heroes of the telegraph-第6部分

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They　had　two　other　sons　besides　Samuel；　the　second　of　whom；　Sidney　E。　Morse；　was　founder　of　the　New　York　OBSERVER；　an　able　mathematician；　author　of　the　ART　OF　CEROGRAPHY；　or　engraving　upon　wax；　to　stereotype　from；　and　inventor　of　a　barometer　for　sounding　the　deep…sea。　　Sidney　was　the　trusted　friend　and　companion　of　his　elder　brother。

At　the　age　of　four　Samuel　was　sent　to　an　infant　school　kept　by　an　old　lady；　who　being　lame；　was　unable　to　leave　her　chair；　but　carried　her　authority　to　the　remotest　parts　of　her　dominion　by　the　help　of　a　long　rattan。　　Samuel；　like　the　rest；　had　felt　the　sudden　apparition　of　this　monitor。　　Having　scratched　a　portrait　of　the　dame　upon　a　chest　of　drawers　with　the　point　of　a　pin；　he　was　called　out　and　summarily　punished。　　Years　later；　when　he　became　notable；　the　drawers　were　treasured　by　one　of　his　admirers。

He　entered　a　preparatory　school　at　Andover；　Mass。；　when　he　was　seven　years　old；　and　showed　himself　an　eager　pupil。　　Among　other　books；　he　was　delighted　with　Plutarch's　LIVES；　and　at　thirteen　he　composed　a　biography　of　Demosthenes；　long　preserved　by　his　family。　　A　year　later　he　entered　Yale　College　as　a　freshman。

During　his　curriculum　he　attended　the　lectures　of　Professor　Jeremiah　Day　on　natural　philosophy　and　Professor　Benjamin　Sieliman　on　chemistry；　and　it　was　then　he　imbibed　his　earliest　knowledge　of　electricity。　　In　1809…10　Dr。　Day　was　teaching　from　Enfield's　text…book　on　philosophy；　that　'if　the　（electric）　circuit　be　interrupted；　the　fluid　will　become　visible；　and　when：　　it　passes　it　will　leave　an　impression　upon　any　intermediate　body；'　and　he　illustrated　this　by　sending　the　spark　through　a　metal　chain；　so　that　it　became　visible　between　the　links；　and　by　causing　it　to　perforate　paper。　　Morse　afterwards　declared　this　experiment　to　have　been　the　seed　which　rooted　in　his　mind　and　grew　into　the　'invention　of　the　telegraph。'

It　is　not　evident　that　Morse　had　any　distinct　idea　of　the　electric　telegraph　in　these　days；　but　amidst　his　lessons　in　literature　and　philosophy　he　took　a　special　interest　in　the　sciences　of　electricity　and　chemistry。　　He　became　acquainted　with　the　voltaic　battery　through　the　lectures　of　his　friend；　Professor　Sieliman；　and　we　are　told　that　during　one　of　his　vacations　at　Yale　he　made　a　series　of　electrical　experiments　with　Dr。　Dwight。　　Some　years　later　he　resumed　these　studies　under　his　friend　Professor　James　Freeman　Dana；　of　the　University　of　New　York；　who　exhibited　the　electro…magnet　to　his　class　in　1827；　and　also　under　Professor　Renwick；　of　Columbia　College。

Art　seems　to　have　had　an　equal　if　not　a　greater　charm　than　science　for　Morse　at　this　period。　　A　boy　of　fifteen；　he　made　a　water…colour　sketch　of　his　family　sitting　round　the　table；　and　while　a　student　at　Yale　he　relieved　his　father；　who　was　far　from　rich；　of　a　part　of　his　education　by　painting　miniatures　on　ivory；　and　selling　them　to　his　companions　at　five　dollars　a…piece。　　Before　he　was　nineteen　he　completed　a　painting　of　the　'Landing　of　the　Pilgrims　at　Plymouth；'　which　formerly　hung　in　the　office　of　the　Mayor；　at　Charlestown；　Massachusetts。

