New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-11

Tn nublie affairs he busted himself in the cause OF
reforming the Irish Parliament. and IN the faishR
of volunteer regiments, and as member Oh INC
Convention of Volunteers in 1888 he dld great
deal to save that body from collision WIN the ~
lament He went on building, retaining land anu
inventing machines and keeping up a constant
correspondence with DR.. Darwin Mr. Day. ana all
his other friends But Mr.. Day soon wrote no more
letters and cogtated no more theories, though 10
one of the latter he fell victim lie pitled the
animals subjected TO the cruelty OF horse-Oreakers
and en5eavored by gentle means to tram morse
for himself. 1t plunged and threw him; there was
conclusion of the speculative ana busy Dram anu
he almost instantly expired.
When in 1893 disturbances were beginning TO
break ont in Ireland. Mr. Edgeworth. who was then
in London felt i5 his duty to return nome, where
his first effort was to persuade the Government to
odopt his telegraphic system. He failed in this.
Mrs. Edceworth died in 1897. The third marriage
had lasted seventeen years, and was remarkably
happy one. In 1898 Edgeworth writes hat he IS
about TO take as a fourth wife Miss Beaufort, who
is described in letter to Darwin as lady oil
some beaufy-more sense" He had at this time
nine children by previous marriages living with
him; bnt they all behaved with great good sense
and welcomed the new mother warmly. rms was
Mr. Edgeworth's last marriage. About TINS tlme
u7oSl Edgeworih obtained a seat IN the irish
Parliament. The wild and Inflated instruction
was at hand. The French forces had Ianned NJ
Kilala. The family compelled to leave En@e-
worth Town, and to take refuge IN -Longiord'
When after various escapes the family returned TO
their home. they found everything as they had lett
it-nothing had been injured or disturbed
In the Irish House of Commons Edgeworth
opposed the Union and made excellent speech
t,ac hort nf
so many other Britons did, visited Paris. where he
was invited to the honors of the sitting ut the
French Institute as Fellow Of the Royal Society.
With patriotic punctilO he asked the privilege OF
appearing as member of the Royal Irish Academy,
which was granted and for this he was thanked by
that body on his return While in Paris. having
discovered the imperial aspirations OF Napoleon he
declined to be presented to him. One morning ne
was surprised by an order TO quit Paris in twenty
four hours and the French territories in hiteeh
DAYS All this rose from superstition that he was
a brother of the well-known Able Edseworth.
Bonaparte dsclaimed all knowledge OF the order oil
Punishment and SAID that so far from obIectlng 10
any man for being n relative of the Able. he con-
sidered him a most faithful respectable subject
and that he wished that he had many sIch. The
order was revoked. 1t was the work OF Regnier
whose real reason for the transaction does not ap-
pear Perhaps Bonaparte really gave the order
What he said about il will go for nothing with hose
acouainted with his character for truth and
veracitv. Miss Edgeworth's eldest brother was
among the English deieaus, and remained in France
from 1903 to 1914.
The last years of Mr. EdReworth were passed In
writing several treatses on educational Subjects
and in assisting his daughter Maria IN her literary
work The happy home at Edge worth Town has
more than once been described. His days we're
serene and nc often exclaimed How ENJOY nv
existence He took care to preserve his intellec-
tual power from decay, and especially his memory
He went on experimenting with wheel carriages,
and actually visited Dublin to try some of them
before the Dublin Society. lie returned home IN
dreadful state of weakness, and died June Is.
1917 Just before he expired he said: Z" die with
a soft feeling of gratitude 10 nv friends and sub
mission to the God Tho made me-
There are illusions to Mr.. Edgeworth in the
literary annals OF his time from which 1t would APP
pear that he was regarded somewhat eccentric
and notional; but of his quick ingenuity. inteli-
gent beneyoleu, e strict integrity and perfect
fidelity to his domestic relations there rs ample
evidence. He might have been more practically
fortunate in his mechanical inventions. indeed they
might nave assumed totally different character II
he had possessed the advantages Of our increased
scientific knowledge. Education as a scrnce was
in its infancy when he made his tentative trials
vet all his pedagogc experiments we're lar in adj
vance OF his time lie rigid moral'st without
the least tnge Of asceticism. and his love Of method
never BETRAYED him into trihes. OF his many child
rem. Maria alone won distinction. She was and is
still deservedly considered one Of the finest OF
novelists No writer has more admirably depicted
Irish traits-the humors virtues and fanlts OF n
people whose character yet remains something OF
an enigma. Her obligations to her fathers patient
| and critical supervision of her work, she was al
ways the first cheerfllly and gratefully to nc
! knowledge; aud with her name while IL is remem.
bered as it is likely to be- his own is inseparabuy
connected.