Stories of Great Inventors Part 16

This man was a statesman of Holland.

He did all the business for that republic.

Yet he had time to go to evening amus.e.m.e.nts.

Some one asked this statesman how he did this.

He said there was nothing so easy, for that it was only doing one thing at a time, and never putting off anything until to-morrow that could be done to-day.

Finley's parents were always kind to him.

He soon became a manly boy.

He was the kind of boy who seemed to know that he must one day be a man.

So he worked hard at school.

He began early to think and act for himself.

When he was but thirteen he wrote a sketch of the "Life of Demosthenes."

He sent it to his father.

This his father kept carefully.

It showed the genius, learning and taste of his boy.

This bright boy was ready for college at the age of fourteen.

But his father thought it best to keep him at home for a year.

Finley, when a boy, was always fond of drawing.

When but fifteen, he painted a fairly good picture in water colors.

This represented a room in his father's house.

His father, his two brothers and himself stood by a table.

His mother sat in a chair.

On the table was a globe, at which they were all looking.

His room at college was covered with pictures of his own making.

One of these was called, "Freshmen Climbing the Hill of Science."

The poor fellows were scrambling to the top of a hill on their hands and knees.

Finley had taken no lessons in art, yet he drew many portraits.

The other boys were all delighted to have their pictures drawn by him.

They paid him a dollar apiece.

This kept him in spending money.

He also painted upon ivory.

For these he had five dollars each.

So, when Finley Morse graduated from Yale college, he was more fond of drawing and painting than of anything else.

Finley at this time was a fine looking boy.

He had a pleasant smile.

He was always courteous.

Every one liked him.

He was as fond of a frolic as any one.

At one time the college cooks did not do their work to suit the boys.

So the boys gave them a mock trial.

They sent a report of the trial to the college president.

The bad cooks were dismissed.

Afterwards the boys had better things to eat.

At another time the boys went to a paper mill near by.

They bought a great quant.i.ty of paper.

This they made into a baloon.

It was eighteen feet in length.

They filled it with air, and sent it on its journey.

It sailed finely, and soon was out of sight.

They tried it again.

The second time it took fire and was soon nothing but ashes.