The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-03-12

Known the Mans Real Nature.
While staying with an old friend
and colleague at Clifton college, the
Rev. T. E. Brown died suddenly at
the age of 66, from the bursting Of a
blood vessel in the brain, says the Lon
don Times. He is known to the world
as the author of Betsy Lee, 'Fo'c's'le
Yarns, THE Doctor" and other vol
umes chiefly dealing with Manx life.
BY his intimate friends and by all
old Cliftonians he will be remembered
for the brilliancy of his conversation,
his wide literary interests and his
charm as a companion and friend. He
was the son of Manx parson, the
vicar of Braddan, and brother of the
late Hugh Stowell Brown, minister Of
Myrtle Street chapel, Liverpool He
was educated at King Williams col
lege, Isle of Man, obtained a junior
studentship at Christ church and won
a fellowship at Oriel in the days when
this was still the highest distinction in
Oxford. He early attracted the atten-
ton of Mr.. Gladstone and other uni
versity reformers and had tempting Of
fers to enter into the stir of public
affairs But all were in vain. He pre-
ferred the quiet of the island" He
at once took a mastership at his old
school (where he had Archdeacon
Farrar among his colleagues) and va
Gated his fellowship by marriage Then
he renewed his close touch with Manx
sailors and shared their life and sym
pathies For short time he was head
master of the Crypt school, Gloucester,
and then in 1863 was appointed by the
present bishop of Hereford to be sec
ond master of Clifton college. There
he remained, center of literary and
social life, spring of moral strength
and of intellectual vigor, until 1892,
when he retired to his old home in
Ramsey, In the Isle OF Man His first
published poem was Betsy Lee,'' in
1878; followed in 1884 by the volume
entitled "Fo'c's'le Yarns" by "The
Manx Witch" in 1889, and by "Old
John and Other Poems in 1893. Per-
haps the finest of his poems is 1.-THE
Doctor" published in 1887. Most of
these poems are in the Manx dialect
and this fact has interfered with their
popularity, but not with the
estimate of their high poetic
value formed by good judges.
George Eliot expressed to Mr..
Macmillan her warm admiration of
"Fo'c's'le Yarns" Prof. Max Muller
once named 1.-THE Doctor" as, if not one
of the best 100 books of the world, yet
as one in which the vividness of imag-
ination and of language and of sym
pathy most surprised him. Browning
TO whom Prof Max Muller first read
THE Doctor" knew and admired
Browns work Many lovers of litera-
ture, both in England and in America,
fully appreciate these poems. 1t is
difficult to choose a specimen of Mr.
Browns verse; yet, lest the mention
of Manx dialect should deter readers,
one short extract from Betsy Lee"
may be given. An old sailor is speak
ing of his childhood:
Now the beauty of the thing when
childher play is
The terrible wonderful length the
days is.
Up you jumps and out in the sun,
And you'd fancy the day would never
be done;
And you're chasing the bum-bees hum
ming so cross,
In the hot sweet air among the goss;
Or you're gathering bluebells, or look
ing for eggs,
Or pelting the ducks with their yalla
legs;
Or climbing, and nearly breaking your
skulls;
Or shouting for divilment afther the
gulls;
Or thinking of nothing, but down at
the tide
Singing out for the happy you feel in
side.
That's the way with the kids, you
know,
And the years do come and the years
do go;
And when you look back it's all like
puff.
Happy, and over, and short enough.
But no extracts, either from his lon.
ger poems or his lyrics, or even from
his letters, can give to those who die
not know him-and those who knew
him were few-any adequate idea Of