CHAPTER XXVI.
JANUARY 6, 1839--MARCH 9, 1839 Despondent letter to his brother Sidney .-- Longing for a home .-- Letter to Smith .-- More delays .-- Change of ministry .-- Proposal to form private company .-- Impossible under the laws of France .-- Telegraphs a government monopoly .-- Refusal of Czar to sign Russian contract .-- Dr.Jackson .-- M.
Amyot .-- Failure to gain audience of king .-- Lord Elgin .-- Earl of Lincoln.
-- Robert Walsh prophesies success .-- Meeting with Earl of Lincoln in later years .-- Daguerre .-- Letter to Mrs.Cass on lotteries .-- Railway and military telegraphs .-- Skepticism of a Marshal of France.
Thus hopefully the inventor kept writing home, always maintaining that soon all obstacles would be overcome, and that he would then have a chance to demonstrate in a really practical way the great usefulness of his invention.

But, instead of melting away, new obstacles kept arising at every turn.

The dilatoriness of the French Government seems past all belief, and yet, in spite of his faith in the more expeditious methods of his own country, he was fated to encounter the same exasperating slowness at home.

It was, therefore, only natural that in spite of the courageous optimism of his nature, he should at times have given way to fits of depression, as is instanced by the following extracts from a letter written to his brother Sidney on January 6, 1839:-- "I know not that I feel right to indulge in the despondency which, in spite of all reason to the contrary, creeps over me when I think of returning.

I know the feelings of Tantalus perfectly.