His three years in Europe, while they had been enjoyed to the full and had enabled him to perfect himself in his art, had not yielded him large financial returns; he had not expected that they would, but based his hopes on increased patronage after his return.

He was entirely dependent on his brush for the support of himself and his three motherless children, and now this new inspiration had come as a disturbing element.

He was on the horns of a dilemma.

If he devoted himself to his art, as he must in order to keep the wolf from the door, he would not have the leisure to perfect his invention, and others might grasp the prize before him.

If he allowed thoughts of electric currents, and magnets, and batteries to monopolize his attention, he could not give to his art, notoriously a jealous mistress, that worship which alone leads to success.
An added bar to the rapid development of his invention was the total lack (hard to realize at the present day) of the simplest essentials.