heroes of the telegraph-第8章

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　see　my　mother；　and　my　hat　is　hoary　with　age。'

Mr。　West　recommended　him　to　stay；　since　the　rules　of　the　competition　required　the　winner　to　receive　the　prize　in　person。　　But　after　trying　in　vain　to　get　this　regulation　waived；　he　left　for　America　with　his　picture；　having；　a　few　days　prior　to　his　departure；　dined　with　Mr。　Wilberforce　as　the　guns　of　Hyde　Park　were　signalling　the　victory　of　Waterloo。

Arriving　in　Boston　on　October　18；　he　lost　no　time　in　renting　a　studio。　　His　fame　had　preceded　him；　and　he　became　the　lion　of　society。　His　'Judgment　of　Jupiter'　was　exhibited　in　the　town；　and　people　flocked　to　see　it。　　But　no　one　offered　to　buy　it。　　If　the　line　of　high　art　he　had　chosen　had　not　supported　him　in　England；　it　was　tantamount　to　starvation　in　the　rawer　atmosphere　of　America。　　Even　in　Boston；　mellowed　though　it　was　by　culture；　the　classical　was　at　a　discount。　　Almost　penniless；　and　fretting　under　his　disappointment；　he　went　to　Concord；　New　Hampshire；　and　contrived　to　earn　a　living　by　painting　cabinet　portraits。　　Was　this　the　end　of　his　ambitious　dreams？

Money　was　needful　to　extricate　him　from　this　drudgery　and　let　him　follow　up　his　aspirations。　　Love　may　have　been　a　still　stronger　motive　for　its　acquisition。　　So　he　tried　his　hand　at　invention；　and；　in　conjunction　with　his　brother　Sidney；　produced　what　was　playfully　described　as　'Morse's　Patent　Metallic　Double…Headed　Ocean…Drinker　and　Deluge…Spouter　Pump…Box。'　　The　pump　was　quite　as　much　admired　as　the　'Jupiter；'　and　it　proved　as　great　a　failure。

Succeeding　as　a　portrait　painter；　he　went；　in　1818；　on　the　invitation　of　his　uncle；　Dr。　Finley；　to　Charleston；　in　South　Carolina；　and　opened　a　studio　there。　　After　a　single　season　he　found　himself　in　a　position　to　marry；　and　on　October　1；　1818；　was　united　to　Lucretia　P。　Walker；　of　Concord；　New　Hampshire；　a　beautiful　and　accomplished　lady。　　He　thrived　so　well　in　the　south　that　he　once　received　as　many　as　one　hundred　and　fifty　orders　in　a　few　weeks；　and　his　reputation　was　such　that　he　was　honoured　with　a　commission　from　the　Common　Council　of　Charleston　to　execute　a　portrait　of　James　Monroe；　then　President　of　the　United　States。　　It　was　regarded　as　a　masterpiece。　　In　January；　1821；　he　instituted　the　South　Carolina　Academy　of　Fine　Arts；　which　is　now　extinct。

After　four　years　of　life　in　Charleston　he　returned　to　the　north　with　savings　to　the　amount　of　L600；　and　settled　in　New　York。　　He　devoted　eighteen　months　to　the　execution　of　a　large　painting　of　the　House　of　Representatives　in　the　Capitol　at　Washington；　but　its　exhibition　proved　a　loss；　and　in　helping　his　brothers　to　pay　his　father's　debts　the　remains　of　his　little　fortune　were　swept　away。　　He　stood　next　to　Allston　as　an　American　historical　painter；　but　all　his　productions　in　that　line　proved　a　disappointment。　　The　public　would　not　buy　them。　　On　the　other　hand；　he　received　an　order　from　the　Corporation　of　New　York　for　a　portrait　of　General　Lafayette；　the　hero　of　the　hour。

While　engaged　on　this　work　he　lost　his　wife　in　February；　1825；　and　then　his　parents。　　In　1829　he　visited　Europe；　and　spent　his　time　among　the　artists　and　art　galleries　of　England；　France；　and　Italy。　　In　Paris　he　undertook　a　picture　of　the　interior　of　the　Louvre；　showing　some　of　the　masterpieces　in　miniature；　but　it　seems　that　nobody　purchased　it。　　He　expected　to　be　chosen　to　illustrate　one　of　the　vacant　panels　in　the　Rotunda　of　the　Capitol　at　Washington；　but　in　this　too　he　was　mistaken。　However；　some　fellow…artists　in　America；　thinking　he　had　deserved　the　honour；　collected　a　sum　of　money　to　assist　him　in　painting　the　composition　he　had　fixed　upon：　　'The　Signing　of　the　First　Compact　on　Board　the　Mayflower。'

