VIEW IN TAPTON GARDENS. [By Percival Skelton.] 



CHAPTER XX. 



CLOSING YEARS OF (TEORGE STEPHENSON'S LIFE ILLNESS AND 

 DEATH CHARACTER DEATH OF EGBERT STEPHENSON. 



Ix describing the completion of the series of great works 

 detailed in the preceding chapter, we have somewhat 

 anticipated the closing years of George Stephenson's life. 

 He could not fail to take an anxious interest in the suc- 

 cess of his son's designs, and he accordingly paid many 

 visits to Con way and to Menai, during the progress of the 

 works. He was present on the occasion of the floating 

 and raising of the first Conway tube, and there witnessed 

 a clear proof of the soundness of Robert's judgment as 

 to the efficiency and strength of the tubular bridge, of 

 which he had at first experienced some doubts ; but 

 before the like test could be applied at the Britannia 

 Bridge, George Stephenson's mortal anxieties were at 

 an end, for he had then ceased from all his labours. 



Towards the close of his life, George Stephenson almost 

 entirely withdrew from the active pursuit of his profes- 

 sion as an engineer. He devoted himself chiefly to his 

 extensive collieries and lime-works, taking a local in- 



