New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-11-18
Nssp9lprk Daily Gribm,se
JOHN BROWN AND HIS WIFE.
AN INTERVIEW WITH MRS. BROWN.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MRS. BROWN.
VISIT OF a LADY TO TIE cHARLEsrowS JAIL
From The Ind<psndent, Eor. II.
I write this morning, on board a steamboat, hasty
account of personal interview last evening with Mrs
Mary Brown, wife Of Capt. John Brown, now under
sentence of death in Virginia. for having bravey failed
in brave deed
Iconversed with her during the entire evening But
only ternnutes acquaintance is enough TO show that
she is a&soman worthy TO be- the wife of such man
She is tall large and muscular giving the impress
al first sight Of frame capable of great strength and
long endurance. Her face is grave and thoughtful,
wearing in this hour of her trial. an expression
of sobefncss rather than of sadness IT. like her hus-
hand she had long since learned how TO suffer and be
calm Her manner IL sIngularly quiet ana retiring,
although her natural simplicity and modestv cannot
hide the evident force of character and strength Of will
and Judgment, which have fitted her 40 long to be
counselor her husbands enterprises and supporter
ia his trials.
She is a native of Whitehall, near Lake Champlan,
and has been the mother of thirteen children but not
whtandng the of her numerous family, and her
many pryatons and struggles independent OF household
burdens she still appears fresh and hale az II she
were only in the prime AID vigor OF life.
NEWSPAPER CORRECTION.
The conversation, of course, was of the scopes OF
Harper 4 Ferry-boih those which have already been
enacted and those which are shortly TO follow. Sine
wounds of her husband, and 70 the loss OF her two
sons, Watson and Oliver, whe fell IN the struggle.
But she made such remark a. that recently attrib-
ued to her in a New England ne wspaper, thar four
of her sons had already been slain, and she would
be willing that all the rest OF her family should be
made sacrifice, if necessary, 20 the cause OF Free
" dom" These words she said 10 me, could neFer
possiby have fallen from her ps for she had already
felt TOO many grefs 10 cont any iresh saeriiees and
she could not think, without PAIN OF any new death
stroke 10 her family. She would not shrink froman
necessary trial struggle when the hour came fo IT,
but she could not look forward with coposure to any
furfber lessening of her family, already too sally
broken She regretted that such remark sho,ld
have been put in her mouth, "for," as she observed,
" they We're unmotherly words"
She said that she had been 20 long accustomed 70 Sr-
rows that she had been trained TO bear them. Nme
living in Ohio toar ot her children died from dysea
tery, EitiR hleveH days, three o. sohom ceTe carrie.
To he gTGre together on NE same day! she mentioned
in this connection that her husband had always been
watchfu nurse and the chief cre-takcr of the chill
dr,n and of herself, during periods Of sickness.
CAPT BROWNS RELIGIOUS CHARACTER.
| adver;ed in alluding to Capt. Browns religions
opinions 10 the common report that he was an old-
School Presbyterian. She replied that he had been
church-menlber ever since he boy that ne united,
no l6 years of age, with Congregational Church III
Hudson, Ohio: and that on removing TO fennsylVaia
thirty years ago. he transferred his membership 10 he
Presbyterian Church, with which he had since re-
manned connected. She said that the religious element
of his character had always been the ruling motive oil
his life lie had always observed religious exercises
in his household with exemplary regularity. IL had
been for MANY years the custom of the family to read
the Bible every morning. regular course of chapters,
each member reading in turn verse. She said that
her husbands familiarity with texts OF Scripture was
SO great that he could detect almost the slightest mis-
quotation of any passage and that if & portion of
IN anos; part of the Bible, was read or re-
peated TO him, he could Immediately repeat the re-
mainder His conversation frequently abounded with
Scripture texts and his letters always filled with
them.
asked if she knew what were bis fayorite passages
to which she replied:
He had great many; but one was, Remember
them that are IN bonds as b0aHd nth them"
How Dobly his life has proved his deep-hearted sym
paihy for the slave
la his habits Of living his wife testified that he was
ALWAYS sincularly self-denying. As an example he
never suffered himself his family expensive
clothing. His standing admonition WAS, Let save
toe money and give u the poor. Day before yester
dsy, when some clothes were sent from New-York 70
Mrs Brown 10 20 in box TO her husband, among the
articles was a new coat OF fine brown cloth, which,
when was shown 10 her, she Immediately pronounced
too CAV for her husband wear. II was accordingly
sent back; and last evening there came in return a
coarer coat which would better suit his taste and
which the brave old Puritan might think good
for him to put ON, He never in his life has need to-
baeeo ardent spirits, and never until within the last
few years has taken tea coffee. His mode Of living
has been ~ rigdly temperate that in Kansas, he
would sometimes 90 for days with scarcely moufhfu
Of food, and suffer no fsintness or exhaustion.
His LOSG-NEDrrATED DESIGN.
Ireferred incidentally to the design upon Harpers
Ferry AS having been premeditated Tor two year. TO
which she Indignantly replied;
"Nor FOR TWO YEARS, BUR ron TwESTYi
He had been waiting twenty years for opportuni
ty 10 free the slaves; had all been waiting with
him the proper time when he should put his resolve
into acton and when at Last the enterprise Of Harpers
Ferry was planned, 1e al thought that the time had