On　graduating　at　Yale；　in　1810；　he　devoted　himself　to　Art；　and　became　a　pupil　of　Washington　Allston；　the　well…known　American　painter。　　He　accompanied　Allston　to　Europe　in　1811；　and　entered　the　studio　of　Benjamin　West；　who　was　then　at　the　zenith　of　his　reputation。　　The　friendship　of　West；　with　his　own　introductions　and　agreeable　personality；　enabled　him　to　move　in　good　society；　to　which　he　was　always　partial。　　William　Wilberforce；　Zachary　Macaulay；　father　of　the　historian；　Coleridge；　and　Copley；　were　among　his　acquaintances。　　Leslie；　the　artist；　then　a　struggling　genius　like　himself；　was　his　fellow…lodger。　　His　heart　was　evidently　in　the　profession　of　his　choice。　　'My　passion　for　my　art；'　he　wrote　to　his　mother；　in　1812；　'is　so　firmly　rooted　that　I　am　confident　no　human　power　could　destroy　it。　　The　more　I　study　the　greater　I　think　is　its　claim　to　the　appellation　of　divine。　　I　am　now　going　to　begin　a　picture　of　the　death　of　Hercules　the　figure　to　be　as　large　as　life。'

After　he　had　perfected　this　work　to　his　own　eyes；　he　showed　it；　with　not　a　little　pride；　to　Mr。　West；　who　after　scanning　it　awhile　said；　'Very　good；　very　good。　　Go　on　and　finish　it。'　　Morse　ventured　to　say　that　it　was　finished。　　'No！　no！　no！'　answered　West；　'see　there；　and　there；　and　there。　　There　is　much　to　be　done　yet。　　Go　on　and　finish　it。'　Each　time　the　pupil　showed　it　the　master　said；　'Go　on　and　finish　it。'　＇THE　TELEGRAPH　IN　AMERICA；　by　James　D。　Reid＇　This　was　a　lesson　in　thoroughness　of　work　and　attention　to　detail　which　was　not　lost　on　the　student。　　The　picture　was　exhibited　at　the　Royal　Academy；　in　Somerset　House；　during　the　summer　of　1813；　and　West　declared　that　if　Morse　were　to　live　to　his　own　age　he　would　never　make　a　better　composition。　　The　remark　is　equivocal；　but　was　doubtless　intended　as　a　compliment　to　the　precocity　of　the　young　painter。

In　order　to　be　correct　in　the　anatomy　he　had　first　modelled　the　figure　of　his　Hercules　in　clay；　and　this　cast；　by　the　advice　of　West；　was　entered　in　competition　for　a　prize　in　sculpture　given　by　the　Society　of　Arts。　　It　proved　successful；　and　on　May　13　the　sculptor　was　presented　with　the　prize　and　a　gold　medal　by　the　Duke　of　Norfolk　before　a　distinguished　gathering　in　the　Adelphi。

Flushed　with　his　triumph；　Morse　determined　to　compete　for　the　prize　of　fifty　guineas　and　a　gold　medal　offered　by　the　Royal　Academy　for　the　best　historical　painting；　and　took　for　his　subject；　'The　Judgment　of　Jupiter　in　the　case　of　Apollo；　Marpessa；　and　Idas。'　　The　work　was　finished　to　the　satisfaction　of　West；　but　the　painter　was　summoned　home。　He　was　still；　in　part　at　least；　depending　on　his　father；　and　had　been　abroad　a　year　longer　than　the　three　at　first　intended。　　During　this　time　he　had　been　obliged　to　pinch　himself　in　a　thousand　ways　in　order　to　eke　out　his　modest　allowance。　　'My　drink　is　water；　porter　being　too　expensive；'　he　wrote　to　his　parents。　　'I　have　had　no　new　clothes　for　nearly　a　year。　　My　best　are　threadbare；　and　my　shoes　are　out　at　the　toes。　　My　stockings　all　want　to　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