The picture was never painted, for the discouraged artist found neither time nor inclination ever to pick up his brush again; but we may be sure that the money, so generously advanced by his cousin, was repaid.

It was in the year 1841 also that, in spite of the difficulty he found in earning enough to keep him from actual starvation, he began to pay back the sums which had been advanced to him by his friends for the painting of a historical picture, which should, in a measure, atone to him for the undeserved slight of Congress.  In a circular addressed to each of the subscribers he gives the history of the matter and explains why he had hoped that the telegraph would supply him with the means to paint the picture, and then he adds:—­

“I have, as yet, not realized one cent, and thus I find myself farther from my object than ever.  Upon deliberately considering the matter the last winter and spring, I came to the determination, in the first place, to free myself from the pecuniary obligation under which I had so long lain to my friends of the Association, and I commenced a system of economy and retrenchment by which I hoped gradually to amass the necessary sum for that purpose, which sum, it will be seen, amounts in the aggregate to $510.  Three hundred dollars of this sum I had already laid aside, when an article in the New York ‘Mirror,’ of the 16th October, determined me at once to commence the refunding of the sums received.”

What the substance of the article in the “Mirror” was, I do not know, but it was probably one of those scurrilous and defamatory attacks, from many of which he suffered in common with other persons of prominence, and which was called forth, perhaps, by his activity in the politics of the day.

That I have not exaggerated in saying that he was almost on the verge of starvation during these dark years is evidenced by the following word picture from the pen of General Strother, of Virginia, known in the world of literature under the pen name of “Porte Crayon":—­

“I engaged to become Morse’s pupil, and subsequently went to New York and found him in a room in University Place.  He had three other pupils, and I soon found that our professor had very little patronage.  I paid my fifty dollars that settled for one quarter’s instruction.  Morse was a faithful teacher, and took as much interest in our progress—­more indeed than—­we did ourselves.  But he was very poor.  I remember that when my second quarter’s pay was due my remittance from home did not come as expected, and one day the professor came in and said, courteously:—­

“‘Well, Strother my boy, how are we off for money?’

“‘Why, Professor,’ I answered, ’I am sorry to say I have been disappointed; but I expect a remittance next week.’

“‘Next week!’ he repeated sadly.  ‘I shall be dead by that time.’

“‘Dead, Sir?’

“‘Yes, dead by starvation.’

“I was distressed and astonished.  I said hurriedly:—­