16

WATT TRIES TO SOLVE

Mr. Watt for letting his son make such a mess on the floor, 'I cannot think, Mr. Watt,' he exclaimed, 'how you can let that child waste his time in that way. Why do you not send him to school?'

"Let us see what he is about,' said Mr. Watt, 'before we condemn him; James does not generally waste his time.'

"They got up to look-James had not even heard the remark, so entirely was his mind absorbed in working out a geometrical problem. At another time he was paying a visit to his aunt, Miss Muirhead. One evening when they were just sitting down to tea, James, instead of taking his meal as usual, was seized with a spirit of investigation; he drew the kettle towards him, he took off the lid, he put it on again; he got a spoon and held it to the spout, counting into how many drops of water the steam condensed; then he took a teacup and repeated the experiment. Nearly half an hour was occupied in this way, until at length Miss Muirhead's patience was fairly exhausted, and she said quite angrily, 'James, James, what are you about? are you not ashamed of wasting your time in this disgraceful manner?'

"But James was not wasting his time; boy as he was, at that moment he had obtained his first clue to his great discovery, that condensed steam might be em

A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

17

ployed as a motive power; and how this was to be managed, became from that day forth the increasing object of his thoughts. Fond as he was, however, of scientific pursuits, he was no less remarkable for his lively imagination. Never was such a story-teller! He would keep his young companions listening breathlessly for the hour together to the wonderful narratives that he invented for the occasion. Nor was it only the young that he charmed. He commanded the attention of listeners of all ages. At one time when his mother was going to pay a visit in Glasgow, she asked a friend of hers if she would take charge of James during her absence. The lady consented, and James went to pay the visit. At the earliest opportunity, however, that occurred, his hostess begged Mrs. Watt to take her son home again. 'If not,' she said, 'we shall be all fairly worn out. Just at the time when we ought to be going to bed, James begins to tell us some wonderful story. It is impossible to go away till it is finished, and we all become so excited and so interested, that as to sleeping afterwards, the thing is out of the question; we can think of nothing but your son's extraordinary stories. Do pray take him home, that we may have some chance of rest.'

"Mrs. Watt complied with her friend's request, and

C

18

WATT LEARNS THE BUSINESS

James returned to his own home, rather provoked, perhaps, that his visit should have been thus curtailed. To be able to tell a story well is, no doubt, a very great talent, and it was one which Mr. Watt retained even to old age. His imagination was as vivid then, as when he was quite a boy, and nothing delighted him more than to be able to tell a story with such spirit as to deceive his auditors into the belief that they were listening to some true narrative, when all the time he was only spinning out of his own brain the startling incidents which they were hearing with such breathless interest."

"I think James Watt was very like you, Arthur," exclaimed Charles; "you are just as queer a compound, what with your tiresome problems and your funny stories."

"I wish I thought I should ever be half as clever," replied Arthur with a slight sigh.

"You must imitate Watt's example then," replied Mrs. Grenville; "he obtained his knowledge as every one else must obtain it, by patient, hard work; and in his case he laboured under very great disadvantages, for his delicate health prevented his receiving any regular instruction, and he was therefore obliged in great measure to educate himself. He used, when quite a boy, to take his toys to pieces; examine how they were made, and