"One day, while old Coster was thus busily at work," says George
Makepeace Towle, "a sturdy German youth, with a knapsack slung
across his back, trudged into Haarlem. By some chance this youth
happened to hear how the churchwarden was at work upon a wild
scheme to print books instead of writing them. With beating heart,
the young man repaired to Coster's house and made all haste to
knock at the churchwarden's humble door."

The "sturdy German youth" who knocked at Laurence Coster's door
was Johann Gutenberg, the inventor of modern printing. Coster
invited him to enter. Gutenberg accepted the invitation, and then
stated the object of his visit. He desired to learn more about the
work on which Coster was engaged. Delighted to have a visitor who
was honestly interested in his work, the old man eagerly explained
its details to the youth, and showed him some examples of his
printing.

Gutenberg was much impressed by what he saw, but still more by the
possibilities which he dimly foresaw in Coster's discovery. "But
we can do much better than this," he said with the enthusiasm of
youth. "Your printing is even slower than the writing of the
monks. From this day forth I will work upon this problem, and not
rest till I have solved it."

Johann Gutenberg kept his word. He never rested until he had given
the art of printing to the world. But to Laurence Coster, in the
first place, if legend speaks truth, we owe one of the greatest
inventions that has ever blessed mankind.