Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-29
THE REAL JOHN BROWN
By His Friend, Frank B. Sanborn

Pilgrim father removed to Windsor in Connect
cut, and the most famous of his posterity was
born at Torrington Connecticut Nav O. 1900 His
father, cordwainer and tanner migrated to Hud-
son, Ohio, in 1905, and there John was bred amid
pioneers and Indians and intended by Owen
Brown the deacon for minister His fathers
cousin, the Rev. Heman Humphrey, was president
OF Amherst College, and John returned to New
England at the age of eighteen fit for that college
Study caused such weakness of sight that he gave
up his hope of that education went back to Hudson
set up tannery OF his own in ISIo and in Tune
1920, married Dianthe Lusk a descendant of the
Adams family of Massachusetts, Owen Brown had
brought up his fifteen children in the fear of God
and the faith of Augustine and Calvin; at the age
OF elghty-hve he was still living, prosperous old
man, at Hudson, and wrote January 20 ISs6) thus
to his son John in Kansas:
From the Father of John Brown
DEAR Son JoHN AND orHnRs.-Your letters have come
to hand very regularly in about twelve days and are
received with great satisfaction They looked for
with great anxiety your wants. fears health lives
are very much my mind. Here the of health is
very general and Gods common proportional
to our wants but spiritual blessings be with
holden, and the wicked walk every side NY mind is
very clear on most of my transactions from my child
hood and my sins before me, which may God
pardon through the merits of Christ have great anxiety
for my children to the fourth generation
was once in conversation with old Deacon Wright about
our children when he told me he had comfortable hope
for all his children Is there great guilt living on
me that my life has not been as exemplary as Dea E.
Wrghtsf can now follow most of my numerous family
through most OF their changes in life. think nv life
been different theirs would likely; now | can
do but little than commit them the care of er-
cul God Our fears of slavish tyranny are rather SUBJ
siding; 1t IS always safe to put confidence in God
This tone of religious responsibility was inherited
by John Brown, who in all his activities looked
toward God and the Bible for guidance This
striklngly appears by his letter of September az
I043, announcing to his son John the loss of four
children of the second marriage Ito Mary Ann Day
IN 1890. The afflicted father wrote from Richfeld
near Akron:
God has fit to visit us with the pestilence and
four OF number sleep the dust four of us that are
stu living have been less unwel. On the 4th
Sept Charles taken and died 11th about that
time Sarah, Peter and Austin taken with the same
complaint They died the 2Ist 22nd and gard and
were all buried together grave This has been to
us all bitter indeed, and have drunk deeply but
still the Lord regneth and blessed be His great and holy
name foreverl
In affection there is still some comfort Sarah
like your own mother, during her sickness discovered
great of mind and patience together with strong
assurance, at times of meeting God in Paradise She
seemed to have idea of recovering from the first nor
did she ever the least desire that she might but
rather the reverse We fondy hope that not dsa
pointed They were all children towards whom perhaps
we might have felt little PARTIAL but they all now lie
IN little together. yet feeble from the same
disorder, which may for some of my blunders