Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-11-25

learned how to suffer and be calm. Her min-
ner is singularly quiet and retiring. although
her natural simplicity and modeSty cannot
hide the evident force Of character, and
strength of will and judgment, which have
fitted her so long to be = counsellor in her
husbands enterprises and a supporter in hiS
trials.
She is a native Of Whitehall. near Lake
Cnamplain. and she has been the mother Of
thirteen children but Notwithstanding the
cares of her numerous family. and her many
privations and struggles. independent OF
household burdens, she still appears as fresh
and hale as if she We're only now in the prime
aud vigor of life
The conversation, 1t course, was OF tie
scenes of Harper's Ferry-5oth those which
have already been enacted, and those which
are shortly to follow. She alluded, with
su 5dued, though evident emotion, t. the
wounds of her husband and to the loss of her
two sons, Watson and Oliver, who fell IN the
struggle. But she made no such remark a.
that recently attributed to her in a New Eug-
land newspaper, " that four Of her sons had
already been slain, and she would be willing
that all the rest Of her family should be made
a sacrifice, if necessary, TO the cause of free
dom"
These words. she said TO me, could never
possibly have fallen from hi lips for she
had already felt too many griefs t. court any
fresh sacrifices; and she could not think,
without pain, Of any new death 'r nc to her
family. She would not shrink from any
necessary trial or struggle when the hour
came for it, but she could not look forward
with composure to any further lessening Of
her family. already too sadly broken. She
regretted that such a remark should have
been put in her mouth, for, as she OBJ
served, " they were unmOtherly words"
She said that she had been so long accus-
toned to sOrrOws that she had been trained to
bear them. While living in Ohio, four of her
children died. from d~ysentery, within eleven
days three Of whom were carried TO the
grave together on the same day She men
toned, IN this connection, that her husband
had always been a watchful nurse and the
chief care-taker of the children and herself,
during periods Of sickness.
CAPTAIN BROWNS RELIGIOUS CHARACTER.
adyerted, in abiding to Capt. Browns re-
ligiOus opinions, to the common report that he
was an Old School Presbyterian. She replied
that be had been a church member ever since
he was a boy that he united, at sixteen
years Of age, with d Congregational church
in Hudson, Ohio and that on removing to
Pennsylvania, thirty wears ago, he transferred
his membership to the Presbyterian church,
with which he had since remained connected
She said that the religious element Of his
character had always been the ruling motive
of his life.
He had always observed religious exercises
in his household with exemplary regularity,
it had been for many years the custom Of the
family to read the Bible every morning, in
regular course Of chapters, eacl member
reading in turn a verse. She SAID that her
husbands familiarity with texts Of Scripture
was 50 great that he could detect almost the
slightest misquotation Of any passage, and
that fla portion of a verse in almost any part
Of the Bible were read or repeated to nm, he
could Immediately repeat the remainder
His conversation frequently abounded with
Scripture texts, and his letters were always
filed with them.
HIS LONG NEDITATED DESIGN.
referred incidentally t. the design upon
Hlrper's Ferry as having been prenedItated
for two years, u which she Immediately re-
piled
Not for t,co years, but for ucenty!
He had been waiting twenty years for some
opportunity to free the slaves we had all
been waiting, with him, the proper time
when he should put his resolve into action.
when at last the enterprise of Harper's
Ferry was planned, we all thought that the
time had now come Mr.. Brown was san
of success we all We're equally conf
dent he had no idea, nor did any Of the
Iamily, that the experiment would result in
iefeat we all looked to its fulfilling tn
hopes Of many years.
Is he INSANE?
l then put the question which | had been
chiefly solicitous to ask d" 1t is the common
.alk Of the newspapers that Capt. Brown is
insane what do You say to that opinion ?"
Il never knew she replied, ''Of his in
until l read it in the newspapers. He
S a clear-headed man. He has always been,
md now is, entirely in his right mind. He
5 always cool, deliberate, aud never hasty;
)ut he has always considered that his first
perceptions OF duty, and his first impulses to
.ction, were the best, and the safest to be
ollOwed. He has almost always acted upon
lis first suggestions.
No, he is not insane. His reason is clear.
His last act was the result, as all his other
have been, Of his truest and strongest
onscientious convictions"
MRS. SIS CONVERSATION.
The lady who visited Brown in prison
furnishes material for the following
Il never saw a person who seemed less
roubled or e%xcitei, or whose mind was less
disturbed and more clear.
His remarksare pointed, pithy and sensible.
is not in the least sentimental, and seems
0 have singuldrly excellent c mmon-sense
bout everything
She asked him the direct questiOn-'Were
on actuated in any degree, in undertaking
late enterprise, by a feeling of rerenge p"
adding that a common impression to that
had gone abroad.
he manifested much surprise at this state
lent, and aftef pausing a moment replied
~ am not conscious Of euer hGrIng had a
of reCeHge; no., not in all the wrong
one to me and my family in Kan as. But
can see that a thing is wrong and wicked,
nd can help to right 1t, and can even hope
nat those who do the wrong may be pun
hed-and still have no feeling of revenge ,
.o.-I have not been actuated by any spirit
T revenge -
He talked a good deal about his family,
-anifesting solicitude for their comfort after
e was gone, but expressing his great COM
hence and trust in Gods kind Providence
their behalf.
W hen some ~allusion was made to the sent
nee which he had received, he said verv de-
Derately and firmly, and as my friend sIvs,
almost subllmely'-'I do not think | can
liter serve the cause l love so much, than
die for it ;"
Mr.. Bailey, President of the London AS
onomlcal Society, has been for six years
the world, and is now sure that he
IS obtained Its specific gravity 50 nearly ac-
rate thai his figures cannot err more than
OO5o. He place it at 5,G747. The total
OF the world in gross tons of 224O
.unds according to his scale is 1902, IO5,- =
!, 592'4 oo $500 six thousand an sixty-two
lions one hundred and sixty-fve thousand. I
e hundred and ninety-two billions, two 1
Indred and ten millions, four hundred and t
'hty-elght thousand, eight hundred and v
IN IN no 49,. y