About this time Finley heard his first lecture upon electricity.
After graduating, he returned to his father"s house in Charlestown.
There he wrote a letter to his brothers with a queer kind of ink.
The writing did not show at all until heated by fire.
His brothers had to write to him to find out how to read it.
About this time Finley made a new friend.
This friend was Washington Allston.
Mr. Allston was a great painter.
He learned to love Finley Morse.
Mr. Allston spent most of his time in London.
Finley begged his people to allow him to go to London with Mr.
Allston.
They finally gave their consent.
So Mr. Morse made his first voyage across the Atlantic.
They landed at Liverpool.
They had to go from there to London in a stage coach.
As soon as he arrived he wrote to his parents.
In his letter he said that he wished they could hear from each other in an instant.
"But three thousand miles are not pa.s.sed over in an instant.
So we must wait four long weeks before we can hear from each other again."
Even then he longed for a telegraph.
In London he had the help of another great artist.
This was Benjamin West.
He, too, was an American.
Mr. Morse wished to become a student in the Royal Academy.
He had to make a drawing of Hercules.
Hercules, you know, was one of the heroes of early Greece.
The story is that he did very many brave deeds.
Finley"s drawing was to be taken to Mr. West.
He worked very hard upon it for two weeks.
Then he went to Mr. West with it.
Mr. West said, "Very well, sir, very well; go on and finish it."
"It is finished," replied Finley.
"Oh, no," said Mr. West. "Look here, and here, and here."
So, when the mistakes were pointed out, Finley saw them.
He took the drawing home and worked patiently for another week.
Then he brought it to Mr. West again.
Mr. West handed it back to Mr. Morse, saying:
"Very well indeed, sir. Go on and finish it."
"Is it not finished?" said Mr. Morse, for he was almost discouraged.
"See," said Mr. West, "you have not marked this muscle nor that finger joint."
So another three days were spent on the drawing.
Again it was taken back.
"Very clever indeed," said Mr. West, "very clever. Now go on and finish it."
"I cannot finish it," replied Mr. Morse.
Then the old man patted him on the shoulder and said:
"Well, I have tried you long enough.
"Now, sir, you have learned more by this drawing than you would have learned in double the time by a dozen half finished drawings.
"Finish one picture, sir, and you are a painter."
Mr. Morse took this good advice.