ure on which he had spent
much time and money had not sold. Poor Samuel Morse felt like crying,
but he said to himself: "Well, I won't sit by myself and sulk just
because I have had more hard luck. I will be sociable and talk with the
other passengers." It was fortunate he did, for a group of men were
telling about some experiments they had seen in Paris with a magnet and
electricity. Samuel asked some questions and then began to pace the deck
and think. Pretty soon he took out a notebook from his pocket and began
to make marks in it. He got more and more excited as the hours went by,
for he knew he had thought of something wonderful. He had invented an
alphabet for sending dispatches from one part of the world to another!
When it was daylight, he had written out an alphabet of dots and dashes
that stood for every letter and number in the English language!

Morse expected others to be as pleased as he with his invention, but
they did not even believe in it. "The idea," said they, "that a man in
New York can talk with another in San Francisco!"

Of course, if people did not believe Morse's idea was right, they
naturally would not give any money to try it out, so for years this man
almost starved while he lived in one small room that had to serve for
work-shop, bedroom, kitchen, and artist's studio, while he took pupils,
did small pictures, anything, in fact, to get money for his machine and
to pay for his room and food. You see he needed one beautifully made
machine, and he must have a long line of poles and wires built before he
could prove that with his dots and dashes people could talk to each
other, although they were miles apart. And this would cost a lot of
money. He sent many letters to Washington, asking Congress to help him.
The men in Congress were not interested. His letters were not answered.
"Poor old chap," they laughed, "he's gone crazy over his scheme!"

Finally, as no attention was paid to his letters, Mr. Morse saved up a
little money and went to Washington himself. One senator agreed to ask
Congress to advance him some money. But the time kept slipping by, and
nothing was done.

One night when it was late, and all the senators were eager to get
through with bills and business, the senator who liked Mr. Morse saw him
sitting away up in the gallery, all alone. He went up to him and said:
"I _know_ your bill (or request) will not pass. Oh, do give it up and go
home!"

When Mr. Morse went out of the b