Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-10
HIS ONE VERSE.

| In peaceful slumber may YOU rest;
Ar And shade. and death have past and sona
In Gods own image wake and rise"
Not a remarkably interesting production, ex-
cept in the same fashion that some common
place line OF a celebrated actor who we know
that later in the play is to be the central figure
OF striking piece of tragedy is interesting.
John Brown, indeed, had no monopoly of the
muse In that year of grace 1S43. as is evidenced
by the inscription of a stone not far from his
| family tablet, which chronicles the sudden TAX
ing of by the kick of horse Of an individual
perhaps neighbor of him whose soul il march
ing on-weighted by the name Of Adoniram,
which plaintively announces:
| ''oh, what q mourn.ui day
| To my surviving friends,
| Behold, how soon Tin called away
Soon as the year begins
| Oh. think. when you pass by,
| How sudden was death,
And may you all prepare to die
| Before you end your breath
| BIS LIFE AT RIcHFrELD.
John Brown. during his Richfeld life, occu-
pied a small log house not far from the ceme-
terry where these children lie. Adjoining his
dwelling was a tanuerv, whereof he was the
providing spirit. Both :snnery and log house
have now been leveled by time, fact speaking
/ loudly for the absence OF hero-worship on the
part of the descendants Of his old-tim neigh
| bors.
! In connection with this business Of tanning
he was the hired shepherd of the fiocks of a
| large local sheep owner and was famed among
dealers far and near for the deiicacy of his
! tonch il sorting tho different grades of wool
and his skill in testing them when Submitted to
him. 1t said that he could distinguish
the dark wool grown in Saxony, Vermont or
! Ohio.
On one occasion a company of dealers were
looking over number OF samples OF wool while
| discussing with Brown their availability for
various purposes, when one Of their number
grayely handed out among other specimens a
wisp cut from poodle and asked OF Brown
! what he would do with such wool as that.
Brown rolled it in his fingers for minute
and then with equal gravity handed 1t back,
saying:
IF yo, have any machine that will work UP
dogs hair advise Won 20 put this in it,
| Ralph Waldo Emerson says OF him in these
pastoral pursuits: IF he KEEP. sheep i. was with
royal mind. and if he traded in wool he was a
/ merchant prince. not in the amount Of wealth.
but in the protection of the interests confided
| to him
! Sternly upright was he indeed. according to
| all the Richheld traii;ions. bnt so self-con-
tanned was he also that they SO little further
than that in describing him.
PREPARING FOR FUrURE WORK.
| Even then though his life was silently dedi-
| Gated to the work tina: was afterward to accom-
! piish his own destruction. for one OF his sons
/ relates that several wears before his father had
called him with his brothers together and
! then and there asked them 10 enter into COM
pact with him TO labor for the abolition Of
! slavery. and this being done he knelt while
praying for divine in.erccseIon ne first time
| he had ever seen his father. though a deeply re-
! ligious man. take 20 devo.io au attitude.
/ Ba. abolition sentiments were not uncommon
in th2 north Of those days. and that JOHN
Z Il.
/ W%; IN noWlSe a remarkable state of affairs IN
the eyes Of mis- .ichield ne;Sh5or5 so long as
/ such a bias os thodSi. took no more active
| shape than ii AZ tina: time did
! Ihc family then was presided over by his
/ second wiIe. Il woman VINO when girl OF six
| teen had hid the courage TO take for better or
worse a wIdowec. fiTe of whose seven children
were living. and 10 which group she thereafter
| died thirteen OF her oYn--John Brown being
! the posse 'Sor OF twenty children. with a yaria-
| ton of thirtv-th-se ?clrs between the ages of
the eide5; and youngest.
HIS ,,AaaI2GE.
| II would seem as il there colld not have
been much glamor OF sentiment TO attract
romantic sweet sixteen in a man who could 50
prosaically refer 20 his FIST marriage as Gid
John Grown liz iittie ausobiograI hical sketch.
| Speaking O: himself il the third person be
! proceeds 20 tell. 10 dolDt sensibly. bat will:
i Oh MS 1latIl,nDnlal
experience in the following language:
| AT a little past twenty. led BY his own incli-
| nation and prompted also b. his father he
married n remarkably plain but neat. indus
| trious and economical girl of excellent char
Ger, earnest p;vtv and good practical common
sense. Tins woman by her mid. frank and.
more than all else. by her very consistent con-
duct acquired. and ever while she lived main-
tanned. a most powerful and good influence
over him. Eer plain but kind admoni-ions
generally had the right effect without arous-
Ing his naughty. obstinate temper
But marry him she did and the four chill
dren who sleep on THAT Ohio hillside are part of
her flock. Three of them were carried out of
the house at one funeral, while the other died
during the month. In speaking OF this event
! Mrs. Brown once said:
That was the time in my life when all nv
religion. all M philosophy. all my faith in
| Gods goodness We're put to the test Nv hus-
BAND was away from home prostrc.ed by SICK
ness. was helpless from illness and in one
week three of my little ones died.
| She outlived her husband many wears md
paid her last visit to the graves Of these chill
cren ten years ago during the course of pill
grlmaSe made from across the continent to
North Llba, the burial place of their father
| LETTER WRITTEN IN PRISON.
Among the treasures possessed by a descend
ant of one of John Browns old friends is an
autograph letter written shortly before his exc
L
cution. 1t reads:
CHARLEsTowN, JEFFERSON COUNTY, Va,
Nov. 16, 1852
My dear friend: Your most cheering letter is
received. May the Lord reward you thou
sand fold for the kind feelings you express to-
ward me- but more especially for your fidelity
to the poor that cry and those that have no
help" For this 1 am q prisoner in bonds.
But these light Affections which endure for a
moment shall but work for me "a far more ex-
ceeding and eternal weight Of glory" Fare
well. God will surely attend to his own cause
in the best possible way and time, and He will
not forget the work of his own hands.
Your friend, JoYN Bnowx.
Compassionate eyes had our
Brave John Brown.
And cragry stern forehead.
"A militant frown,
He. the storm bow Of peace.
Give him voiley on voley,
me fool who redeemed rs once
Out OF our folly.
The smiter who healed m.
Our right John Brown.
Barred heads and piedes
Untomad John Brown!
Now tie curse Is allayed.
L. Now the dragon IL down.
Now We see clear enou1h
LooEtnR back At the onset
Chrsfianttys flood tide and
Chtvalry's sunset
In the old broken heart
" our hanged John Brown
Cause for DELIGHT.