Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-06-02

commenced one of the most delightful
associations of my life. While | have
an unconquerable aversion to all other
dialect / have ever read l had early
acquired q fendness for Robert Burns.
Bean was equally devoted to Burns.
He the ~eldeiv%e wese both at the ro-
mantle and Motto age. Except when
studying or hciting, he was at work at
some mechanical continuance or other,
or some experiment, or were roaming
the woods and fields, where we knew
almost every bird, insect and plant.
Bean studied such things and collected
in a more accurate, scientific way; l in
a very delightful but quite useless sort
OF way, merely because l loved nature
in all its aspects.
Bean had o bit of laboratory of his
own making chiefly, to which he was
continually adding and with which he
was continually experimenting. His
was a truly creative soul and a truly
poetic soul; but / think he was not
greatly gifted in numbers, although
be could sTrite feet and rhy mes, as
most people can who try hard enough.
About this time he fell desperately
Move with my cousin, Hester Bowel,
called cousin and upon a 'ccusinly
footing because her half sisters were
my cousins, l think the most beautiful
Of all women / have ever seen. Since
/ had a sweetheart down on Nola
Chuckee our mutual condolences were
an additional tie. My lovely cousin
had half the young fellows in the
county at her feet. She knew how to
repel as well as to attract, and Bean 8
life was spent in alternate fear of each
new rival and comfort in the discomit.
ure of successive old rivals. His own
footing was that of one without much
ground for hope until patience and
perseverance conquered at q consider.
ably later time.
Bean went rapidly through college.
His room there was q curiosity shop of
odds and ends of all kinds. He was
always tinkering, soldering, making,
mendiDg, experimenting, turning q
penny here and a penny there, keeping
always in a jolly good humor, with
always q kind or a cheerful word, and
always a helpful hand. Bv the time
he was through college his mechanical
genius had, | think about cleared him
of debt. My associations with him
were close until he graduated. In va
cations we were often in the high
mountains With barometer and Their
mometer and rifle and fishing rod,
enjoyin+y myself, he making serious
fbusiness of pleasure. but enjoying the
finer aspect of nature as keenly as il
enjoyment had been his sole business.
l heard his graduating address on
Robert Burns, and l have not seen him
since.
He was for a time studying and prac.
ticing dentistry in Greeneyille, Tenn.
Thence, l think, he went to Florida.
He graduated in the Baltimore School
of Dental Surgery in 1860. 1 think he
married Hester Bowel before or shortly
after. He practiced his profession 10
Macon and Augusta, Ca, during the
war. and after the wal went 10 reside
in Baltimore.
In 1870 he went to Europe, accredited
by the Smithsonian Institution to sci
entifc men of Europe, and was over
whelmed and lost his life in a snow.
storm in Alps, keeping up his diary, it
is supposed, down almost to the time
when he lost consciousness. One of
the pathetic entries. although clearly
not in anticipation of death, was to
Becky" his sole child.
He had fitted himself by his indus,
try, perseverance and untiring devo-
ton to science for a scientific career
of eminence. He had already con
tributed to his profession inventions
ard improvements which were recog.
nized as of permanent value by the
dental journals of the day.
/ met his widow in Jonesboro some
time after his death, grown a sad faced,
sorrowful, but still a beautiful woman.
| talked to her of old times in the
dreary way of one who tries to cheer
without seeming to be trying to cheer.
She recalled the old associations, and
/ reminded her Of this and that one
of the many disconsolate ones she had
turned adrift, with never a word from
either OF US about Bean. 1t is essen.
TALLY awkward, this consoling bust.
ness-at least, for one who is clumsy
at the business. 1t was especially so
when the time had passed which is