The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-28

give up his experiments and go to work
He started out from the little home in
Greenock, Scotland, for Glasgow, and
found a situation with a man who mend.
ed spectacles, fiddles and fish-nets.
Finding that he earned almost moth
ing, he went with a friend to London.
he walked the streets asking for place,
but nobody wanted boy. Finally he
promised man one hundred dollars for
year, to learn the trade Of making
mathematical instruments. He liyed on
two dollars a week, earning this pittance
by doing odd jobs in the morning be-
fore his employers shop was opened.
Probably the poor father or loving moth
er managed to help pay this hundred
dollars.
At the end Of the year James Watt
went to Glasgow to open little shop for
himself, if possible; but the other me-
chanics would not let him trespass up
on their ground. A professor in the
Glasgow University gave Watt room,
but he could not sell his instruments
after they were made, SO he began to
mend fiddles, like his FIRST master. though
ne did not know one note from another,
Young and poor. with very little pros
pect OF ever being able to support wife,
he fell in love with his cousin, Margaret
Miller. She was cheerful girl. of a
most amiable disposition and believed
that the member of fiddles had future.
Watt had nothing to give her but af-
lection. but she was willing to share his
struggles. He took her to small plain
abode, and they lived as many others do,
not knowing what day would bring
forth. Margaret worked, and cheered.
and prayed and waited.
Finally, customer who had flute or
fiddle mended. wanted an organ built.
Watt, ready for any thing. no matter how
difficult, feared the theory of music and
is said to have made a remarkable organ
for the times.
One of his friends talked to him about
steam carriage, so Watt began to ex-
pertinent with common walls for reser
voirs and hollow cans for steam pines.
borrowing brass syringe for the cylin-
er. He hired an old cellar and worked
day and Light on his model for several
weeks. He neglected his fiddle mend
ing, and as months went by became badly
in debt He had no money for food and
no money for tools.
Margaret hoped and trusted. Finally,
an iron dealer was persuaded to pay the
debts of Watt, and help perfect the en-
CINE. Watt went to London for patent
but everybody was Indifferent. He
wrote home to Margaret, quite discour-
aged, but she wrote back: Beg that you
will not make yourself uneasy though
things should not succeed to your wish.
II the engine will not do, something
else will; never despair"
Watt came home, and for six months
worked on his engine; but his model
proved failure. The friend could aid
him no longer and. as Watt could not
let his family starve, he went to survey
ing-business he had taken up, like
mending fiddles, to keep body and soul
together. He was thirty five, aud the
way to success seemed harder than ever.
The privation and disappointment had
told on the brave, cheerful wife. When
Watt was absent on one of his survey
ing excursions word came to him that
Margaret was dead. The young martyr
to invention, the Comfort of his life,"
as he called her, would never cheer or
comfort him any more. Again and
again he paused on the threshold of his
little home, before he had the courage
to breast the reality. Later he won
fame and wealth and great success, but
Margaret died too soon to share them
Sarah K. Bolton. IN Post Cypress