SAMUEL FINLEY BREESE MORSE. 213 



evenings he thought out an improvement in the 

 common pump, one that could be adapted to 

 the forcing-pump in the fire-engine. The pump 

 and the " Judgment of Jupiter " certainly had not 

 very much in common. 



The patent pump was put on exhibition on 

 Gray's Wharf in Charlestown, but it did not cause 

 money to flow into the pockets of its inventor. 



Disappointed in his art work, Morse took letters 

 of introduction from his father to several ministers 

 in the neighboring towns, and started out to paint 

 portraits at fifteen dollars apiece. This was not 

 very much better than the five-dollar miniatures 

 on ivory while in college, especially as he had been 

 to the expense of four years in Europe. 



At Concord, X. H., he had good success, writing 

 home that he had " painted five portraits, had two 

 more engaged, and many more talked of." While 

 in London he had written to his parents, " I came 

 very near being at my old game of falling in 

 love ; but I find that love and painting are quar- 

 relsome companions, and that the house of my 

 heart was too small for both of them, so I have 

 turned Mrs. Love out-of-doors. 'Time enough,' 

 thought I (with true old-bachelor complacency), 

 ( time enough for you these ten years to come.' " 



But Morse did not wait ten years, for at twenty- 

 four he fell in love with Lucretia P. Walker of 

 Concord, and was engaged to her. She was not 

 only beautiful, but of the same lovable and intel- 

 lectual type as Grace Webster, who held the heart 



