222 SAMUEL FINLEY BREESE MORSE. 



sorrows and privations of her young husband. 

 How pitiful it seemed that she could not live to 

 share his grand success. Whatever may come into 

 a man's life afterwards, he never forgets an affec- 

 tion like this. It blossoms in the warm sunlight 

 of his youth ; it never withers, even though other 

 flowers take root in the heart. 



Truly says George Eliot : " There is no despair 

 so absolute as that which comes with the first 

 moments of our first great sorrow, when we have 

 not yet known what it is to have suffered and be 

 healed, to have despaired and to have recovered 

 hope." 



This despair seemed to have settled upon Morse. 

 He went back to New York, and now had plenty of 

 work, but he said, " After being fatigued at night, 

 and having my thoughts turned to my irreparable 

 loss, I am ready almost to give up. The thought 

 of seeing my dear Lucretia, and returning home to 

 her, served always to give me fresh courage and 

 spirits whenever I felt worn down by the labors of 

 the day; and now I hardly know what to substitute 

 in her place." 



Hard, indeed, it seemed, that this "plenty of 

 work " did not come in Lucretia's life-time. Why 

 are so many of the best and sweetest things in this 

 world a little too late in their coming? Is it 

 because perfection attained is not best for mor- 

 tals ? 



About this time the National Academy of Design 

 was organized, and Morse was made president, 



