New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-04


each there was a gentle look or kind Work OF re-
cogniton touched with hun or. When some wan
derers entered retired moorland farmhouse 7, see
the Covenanting banner that had waved at Both-
well Brig at first there were reserve aud suspiclOh
till one genial word from DR.. Brown. followed by
the discovery that this was ne VINO %roe aa 40
ard hs Friends" set all right ana the reserve al
once gave place to rejoicing hospitality 90.
An altogether peculiar and delightful personality,
n nature in which the elements were tnoSi N,,,''y
mixed. n spirit finely Touched, and TO me ISSUE
all this his familiar circle had long known Dut th9
world did not know 10, till DR.. Brown had reacneu
his eight and fortGth year lh,h w. Wen and
women everywhere were thrilled as thty hau nJ'ol
been befOre-few could read IL dry-eyed, even "n'n
aloue-hard-nerved must they be who wOuu ven,
turc to read 10 aloud. Brief as the Story u, ,in t
simple IN its outlines. 1t was felt that scotland hau
produced nothing like It, nothing 50 luli OF PuIe'
pathetic genius, since the pen dropped rom lhS1
hand of scott. SO ong-neariy hity years-hr hau
kept silence observing reading thinking. teelug'
but speaking 10 word ~ PRINT Like SUN noun
tain lOch. on calm autumn day that receives INTO
its OsOm the surrounding NILS pearly clouds anu
blue sky and renders all back NOR" beautiful than
they are. his mud had been taking IN all thc IN
hueuces of nature all impression "t men anu man
ncrs that n. saw, and of the finest poetry anu
literature that he read, and now the time was come
that ne must reproduce son ethlng OF thes" mel
lowed and refined 10y his own beautitN ing person.
atty. His writings have been SAID to be egotlstIc
There Is not word OF ego. ism IN themi put inry
are perVadcd by the writer's personality n al the
finest literature Is. Indeed. tins Is that when dis
tnguishcs literature from mere information ana
science. and lends 10 II It's Ghict charm Egotlsm
fills "A man with thoughts about himself: The per
sonality which Is present in Dr. Browns WORKS Is
full of thoughts aud sympathy Tor others IL mas
magic touch which makes him Tree 10 htar's ahG
affections most unlike ms own. lie h3d, DeNOhu
all men. that true insight winch sympathy gives
keenly discTminatIvc of character he read the |
men he met 10 their inmOst core. but with sueD Tor
hearance, such large charity, that though ne saw
clearly their fOibles and iauts' he took hold OF
these on the kindly side, saw the humorousness OF
them. passed them by. if possible with Joke, and
was not stirred 10 hatred or satire; III, =
This personality, which was the charm allke Oh
his society and or his books, would have IAN un-
known 10 all save few friends, had he not been
gifted with that fine literary expression when en-
abled him to diusc II abroad 10 the delight OF BIS
fellow-men. from the highest TO the lowliest. No
need to regret that hls writings are merely occa,
SIGNAL. brief essays and sketches OF character anu
taar he did not concentrate his powers on some
large work. They were such, as his ndeuiIe
prompted and his circumstances allowed, the result
of leisure hours snatcbed IRON Dusy mr. tno
overflow Of his genuine sell. lucy tuus eescdPe 1Io
flrmaiity and OF effort that beset big books,
the work OF men whose trade IL literature Indeed,
how much of the best literature OF England mas
beer thrown Oh by busy professional men, III Their
few spare hOurs' rs they stand, those tnfee VOL
umes which now contain all that ne has left to the
world, embalm whatever has been best III the lie
OF Scotland during the last hail-century' " nav
ever WAS most worth knowing IN the scotland OF
his time he knew,-he had seen scott Knew
Chalmers, the friend ot IhomAs frsklue Oh
IIulathen, and received his last words; was
familiar with Thackeray, Dean stanley. and with
Mr. Ruskln. Nernacular his writings are, tuil OF
local incident and cooing, they are. ut the same
time. as broad and catholic as humanity. NhaJ
ever there VAS of beauty nObeness or ruth any
where, he freely welcomed 1t. His strong love OF
home and country had nothing exclusive IN II, 6ut
only made him more open 10 understand ana ltel
with all mon. He seemed TO have III himself the
key to all tn Arts. Painting ana music TOO as III
his Haile's Recital' were regions familiar To him.
His criticisms on these 20 10 the quick. 10 use
phrase of his own. As for poetry III everything Dut
the accOup Ishment OF verse he was poet born
Had he acquired this art in youth, his exquisite
feeling for language ana his fine ear Tor MELODY OF
words would nave made MN )he OF tue mus selu
inc of poets some OF his Drlel sketches: as queen
Mary'- Child Garden or MihchmOor, ana many
pa,saoes mlaid in his essays are small prose poems
Ii may easily be imagined that Ut Brown, thOugh
natural pietv kept him 10 the Church and the poll
ties bis fathers n~tlnctlyely STOOD aioot from al
controversy, political or ec-lrslastlca- lue'e
matters he left to men OF another mould. his was
TOO line "a nat ure- too WIDE 100 synpathetlc 10 Pe
confined within any bounds OF politics or sect. IFS
friendships oyerwent all such limits ana ihcIuueH
men o.. every party aud Onulch but tue race Oh
dlyines from which he came left with hun their
GOODNESS and nothing Of narrOwnesS 1t has been
said-aDd there is. perhaps some truth IN the saying
tina. Scorchmen who have been nuftured IN the
national Calviui5m, when they aiterward take IN
modern, thought and literature; are apt to throw
overbofrd the whole Of their early teaching and to
he left without faith. And The reason gwen Tor
this is that the system is 20 neXpaD,ye that, Ike
cast-iron. Il VIII break but NOT benz. IL was not
30 with Or. Brown. The darker features OF the
ancestral creed doubt. fell into the shade, but
the essence renamed. A strong background Of rev,
erence. devOUtnesS and humble trust III GOd ana
Christ were the support OF his lite.
some wears ago ms health declined, and he re-
tired in great measnIe. from active practice and
public life apl lived only IN the society OF his more
immediate friends. These observed that as lie
went on. he grew more than ever meek, humble
and contrite. During the last eight months MS
health seemed TO improve and be Interested him.
self mach In the recent reissue Of his works. adding
new touches 10 them rs late A. April = last. lie
dad not cOyct the praises OF authorship but he
highly priced the sympathy of his fellow men; and
the reception which his third vO|umc-ln some ways
the most vivid and charact 'ristIc-net Wi H. greatly
ppased him. His last lllnrss-an attack OF pleu-
rlsv-was only OF five DAYS duration, and the cnd
came to him rs he would have wished 10 to come, sur
rounded by those he most loved. with his powers
entire 20 the last and waiting the change IN peace.
While he lived, his was recOnclling spirit,
wherever he wcut.-hea.ing to the spirit. not less
than to the bodies. of men. Would that the coun-
trv he loved SO well rent As it u by dIscOrd-. DOtl-
cal and ecclesiastical. might. while 1t laments his
loss drink IN more OF his gentle and loving spirit
How many now mourn and long will mourn him.
and cherish MS pure memory one of their dearest
possessions. The most delightful companion. the
most sympathetic friend. o. the sweetest spirits
of the sons Of men,
&C ; blessed are they who I've and die ike him,
Loved with such love- and with such sorrow niOurned