midnight
I see , as I write , that the particular illustrations I have given are all of them confined to signals seen or signals heard . But the dot-and-line alphabet , in the few years of its history , has already shown that it is not restricted to these two senses , but makes itself intelligible to all . Its message , of course , is heard as well as read . Any good operator understands the sounds of its ticks upon the flowing strip of paper , as well as when he sees it As he lies in his cot at midnight , he will expound the passing message without striking a light to see it But this is only what may be said of any written language . You can read this article to your wife , or she can read it , as she prefers ; that is , she chooses whether it shall address her eye or her ear . But the long-and-short alphabet of Morse and his imitators despises such narrow range . It addresses whichever of the five senses the listener chooses .