In　a　far　from　hopeful　mood　after　his　three　years'　residence　abroad　he　embarked　on　the　packet　Sully；　Captain　Pell；　and　sailed　from　Havre　for　New　York　on　October　1；　1832。　　Among　the　passengers　was　Dr。　Charles　T。　Jackson；　of　Boston；　who　had　attended　some　lectures　on　electricity　in　Paris；　and　carried　an　electro…magnet　in　his　trunk。　　One　day　while　Morse　and　Dr。　Jackson；　with　a　few　more；　sat　round　the　luncheon　table　in　the　cabin；　he　began　to　talk　of　the　experiments　he　had　witnessed。　　Some　one　asked　if　the　speed　of　the　electricity　was　lessened　by　its　passage　through　a　long　wire；　and　Dr。　Jackson；　referring　to　a　trial　of　Faraday；　replied　that　the　current　was　apparently　instantaneous。　　Morse；　who　probably　remembered　his　old　lessons　in　the　subject；　now　remarked　that　if　the　presence　of　the　electricity　could　be　rendered　visible　at　any　point　of　the　circuit　he　saw　no　reason　why　intelligence　might　not　be　sent　by　this　means。

The　idea　became　rooted　in　his　mind；　and　engrossed　his　thoughts。　　Until　far　into　the　night　he　paced　the　deck　discussing　the　matter　with　Dr。　Jackson；　and　pondering　it　in　solitude。　　Ways　of　rendering　the　electricity　sensible　at　the　far　end　of　the　line　were　considered。　　The　spark　might　pierce　a　band　of　travelling　paper；　as　Professor　Day　had　mentioned　years　before；　it　might　decompose　a　chemical　solution；　and　leave　a　stain　to　mark　its　passage；　as　tried　by　Mr。　Dyar　in　1827；　Or　it　could　excite　an　electro…magnet；　which；　by　attracting　a　piece　of　soft　iron；　would　inscribe　the　passage　with　a　pen　or　pencil。　　The　signals　could　be　made　by　very　short　currents　or　jets　of　electricity；　according　to　a　settled　code。　Thus　a　certain　number　of　jets　could　represent　a　corresponding　numeral；　and　the　numeral　would；　in　its　turn；　represent　a　word　in　the　language。　　To　decipher　the　message；　a　special　code…book　or　dictionary　would　be　required。　　In　order　to　transmit　the　currents　through　the　line；　he　devised　a　mechanical　sender；　in　which　the　circuit　would　be　interrupted　by　a　series　of　types　carried　on　a　port…rule　or　composing…stick；　which　travelled　at　a　uniform　speed。　　Each　type　would　have　a　certain　number　of　teeth　or　projections　on　its　upper　face；　and　as　it　was　passed　through　a　gap　in　the　circuit　the　teeth　would　make　or　break　the　current。　　At　the　other　end　of　the　line　the　currents　thus　transmitted　would　excite　the　electro…magnet；　actuate　the　pencil；　and　draw　a　zig…zag　line　on　the　paper；　every　angle　being　a　distinct　signal；　and　the　groups　of　signals　representing　a　word　in　the　code。

During　the　voyage　of　six　weeks　the　artist　jotted　his　crude　ideas　in　his　sketch…book；　which　afterwards　became　a　testimony　to　their　date。　　That　he　cherished　hopes　of　his　invention　may　be　gathered　from　his　words　on　landing；　'Well；　Captain　Pell；　should　you　ever　hear　of　the　telegraph　one　of　these　days　as　the　wonder　of　the　world；　remember　the　discovery　was　made　on　the　good　ship　Sully。'

Soon　after　his　return　his　brothers　gave　him　a　room　on　the　fifth　floor　of　a　house　at　the　corner　of　Nassau　and　Beekman　Streets；　New　York。　　For　a　long　time　it　was　his　studio　and　kitchen；　his　laboratory　and　bedroom。　With　his　livelihood　to　earn　by　his　brush；　and　his　invention　to　work　out；　Morse　was　now　fully　occupied。　　His　diet　was　simple；　he　denied　himself　the　pleasures　of　society；　and　employed　his　leisure　in　making　models　of　his　types。　　The　studio　was　an　image　of　his　mind　at　this　epoch。　　Rejected　pictures　looked　down　upon　his　clumsy　apparatus；　type…moulds　lay　among　plaster…casts；　the　paint…pot　jostled　the　galvanic　battery；　and　the　easel　shared　his　attention　with　the　lathe。　　By　degrees　the　telegraph　allured　him　from　the　canvas；　and　he　only　painted　enough　to　keep　the　wolf　from　the　door。　　His　national　picture；　'The　Signing　of　the　First　Compact　on　Board　the　Mayflower；'　was　never　finished；　and　the　300　dollars　which　had　been　subscribed　for　it　were　finally　returned　with　interest。

For　Morse　by　nature　was　proud　and　independent；　with　a　sensitive　horror　of　incurring　debt。　　He　would　rather　endure　privation　than　solicit　help　or　lie　under　a　humiliating　obligation。　　His　mother　seems　to　have　been　animated　with　a　like　spirit；　for　the　Hon。　Amos　Kendall　informs　us　that　she　had　suffered　much　through　the　kindness　of　her　husband　in　becoming　surety　for　his　friends；　and　that　when　she　was　dying　she　exacted　a　promise　from　her　son　that　he　would　never　endanger　his　peace　of　mind　and　the　comfort　of　his　home　by　doing　likewise。

During　the　two　and　a　half　years　from　November；　1832；　to　the　summer　of　1835　he　was　obliged　to　change　his　residence　three　times；　and　want　of　money　prevented　him　from　combining　the