The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-05
MARRIED FOR FIFTY YEARS.
Col. Richard Malcolm Johnston Cele-
brates His Golden Wedding.

day as this. with the sun shining bright
ly. the temperature frosty but kindly, and
everything smiling and bright-Only 1t was
City years ago." Col Richard Malcolm
Johnston recalled the half century with
all the joy and buoyancy Of a young man
entering his twenty-first year. Fifty years
ago Nov. IS Richard Malcolm Johnston,
aged .. and Miss Frances Mansfield, aged
Is. were married in Georgia His father
/ was planter, with an estate Of $500 acres;
I Miss Mansfield was the daughter Of Con-
J necticut people who had moved TO Geor-
. gia. where she was born. Col. Johnston's
I ancestors We're Nirginians, who had re-
/ moved there in colonial times from the
state of Connecticut and from Virginia to
/ Georgia.
There was no formal celebration Of
the golden wedding, but a paragraph had
/ found its way into the newspapers, ana
the result was quite overwhelming.
/ Throughout the day and evening the com
/ modious residence Of the Johnstons, on 81.
Paul street, was beseiged by callers and
] by messengers carrying flowers ana glits
/ and kilograms. The courts Of the city
/ were represented by one of their most dls-
l tinguished judges, there were many cler-
/ gymen and university professors, and the
I literary forces Of the city were all there
| to pay their respects. The rooms were
/ brilliant in golden chrysanthemums and
/ fragrant with many roses, which had oeeh
/ sent by loving friends. There were mes
| sages from different parts OF the country
and from many distinguished writers.
Col and Mrs. Johnston enjoyed II all the
more because II was so unexpected. Mrs.
| Johnston is not strong physically, but her
! mental vision is as clear as II ever was,
and she keeps wonderfully well informed
on the literature OF the day.
LAS to the capacity and desire Tor work
and the consciousness of living. 1 feel as
strong as any of the young men here l
like to work as much as / ever did. or
course, I know that I cannot last forever
but at present my seventy-two years DO
not bother me-"
The colonel showed this in his move
ments and his manner. He is distinctly
| one of the men who are superior to age.
| Indeed, 1t was only the other day that he
returned from lecturlng expedition in
| New England, and at all seasons he IS 10
be found travelling TO different parts of the
country to fill engagements, using the
| days he spends at home in writing new
stories and new lectures, and in compiling
| his literary work for publication in book
| form. He is the author of eleven volumes,
| and every year finds a new one from his
| pen. Until this summer, the Johnston
| home, in Baltimore was at the corner of
North and Maryland avenues, but the in
| crease of rapid transit began to multiply
! the trolley cars, and the consequence was
/ removal to a quiet square in st. Paul
| street. one of the fashionable avenues OF
| the city.
! Col Johnston likes to recall the old times.
! He was born in Middle Georgia, Hancock
county, March s. 1922. He lived upon the
plantation until he was years old. In
| 1881 his father removed to Crawfordville
| and then to Powelton, a finished town OF
! about $50 people. This town is the Dukes
I - H. a.-ET uurnn
| ton, the colonel humorouSly says: In my
! stories 1 used up every house in the town
| and then finished the surrounding coun-
try"
At Powelton he received a good educa-
| ton and then went 10 Mercer University,
from which he was graduated in 1S4l. For
| two years he taught school and then be-
! gan the practice of the law, his partner
| being the younger brother of Alexander
II. Stevens. He practiced in the state for
! ten years at the end of which time he
/ was offered three positions, a judgeship
| of the northern circuit of Georgia, the
/ presidency of the Mercer University, and
a professionally in the State University.
| He chose the latter place and filled 1t for
| four years. During the civil war he was
an aid to Gov. Brown, and was active in
organizing the militia of the state. He
| came to Maryland in 1861, and established
/ the Penn Lucy school, which he conducted
| with much success for a number of years.
! He gave it up some time ago, however,
| and has since that time devoted himself
to Iecturing and writing.
There is not a more conscientious or
more painstaking writer living. Many of
his stories have been completely written
| three or four times over. Regarding the
| peculiar dialect in the stories, he says
that there Is not word which was not in
use by the people he wrote about. He
writes of them with real love, and among
! their descendants to-day no one is more
| popular than he is. He is one of the story
tellers who never makes plots beforehand.
! His main reliance is on the characters,
and he let's the situations develop as he
writes. 1T grows under my hand" he
says; how, l cannot tell until when l
see it in it's finished form 1 can scarcely
recognize ii as the same idea with which
/ started" He says he has found it more
difficult to write short stories than novels
"A short story must be concise above
everything" he says.
His views of literature are the clean-cut
| sentiments of a clean-minded man. He
| holds that only that which is pure will
last, and that Vulgarity or indecency how
| ever brilliant in realism, can have no per-
| manent place. All of his lectures are
! studies of literary topics. Last summer
he delivered series at the Catholic sum-
| mer school. He is a reader of unusual
ability, and he has appeared with great
success in the north and west 1t is almost
| impossible to fully appreciate the rich
ness of his humor until you hear him read
| some of his Dukesborough sketches. These
stories have made his fame, but the first
of them were written for his personal
pleasure, and it was only after Sidney
Lanier and other friends recognized and
applauded their merits that he went to
work at them seriously.
Col. Johnston says: There was at Bal
timore in 1870 periodical called the South
! ern Magazine. In this the first nine of
the 'Dukesborough Tales were printed
The editor of Harpers Magazine saw
them and asked me what I got for them
1 replied, not a cent. and he wanted to
know why / had not sent them to him.
/ Sidney Lanier was urging me to write and
promised to get the matter in print. 1 gave
him 'Neelus Peeler's Conditions. and he
took it to Scribner's-now the Century
and brought me $50. l really believe he
was more happy over the money than
was, and am not a man to turn my back
on $50! l was honestly surprised to find
my stories considered of value either in a
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