Part 14 (1/2)

”Bring it to me!” commanded the old lady, and the boy cah to reach, Old Ma'aripped hi pin He struggled so hard that he got away and ran screa to the end of the room with a piece of the old lady's dress that had been torn in the struggle, hanging on his sleeve

But evidently he and his teacher were really good friends, for he stayed in her class until he was seven years old Then he went to a preparatory school in Andover, Mass, and from there to Phillips Acadee

The following is the only letter preserved that ritten by him at that early date, from the preparatory school

”Dear Papa,--I hope you are well and I will thank you if you will send me up some quils Give my love to mama and _Nancy_ and my little brothers; pleas to kis theood paper to write to you

I have as o and pick them myself

SAMUEL FINLEY BREESE MORSE YOUR SON

1799”

Finley was never much interested in his studies, but liked better to read books on whatever subject caught his fancy ”Plutarch's Lives” was one of his favorites, and it gave hih exactly how to achieve his purpose he did not then see But he kept on reading, and studying and when he was thirteen he wrote a sketch of Demosthenes and sent it to his father, as so pleased with it that he laid it away a his treasures

The letters written to him by his father were very different from those written by fathers of today Here is part of one:

”My dear Son--You do not write to n solect Possibly I have not received all of your letters Nothing will ireat pains with your letters

Avoid vulgar phrases Study to have your ideas pertinent and correct, and clothe thera, the use of capitals, to your handwriting After a little practice these things will beco correctly and well General Washi+ngton was a remarkable instance of what I have now recommended to you His letters are a perfect model for epistolary writers I will show you so you next vacation and when I shall expect to find you much improved

Your natural disposition, my dear son, renders it proper forat a tis well at the same time, and I would therefore never have you atteht not to be done, and then whatever you undertake, endeavor to do it in the best manner Steady and undissipated attention to one object is a sure itation are the never failing symptoms of a weak and frivolous mind I expect you to read this letter over several times, that you may retain its contents in your memory”

Whether the ten year old boy appreciated this fine letter is open to doubt, but he certainly acted on its advice, for so good was his record for scholarshi+p that when he was only fourteen years old he was ready to leave the preparatory school and becoe student

A year later, in the fall of 1805 he left home and took the trip to New Haven, where he entered the freshe days is given in this letter He says:

”We had a new affair here a few days ago The college cooks were arraigned before a tribunal of the students We found two of the worst of the insolent to the students, not exerting the pies_ which belonged to the students, having suppers at hbors and friends to sup with them at the expense of the students, and this not once in a while but every night The fault is not so , for our bill-of-fare has been in the folloay: Chocolate, coffee and hashed , at noon, various; roast beef twice a week, pudding three tiht; baked beans occasionally; Christs as ht to have added that in future we are to have beefsteaks and toast twice a week, before this the cooks were too lazy to cook them I will inform you of the result of the affair as soon as it is completed”

Then as now, ”eats” formed a vastly important part of boys' life, it seems

At that time Jeremiah Day was teacher of natural philosophy at Yale, and Prof Silli Morse owed much of his later achievement One day in class Prof Day told his pupils to all join hands while a student touched the pole of an electric battery At once a shock was felt down the long line of boys

Morse described it as being like ”a slight blow across the shoulders”

This experiment showed the pupils the wonderful speed at which electricity travels Another day the laboratory was darkened and a current of electricity passed through a row of metal blocks placed at a short distance apart, while the boys in awed silence watched the white light flash between the links of the chain and the blocks

So interested did Finley beco that line, that when at vacation time he found he could not afford to take the trip ho tests in the laboratory That his proble men of today is shown by this letter to his father He says:

”I find it i money At one tireat tax fro after money The amount of my expenses for the last ter e205 Oil 50 Taxes, fines, etc 300 Oysters 50 Washbowl 37-1/2 Skillet 33 Axe, 133; Catalogues, 12 145 Powder and shots 112 Cakes, etc etc etc 175 Wine, Thanks Day 20 Toll on bridge 15 Grinding axe 08 Museue for trunk 100 Pitcher 41 Sharpening skates 37-1/2 Circ Library 25 Post Papers 57 Lent, never to be returned 25 ---------- 1475 Paid for cutting wood 25 ---------- 1500”

Surely it would do the college boy of today good to read that list of expenses It ht be a revelation to him