The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-25

The waSscal1eds on o4prepareyt the most tm-
sportantS paper This he proceeded TO do.
giving stp 81 a larges part of his spare
time, gathering from books and journals
and otherwise the materials for such a.
paper With much 5sweariness and effort
he completed it. but when the day for
delivering came he wa net able to-
read 1t, but sat quietly and heard It.
sThissWas the last effort In church work
s lever made, and it stands in the book
afterwards published "a specimen of his
spainstaking labor and faithful research
In more respects than one he was the
most prominent member OF the Virginia
Conferences. None surpassed him in abun-
Edant labor. He was for about thirty
years chairman Of the joint Board of
Finance, a position he filed with marked
ability, and for which he was emfnently
fitted. The same reason caused his prom
inence in all the affairs of the church
which demanded financial and business
experience. 1t is safe to say that no
man of the Conference ever. did more hard
work for it nor did it better.
4 He had not the best early educational
advantages, but what he had were so
used that the product was as interest
compounded many times. He, however,
had many advantages which in hands
like his were in the highest degree eetu-s
from Tie ustS3
his ministry thrown into close contact
with many Of the first men of the church,
and he had the happy art Of ting GU.
{ of men the best of what they had learned
and making It his own, not as copyiSe
or paGiarist, but by 50 absorbing the
information thus gained as to make 51t
spabuIum for future thought and use Wheny
needed In this respect he was much IKE
some Of the most prominent OF the oto-s
fashioned preachers, who did not sreao
books as much as they read men,, and
what they read was good for the use OF
edifying to themselves and to their hear>
ers and friends. But he did not only
read men He had good library-say
couple of hundred OF the best books,
about as many as a busy ttnerant needs
to have, and among them not one that
when read would shake ones faith IN
Christ.as the Saviour of the world
It is to be regretted that his busy lie
did not give him time for writing more.
He had more material of certain KIND
about old men and old places, famous In
Methodist, history, than any man OF his
day. Z begged him to put it into writing.
and he indicated an intention to DO SO,
but L fear 1T is all lost. What Interest
ing incidents and anecdotes he could give
of Bishop Early, Joseph Carson, Wllltam
Smith. and others of like time and
prominence All these served to set be-
fore us the inner lives and characters OF
these men better than ordinary biogra-
phies.
DR.. Brown was most useful member
Of the Board Of Trustees Of Randolph.
Macon College for about thirty years.
Early in the presidency Of DR.. James A
Duncan he was made financial secretary
Of the college. Such a man was tmpera-
lively needed to gather up the remnants
Of the wreck Of endowment funds made
by war and it's subsequent disastrous
years. He found wreck indeed, and still
more gone to the bottom, beyond all hope
Of saving. Without his skilful manage
ment and economical methods President
Duncan's administration. grand as it was
in many respects, would have come to
an untimely close for want OF funds. He
loved the college for what 1t had done.
and for what it was to do for church and
country. He worked for 1t In Its poverty
and in its more prosperous times, ard the
last labor of public character he ever
performed was to preside over a session
of the Executive Committee, during which
session L first observed a WEAKNESS from
a protracted session, and then the touch
of the disease which was to throttle his
strong frame tightening its hold from,
day to day, till after weary months "the
strong man bowed himself because he
could hold out no longer. One has to see
such a strong man as DIR. Brown was
give up-strong physically, mentally and
morally-to realize how imperious and In
satiate is death. We who knew him so
strong and active can with difficulty
realize that he is no longer moving
power in the church and the world.
AFTER 1ife's fever he sleeps well,''
but sleeps not too sound but that he will
head the resurrection signal when with
his brethren and loved ones so dear to
him and so tender1y cared for by him in
life, awake again to life that shall know
no paralyzing hand nor setting sun.