Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-07-28
JOHN BROWNS RELICS.

John Browns Bible is perhaps the
most valuable book in this coun-
try outside of an historical society's
library or a private collectors. It
belongs to the family of Mr.. Blessing,
who was baker at Charlestown,
Va, and had the preparation of the
meals for Browns men. 1t is such a
Bible as you see at hotels and in
railroad carriages, probably worth 81,
and with an imitation calfbinding.
Inside the cover and on the opposite
fly leaf are about dozen lines of
Browns handwriting. He refers to
the profit of reading the scripture,
thanks his friend, says that the pas
sages marked where the leaves are
turned down are but few out of both
Testaments which condemn oppres-
sion and the holding of people in
bondage. Then in ink all these pag-
es are marked, and there may be fifty
pages of them. This Bible, once the
motive and the excuse of old Brown
lifts his cause out of low vulgarity
and gives it at least in his estimation
the sanctity of heaven. Mr.. Bless
ing's son and daughter showed the
book, and that old man seems to have
left in that family an impression al
J most as if a saint had known them.
Five hundred dollars was once Of
fered for the Bible, but the offer did
not come forward again. Other offers
have been small. tits often solicited
to be shown at fairs, etc., but they
keep it in the dwelling. 1t probably
could be bought for $500 or something
more than that, because the family,
while not poor, is not rich. Mr.. Lewis
Washington, who was comparative
ly rich man, sold to the State of New
/ York the sword John Brown used,
and other relics of John Brown, for
| $4,000. Indeed. old Brown con-
ferred knighthood even on his prison
ers, and the people OF Charlestown
say that it was the eminence Lewis
Washington received for having been
in the engine house with John Brown
which obtained for him his second
wife, who was well-to-do lady, and
her sister is SAID to. have. been the
wife of Lewis McLane, president of
the Nevada Bank,-Erchange.
TRIFLEs.-It is not well to look
with indifference upon small begin
nings, or what are sometimes called
trifes. We are apt to forget that
the mountains for the most part are
made up of grains of sand, that the
world was not made in a minute.
The Amazon, the largest river on the
globe, rises far back among the hills,
and winds its way like silver thread,
gathering force and volume by the
aid of tributary streams, till at last,
ere it reaches the ocean, it is itself
almost an ocean in magnitude. The
minute builders of the beautiful coral
reefs lay their foundations deep down
in the sea, and they work quietly,
but what they accomplish is wonder
full.
More than half a century ago a
strange gentleman spoke to boy
playing by the roadside. Placing
his hand kindly upon the head of
the little fellow, he asked MIN to
read the book Of Proverbs, stand
learn to be wise and good man."
That boy, grown to be useful
Christian man, attributes his early
religious convictions and his success
in life to this one kind act. Not
long ago he was heard to say, 81
seem to feel the pressure of that
hand upon my head to this day."
The reading of an infdel work by
Voltaire, when mere child, decided
his career. Trifes But eternity
hangs on trifes. raae,.etra5 ....l
a C,,,>,, O,-,,.,,x~.., tkn-