Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-13
HONOR HIS MEMORY.
FORMER PUPILS OF DIR. A. II.
BROWN no ERECT A MEMORIAL.
SKETCH OF A BEAUTIFUL LIFE,
DIR. brown Was Professor of English
I'm Richmond Coliege--Dr. Pollard,
After Fifteen Years, Writes of
This Beloved and Great Teacher.

This Beloved ana treat ieachers
Dr. John Pollard contributes tho fol-
lowing sketch and estimate Of Or. A. Is.
Brown DR.. Pollard succeeded Dr. Brown
as Professor Of English in Richmond Col
lege, and knew and loved him well
A movement is now on foot 10 collect
sufficient money TO put slab over DR..
Browns unmarked grave In Hollywood
Cemetery, and to provide some other ap-
propriate memorial OF this great teacher
Dr. Pollard was very httinsiy selected TO
receive these funds. lie has written IN
terestingly here Of Or. Brown. and many
very many. of his pupils and friends IN
those years OF sweet living and service
while on earth will read Of him now with
quickening and very tender recollecttons.
DR. Pollard writes:
Tho lost to sight, TO memory dear"
Nearly a decake and a half ago \. b.
Brown, in obedience to the summons that
comes at length TO all, left forever these
earthly scenes. Then the tOier entered
into rest: then the racer won his crown,
then the warrior, battle-scarred but VIC
torious. received his discharge. During
the intervening years the mortal part OK
him-all that earth can store and guard
has slept IN an unmarked grave. Above
the spot flowers have doomed birds nave
sung their morning carols, ana majestic
pines have spread their sheltering boughs;
thither loving memory with noiseiesS
and painless tread, has turned thousand
times: thence TO many souls has come
mighty call for higher thinking and a
better life, and there, more beautiful
than sunlight, seem 10 rest continually
foregleams OF the extraordinarily; bur
nc that grave no memorial stands
neither shaft nor slab tells to the passer-
by who Is sleeping there.
IL is high time that a. II. Brown should
have a monument. / am glad 10 say
movement has been started with this end
in view. The fund. of which l have been
made custodian. ia growing. and II the
many who admired and loved him ana
received blessing from his life Will send
in their contributions but a few weeks
will roll by before suitable honor will be
paid TO the great and good man OF whom
l write
SKETSH OF DIR. BROWN.
As this movement is now in progress.
the present seems 4 suitable occasion 10
recall some of the main facts in Or.
| Browns career, and some of the main
! features OF his characterize retrace some
of the fading colors of the portrait hang
ing in memOry's chamber
A. Il. Brown was born in Amherst c0un-
ty, Va. seventy-sevcn years ago. lie
was of English and Huguenot descent. In
his Sth year he was placed under regular
instruction, and showed great aptness In
learning mathematics and the French.
Latin, and Greek languages. besides the
mother tongue. His mind developed
! rapidly, and when only Is years OF age
he was teaching school lie. at the same
time took up law and pursued that study
| for a time. During one session
| 0Si0-'4D he was student in Washing
ton College, now Washington and Lee
University. In 1916 he entered the Uni
! Versity Of Virginia, and after one session
was graduated in moral philosophy,
physics and chemistry. About this time
he was ordained 90 the Baptist ministry,
and in 1SiS we find him labOring as 4
missionary I'm Lewis county. then I'm Nir-
/ ginia. but now in the very heart OF West
Virginia. We next find him pastor OF
churches I'm Pennsylvania and Halifax
| counties. In this field his labors were
abundant, and the impression made was
salutary and abiding. Here, too, ne
mot the woman-Miss Sallie Wimbish-
! who became his wife in $751; and remain
ed his loving and helpful companion TO
| the end. In 1854 he accepted a profess
sOrship I'm Hollins Institute. Three years
afterwards he went 10 Hampton. Va. and
| became pastor Of the Baptist church
! i'm that town. From 1859 10 1851 he was
pastor of the Charlottesville Baptist
church In the last mentioned year he
returned TO a professorship in Hollins
Institute. where he remained through the
sessions Of 18jl-62 and lS62-'63. These
We're years Of civil war and so power
fully did the spiritual needs Of southern
soldiers appeal 20 him that he gave up
books. quit lecturng-roOms, and aban-
dOned academic shades 20 accept the pri-
vatiOns and hardships Of missionary
chaplain in the Army Of Northern Nir-
gnia. IL was credltable 10 Dr. Brown
that the same field wanted him more
than once. We have already seen that
he was twice at HOllins Institute. Now
be goes back 10 Pittsylyania and Halt-
fax. When the war ended ne accepted
the pastorate Of churches I'm these coun-
ties, and I'm this relation he continued
about fifteen years. During this period
he grew rapidly in power and In reputa-
| ton. For II was within these years that
| he made his memorable speech on state
| missions before the General Association
! in Petersburg. and preached his equally
memorable discourse before the same
! body. assembled six years later at Gull
peper; of the one Of which competent
| Judge says: 1T was Overwhelmingly
powerful" and Of the other anOtheF
| competent judge says: The most tnIlI-
ingly eloquent sermon ] ever he@iu'
COMES TO RICHMOND COLLI.IE
IL was during these years, also, that ne
|
gree OF Doctor Of Divinity. Ihls hohot
was followed by one stu higher from mo
same institution. In June. 1881, sepd-
rate professorship OF English was estaD-
! Iished and he was elected 10 I'll this po-
sitiOn. In 1884 Professor Brown was bon
ored with the degree Of Ii. ID. from the
| University OF Tennessee. On the Z'th oay
OF November. 1885. the end came, ana ne
was translated from the hOnOrs and tolls
Of earth TO the brighter honors and bet
ter services OF the celestial world.
II has been seen In the foregoing sketch
that the current Of DR.. Browns life
moved along two channels equally broad
and equally deep-that Of preaching ana
| that of teaching-the two nODlest caliinss
TO which human mind and heart can DC
dedicated. In both OF these employmehls
he attained high rank. II was, perhaps
while pastor in Charlottesville that MS
homiletical sun reached its zenith. or mas
preaching in this town, Professor George
| Frederick Holmes, Of the University Oh
Virginia. WRIT as follows: Il frequently
attended the services NJ. his church Tor
| the instruction. direction, and consolauOn
derived from his sermons. These were
always full OF matter well considered ana
suggestive. The thoughts were abundant
strong. and closely concatenated. Ihere
vyas a novelty as well as straightior-