faces, with gate-roads,
main roads, air-ways, returns, engine-plains, self-acting and engine
inclines, extended upwards of eleven miles, and with the addition of the
old working roads, including those which were bricked up, the whole
measured the enormous amount of twenty-two miles. All these passages
were kept far better ventilated by the fan than they were by the furnace
hitherto in use, while the pure air brought down, greatly contributed to
the health of the miners.

Mark had risen step by step. He was now able to take a house for his
mother and Mary, although old Hayes and his wife were very unwilling to
part with them. Mary had greatly improved in her music, of which she
was passionately fond, but she had no piano on which to play at home.

Mark, who had a holiday, hearing that an auction was to take place at
the neighbouring town, at which a pianoforte was for sale, set off to
attend it. There was some competition, but he had 20 pounds in his
pocket, saved from his earnings, and it was finally knocked down to him
at that price. With proud satisfaction he at once hired a spring cart,
and set off with it for his home, where he had it placed while Mary was
out with their mother. Her delight at seeing it equalled the pleasure
with which he bestowed his gift. The fact was inserted in one of the
local papers by the auctioneer who sold it, that the piano was purchased
by the first 20 pounds saved out of the earnings of a collier boy, as a
present to his sister.

Unhappily, such instances are rare, for although many collier boys
gained high wages, the money was too generally lavishly spent, without
thought for the future.

Of late years a considerable improvement has taken place among many
mining populations, but even in former years it was possible for talent
to force its way upwards. Who has not heard of George Stephenson, who
began life trapper in a mine at six years of age, and rose to be a great
engineer, father of Robert Stephenson, M.P., and engineer-in-chief of
the North-Western Railway; of Dr Hutton, who was originally a hewer of
coal in Old Long Benton Colliery; of Thomas Bewick, the celebrated
wood-engraver; of Professor Hann, the mathematician, and of many others
whose names are less known to fame, who have obtained respectable
positions in society.

Old Hayes had lately moved to another pit some distance from the one in
which he had hitherto laboured, being tempted by higher wages, and Mark
sho