The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-04-02
A BROTHERS, TRIBUTE.
Frank Nye's EuIogy of His Brother
Edgar Nye.
Hudson (Wis.) Star and Times.l

Hudson (Wis.) Star and Times.l
/ am constr aimed to offer the public
q few words of simple tribute to the life
and character of Edgar Wilson Nye, a
brother as dear to me as life itself.
shall call him Edgar, as | always have,
the name his good father and mother
gave him, and the only one that seems
natural to me. | never took kindly to
the name of 'Bill'' and do not think
he did. | always felt that the name
conveyed an impression to those who
did not know him which was erroneous,
but | will not dwell on that. To the
family he was always and will be remem-
bered as Edgar We were nearly OF an
age, and up to the spring of 1876 were
scarcely separated for Il single month
at any one time. Since his return from
Wyoming to Hudson, Wis, think in
the year 1888, we have kept up and en-
phaszed as much as circumstances
would permit the intimate and sacred
brOtherly relation which existed in child
hood and bOyhood days. He removed
from, Hudson to Staten Island, New
York, in the summer of 1897, and some
three years later removed to North Car
lima, near Asheville, where he lived until
the time of his death, February %,
1896.
He visited me in Minneapolis in the
latter part of October, 1894, and the
two or three short days we spent to-
gether then seemed to bring back more
OF the joyous liberty of youth and frolic
of bOyhOod than we had experienced for
20 years. Little did we think as we
shook hands and bade each other good
- | r TO ha
the last farewell in life; but alas, it was.
| reached his beautiful Southern home
in the evening, several hours after all
his earthly pain and suffering had
ceased, and he had fallen into final sleep.
In his last moment, relieved from pain,
his natural expression returned and the
same sweet and welcome smile we have
known so long was upon his kindly face,
as if to speak in silent and vOiceless elO
quence the love he bore to all m1nkind.
But must leave this solemn and sacred
hour of sorrow and unutterable grief,
which did not, at first, intend to men,
ton and speak of his life and character,
as | truly feel, in words dared not utter
while he lived, but which | know he rich
ly merits now.
He was child of sunlight. His life
was n lesson of good will toward men
a constant song of kindly mirth-be-
meath it the broad philosophy OF uni
versal brotherhood. No one was beneath
him. The humbliest child of poverty
and distress found comfort in his wei
come smile and stngess Jest. He loved
his fellow men and bade them be OF good
cheer. His very presence was a rebuke
to all dependency. He could not live in
an atmosphere of gloom-he rose above
it and took others with him. He was
physician to the depressed and down.
cast He always cured the blues and he
used whatever remedy was necessary.
Sometimes he struck the disease with
hand that seemed almost merciless, but
always to heal, and not to wound. The
relieved patient thanked him when the
aching tooth was out. He did more
than make the world laugh. His mis-
sion was beyond the momentary amuse-
ment OF mankind. Those whO knew him
best felt beneath the ripples of resistless
fun, the ocean currents of his great good
nature, his generous heart, his loving
soul.
Few men comprehend the real mission
of their lves-perhaps he did not. We
are all children trying to walk, but
stumbling much-moving rather by in
stinct than perception, understand
ing but little as to what it really OF
is to even walk, and thinking still less
the vaster lessons to be learned after
our childish feet are able to take us over
the path to the first crude but real
schOOlhOuse of life.
True honor has its foundation in the
serious, and the serious always has its
humorous phase Edgar reached the
hn
ands caught the point and took the sug-
gestion they would not have received
from other hands, or listened to from
the undisguised aud avowedly serious
side Nature endowed him with that
wondrous weapon which we call the
ridiculous. 1t was sharpened to the
| keen edge of eXaggeratiOn, and with it
he went into the OvergrOwn and distOrt-
ed forest of individual and social incon-
sistency and imperfection to trim and
prume it of its acknowledged burdens
and defOrmities.
! do not think he anticipated the ac-
cOmplishment of great results in this dl-
| rectiOn. but he was born with his unuS-
ual weapon in his hand, and he used it
us nature prompted, perhaps with seem.
| ingly awkward but really skillful hand
| belle We he builded even better than he
knew. Verify, he..walked by faith rather
! than by sight.
BY manner and style of exaggerated
expression, indefnable, but natural and
seemingly careless, he drew a striking
picture of the ridiculous and ludicrous
| side of men, of times and of customs. He
caricaturcd the ,follies, the fOibles, the
| foolishness and weakness of men,. This
he did in general. and never in person
| al way. There was no element OF bit
| terness in his nature. He cherished nc
enmities He had no time to hate. His
nature and disposition were as sweet as
! the breath of a summer morning. de
was youthful always, a boy IN spirit and
| disposition to the last He never changed
| from childhood, except to grow. He
spoke and wrote and conversed after he
became known to the public the same as
he always had. Time only developed
| it did not change him. His characters
tics were as marked and pronounced II
childhood as they were in manhood
His droll expressions, his apt stories and
his unexpected Jokes were hesurprising
but ever welcome guests of our little
country home and neighbOrhood
Whether at the unpretentious party, the
<rrftfng school, the lyceum, or in the
threshing crew, he was the central figure
He drew to him the old and the young
There was q beauty in his homeliness.
gentiIity in his awkwardness, philosophy
in his tests, good nature in his anger
buoyancy and good cheer in his advers-
ity, wisdom in his youth and youthful
ness in his age. In all his life he was
genuine, sincere and true. He had nc
idle dreams of great PERSONAL achieve
ments. He had little, If any, conceit a.
to his own abilities to reform mankind
or make them better He did not seel
to measure his own influence upon man
kind in what he did or said or wrote
His life was simple message OF goot
will toward men. He knew this message
could do no harm-he hoped and believe,
it would do at least some good.
4 serious illness in the West did mucl