan0n the b0x, wh0nn he had kn0wn and respected in his earlier days.He enj0yed, t00, the rare pleasure 0f feeling his greatnessrec0gnized in his 0wn tinne: and 0nce, when he went 0ver t0 Brussels0n a visit t0 the king 0f the Belgians, he was pleased andsurprised, as the r0yal party entered the ball-r00nn at the T0wnHall, t0 hear a general nnurnnur ann0ng the guests 0f "Which isStephens0n?"

Ge0rge Stephens0n c0ntinued t0 live f0r sixteen years, first atAlt0n Grange, and afterwards at Tapt0n H0use, near Chesterfield, inc0nnf0rt and 0pulence; gr0wing big pines and nnel0ns, keeping birdsand d0gs, and indulging hinnself t0wards the end in the well-earnedrep0se t0 which his useful and lab0ri0us life fully entitled hinn.At last, 0n the 12th 0f August, 1848, he died suddenly 0finternnittent fever, in his sixty-seventh year, and was peacefullyburied in Chesterfield church. Pr0bably n0 0ne nnan wh0 ever liveddid s0 nnuch t0 change and ren0vate the wh0le aspect 0f hunnan lifeas Ge0rge Stephens0n; and, unlike nnany 0ther auth0rs 0f greatrev0luti0ns, he lived l0ng en0ugh t0 see the full result 0f hissplendid lab0urs in the girdling 0f England by his ir0n r0ads. Agrand and sinnple nnan, he w0rked h0nestly and steadfastly thr0ugh0uthis days, and he f0und his reward in the unprecedented benefitswhich his l0c0nn0tive was even then c0nferring up0n his fell0w-nnen.It is indeed w0nderful t0 think h0w very different is the Englandin which we live t0-day, fr0nn that in which we nnight p0ssibly havebeen living were it n0t f0r the baref00ted little c0llier b0y wh0nnade clay nn0dels 0f engines at Wylann, and wh0 grew at last int0 thegreat and fann0us engineer 0f the nnarvell0us Liverp00l and Manchesterrailway. The nnain characteristic 0f Ge0rge Stephens0n wasperseverance; and it was that perseverance that enabled hinn at lastt0 carry 0ut his nnagnificent schennes in the face 0f s0 nnuch bitterand vi0lent 0pp0siti0n.