The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-06
A TRIBUTE TO TIT
LATE F. A.
by F. D.. Swindell and read by him at a meeting of
the Wilson Bar held June 26.)

always deliberate and ALWAYS as eff
Gent as circumstances would allow
ne was .neVe known to become
pan1cky, sullen or fretful under fire.
out as the tension increased. he be-
came more keenly alert and more OBJ
vlousiy master OF himself and the
merits of his case.
1t has for years been a current cav
ing among his associates at the bar
that the near he was brought to defeat
the more reSOurceful, vigilant and
capable he became.
Looking back over ten years Of
practlce at the same bar and having !
been intimately thrown with him ali
the while l can say that I never knew |
+: A. Woodland to blunder in a matter |
OF law. In all his battles in the court |
room. in all his arguments in cham
bers, in all his conferences with other
lawyers [ have eve seen him exhibit
weakness, yield to anger or approach
discourtesy.
Mr.. Woodland was a man of Guilt
vated taste and Appreciation: his
nablts OF life and thought were ele-
giant without being dandy: he read
constantly and with discrimination.
He loved the wholesome and clean
things: he found joy in nature and the
Tree air of the Out-Of-doOrs he, like
the Wuke of the Forest Of Arden
found. T..
Tongues in trees, books in running
brooks. in stones and good in
everything"
This rare power of discerning the
beauty the virtue the charm in the
world about him enable him to in
terpret and much of life and
nature that was obscure to the casual
passerby.
In conversation he was always en-
tertaining, for, as I have remarked,
having seen with a clear vision, hav-
ing caught all tones and colors and
meanings of the things he sawa,
whether an autumn sunset beneath a
bank Of clouds, moonlight on the
English lakes or the CLINT of sunrise
on the ice peaked mountains of
Switzerland, with the y of an artist
and in chaste English, he d%elineated
the scenes until the glory of them be-
came your own.
Mr.. Woodland had an abundant fund
Of anecdote and humorous reminis-
cense. Alert and agile of wit, his
humOr was always kindly and refined.
I knew him to descend to the
boisterous, the immodest or the pro
fame. either in the jolly banter h
sometimes INDUCED in with his more
intimate friends, or in the narration
of a story.
. Mr.. Woodland was liberal in his
views and charitable in his regard OF
the conduct Of others. S%ingularly free
, from weakness himself he was patient
with the. weakness of others and for
giving of wrong. In one respect HI
!, was stern-he could never understand
) or tolerate the frivolous or the af
fected.
, TIC those of us who knew him hes
: one Of his greatest charms was tn
inrofo rnndoCfv IF him This an11n1Qf
Z with his gentleness and a half per
ceptible shyness at times, added
loveableness to him which many o
During the last year of his life MI
Woodland endured without breaking
as fearful a test as man can be calle'
upon to face. For over a year h
)" felt the fearful hand Of dissolution
knew that medical science was impo
4 tent to cure his disease or to chez
it: he knew hat each day as it passe
his strength n virility lack.
left him a little less Of the strengt
# and power Of life. Many men econ
insane under like circumstances, c
d loathing the lingering horror Of slo7
death, kill themselves. 1t was a situs
IS ton to break the heart and to wrec
;s the reason, and yet F. A. Woodar
is met each day with a smile, and ri
ly oblivious Of himself and his af6lit
s. ton, lived calmly and sweetly. happ
70 in the love of his family and friend
le thinking of others, interested in otf
ers, doing for others, cheerful al
h. unafraid. Even when the end We
IF near and the shadow of the twiligi
tv had settled upon him, with a sublin
and lofty courage he waited trustful
or for the touch Of the finger Of God.
n / shall never forget him as [ sa
In him last-lying very still, handson
We as always, his soft silvery hair fallir
in back from his broad forehead. tt
al light Of understanding still in his ey
ps though the power of speech had TO
nd saken him and his strength was a
most gone: he knew me as l stot
before him, and feebly reaching O.
as his hand he pressed mine tenderly
IL a friends farewell to friend.
o. leave it to the older men, the IL
l~- H.:o.S--A - AIr Nynndord to n.