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Page 40
Besides, the colonists were a troublesome class to deal with. Many of
them were broken-down "gentlemen," who despised hard work. A very few
were farmers or mechanics or persons fitted for the life they sought.
Day by day Smith made his influence more and more felt. He soon became
the head of the colony. He put in force the good old rule that he who
would not work should not eat.
Many strange adventures are told about John Smith during the two years
he remained in Virginia. He left the colony in the autumn of 1609 on
account of a severe wound which he received, and which obliged him to
return to England to be cured.
The colonists, having lost the guidance of this resourceful man, were
soon reduced to great want; still they held out and later on became a
flourishing colony.
LESSON LVIII
THOMAS A. EDISON
One of the greatest inventors of the age is Thomas A. Edison, and his
whole life is an interesting story for young people. His mother had
been a teacher, and her greatest wish for her son was that he should
love knowledge and grow up to be a good and useful man.
When Edison was only twelve years of age, he secured a position as
train boy on the Grand Trunk Railroad in one of the western states. He
went through the train and sold apples, peanuts, papers, and books. He
had such a pleasant face that everybody liked to buy his wares. He
traded some of his papers for things with which to try experiments. He
then fitted out an old baggage car as a little room in which he began
his first efforts in the way of inventions.
One of the things he did while working as a train boy was to print a
paper on the train. The "London Times" spoke of it as the only paper
in the world published on a train. It was named the "Grand Trunk
Herald."
Young Edison worked as a train boy for four years, and he had in that
time saved two thousand dollars, which he gave to his parents.
Once he thought he would like to read all the books in the city
library. He read for a long time, but he found that he could not
finish all the books. He then made up his mind that one would have to
live a thousand years in order to read all the books in that library,
so he gave up the idea.
One day he bought a book on electricity. Soon after that the basement
of his home was filled with many odd things. He used a stovepipe to
connect his home with that of another boy, and through this the boys
could talk when they wished.
A kind friend taught young Edison how to telegraph, and in five months
he could operate well and was given a position. He worked very hard,
night and day, so that he could learn all he could about electricity.
He lost place after place because he was always trying some new idea.
When he first proposed to send four messages on one wire at the same
time, he was laughed at by the people; but Edison succeeded. Later on
he invented the phonograph. His greatest invention is the incandescent
light, which is used for lighting purposes.
Mr. Edison loves his work, and although he is now a very wealthy man,
he keeps on inventing and working every day. It is said that he
sometimes works for twenty-four hours, day and night, without food or
rest, until he has perfected some new invention. Mr. Edison is a true
type of an American gentleman.
SELECTION XVII
OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT
Oft in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Fond memory brings the light
Of other days around me;
The smiles, the tears
Of boyhood's years,
The words of love then spoken;
The eyes that shone,
Now dimm'd and gone,
The cheerful hearts now broken.
Thus in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad memory brings the light
Of other days around me.
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