New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-02
JOHN BROWN OF EDINBURGH.
A MAN BELOVED OF HIS FELLOWS.

Amongst the recent examples of men whose
melancholy has been In the highest Gegef mr. ohn
Brown of Edinburgh, of whom charming anu NUS .S
delicate study has Just been published Dy one oI n6
Youthful friends in whose society nc tOoh % NUN
delight what was IL that made this man, OF whose
literary work only two or three volumes OF
writings are known the world Rab ana ms trlcnuS
being perhaps the most popular, and his sketch Oh
little sarory Fleming (sir Walter SCOTS pet me most
fascinating work. We believe that it the sngu,
larry delightful mixture Of tenderness humSr ana
ever understood animals so well no man ever IovgG
children better no man ever disSerneu NOR d oicr
ever felt the gloom profoundly not IN ue iasnOi
of what might fairly call sYfts selsn inrywn
saeva iDdgnato-but in the way of real bewllderment
when the light he loved so much ana IN ny Tacn ne
mist appeared to blot out for him even the hand OF
God Pity and reverence were the TWO cied eie
ments in his nature though to them was addeu a
keenness and vivacity f perception which would
alone have been enough to ensure napplness, R n
not the pity been unusually deep and tender but
kecnness and vvacity Of perception alone would never
have given DR.. John Brown the fascination when
made him. as one of his friends said OF hln ACT as
magnet in a room." and draw every one toward him
I'm tell Dr.. Brown was the thought tlot came
pathetic queer says the writer OF the beautiful
little notice to which We have already referred r a
and played around his sensitive mouth as ne ilseneu
acted as inspiration so that friends ana even sanger9
would have been without him. They brought INN
of their treasure, fguratyey and literally 700, d4f
edition. valuable autograph, anything that a1y
one in Edinburgh greatly priced but sooner or later
II found its way to Rutland-st, Just that Dr. Brown
might see it, It seemed TO mean more. even to the
owner himself when he had looked at it and enjoyed
What was it that gave him this magnetic attractive
ness Partly, no doubt his fine sympathy ana ylIa 9I
of a saying or thing till he had appreciated it but
even more, we think that pathetic melancholy which
often made him close his eyes as IL 70 r rest b % nSad
him land that was almost every one VINO knew NM
And how surely did his presence teach them what to
say. TO 90 TO his heart teaching them to speak
to him with Just dash of serious tenderness. ana
" When one day he spoke of driving with him as II IL
only dull thing to do | told him that when lie
asked me- always came most gladly; and and that
looked upon II means OF grace lie smiled but
shook his head rather sadly, and was afraid | had
weeks after he up to me in the dining-room at
Rutland-st., and without one Introductory remark
said Means of grace tomorrow at halfpast two
II was in driving home this occasion that he told
his young companion of the difficulty he found in re
SDe Of S, % OF chose Po three ea months he
said 4 tried to hear her voice and could not; but at
last 1t came one word brought it back lie was was going HG
Who 'F had such Such an intimate sympathy with
all the dogs in his neghborhood, that when
asked he had looked eagerly out Of the carriage
because he had recognized an acqqaintance ne h an
much more remarkable occurrence than the recognl-
De on OF of ella r half h the
Of cloud in his life were more remarkable than the
CLEANS Of sunshine; the involuntary shutting Of the
eyes at least characteristic AS the qnck humor
Of his SMILE the sense OF pathos which his presence
left upon one, deeper than the Of genial and
sunny wit And to our thinking, though he could
not have been the universal magnet he was without
his humor and swiftness Of glance still less coald
he have been that magnet without his gentle and
pathetic sadness.
What is it that makes such character fascinat-
ingl To very considerable extent, Of course its
wide and delicate sympathy. The nature that can
discriminate, DR.. John Brown did, the characters
OF men, the characters of children. and the characters
Of dogs, and delineate them that thousands OF
readers have made them into familiar friends more
intimate even than their own intmates, could not
but fascnate But Dickens had far greater power
Of delineation, and yet nothing like the same eX-
quiste attractvencs5