CHAP. II. OLD ROBERT STEPHENSON. 17 



fact. Though the village of Wylam is within the parish 

 of Ovingham, High Street House stands exactly beyond 

 its boundary and within that of Heddon ; the churches 

 of both parishes being several miles distant. 



Robert Stephenson, the father of this family, was a 

 tall, gaunt man. A Wylam collier, who remembered 

 him well, gave the following odd description of his per- 

 sonal appearance : " Greor die's fayther war like a peer 

 o' deals nailed thegither, an' a bit o' flesh i' th' inside ; 

 he war as queer as Dick's hatband went thrice aboot, 

 an' wudn't tie. His wife Mabel war a delicat' boddie, 

 an' varry flighty. They war an honest family, but sair 

 hadden doon i' th' world." Indeed the earnings of old 

 Robert did not amount to more than twelve shillings a 

 week; and, as there were six children to maintain, 

 the family, during their stay at Wylam, were in very 

 straitened circumstances. The father's wages being 

 barely sufficient, even with the most rigid economy, 

 for the sustenance of the household, there was little to 

 spare for clothing, and nothing for education, so none 

 of the children were sent to school. 



Old Robert was a general favourite in the village, 

 especially amongst the children, whom he was accus- 

 tomed to draw about him whilst tending the engine-fire, 

 and feast their young imaginations with tales of Sinbad 

 the Sailor and Robinson Crusoe, besides others of his 

 own invention ; so that " Bob's engine-fire " came to be 

 the most popular resort in the village. Another feature 

 in his character/by which he was long remembered, was 

 his affection for birds and animals ; and he had many 

 tame favourites of both sorts, which were as fond of 

 resorting to his engine-fire as the boys and girls them- 

 selves. In the winter time he had usually a flock of 

 tame robins about him ; and they would come hopping 

 familiarly to his feet to pick up the crumbs which he 

 had saved for them out of his humble dinner. At his 

 cottage he was rarely without one or more tame black- 



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