Morse must have known it himself.
But the tremendous significance of that fact had never before occurred to him nor, so far as he knew, to any man.

A recording telegraph! Why not?
Intelligence delivered at one end of a wire instantly recorded at the other end, no matter how long the wire! It might reach across the continent or even round the earth.

The idea set his mind on fire.
Home again in November, 1832, Morse found himself on the horns of a dilemma.

To give up his profession meant that he would have no income; on the other hand, how could he continue wholeheartedly painting pictures while consumed with the idea of the telegraph?
The idea would not down; yet he must live; and there were his three motherless children in New Haven.

He would have to go on painting as well as he could and develop his telegraph in what time he could spare.