After serving a number of years as a piecer, he was promoted to be a spinner.

Greatly to his mother's delight, the first half crown he ever earned was laid by him in her lap.

Livingstone has told us that with a part of his first week's wages he purchased Ruddiman's Rudiments of Latin, and pursued the study of that language with unabated ardor for many years afterward at an evening class which had been opened between the hours of eight and ten.

"The dictionary part of my labors was followed up till twelve o'clock, or later, if my mother did not interfere by jumping up and snatching the books out of my hands.
I had to be back in the factory by six in the morning, and continue my work, with intervals for breakfast and dinner, till eight o'clock at night.

I read in this way many of the classical authors, and knew Virgil and Horace better at sixteen than I do now[4]." [Footnote 4: _Missionary Travels_, p.