The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-12-10

BrOtnerS, or Baltimore, about 1874. me
edition was dedicated ITO the Memories
of the Old Times. The Grim and Rude,
but Hearty Old Times in Georgia" After
the failure of Turnbull Brothers, the
work was republished by Harper g.
Brothers in their Franklin Square Lii
brary.
The subjects of "The Dukesborough
Tales" are almost entirely stories of life
in Georgia in the early and middle part
of this century. The material was gath
cred by Col. Johnston from his personal
experiences as a practicing lawyer in the
country towns of his native state, and
from stories told him by other Georgia
lawyers. The accuracy Of the dialect
has been disputed by some Georgians
but Col. Johnston always stoutly assert
| ed that he was correct, and said that
| Robert Toombs, Alexander H. Stephens
| and other distinguished Georgians used
| to amuse themselves in leisure hours
| by talking to each other and telling &to-
| ries in this dialect.
OF Alexander II. Stephens Col. John
ston was always very fond and on terms
of close intimacy. having been law
| partner of his brother, Linton Stephens,
| in Georgia, and after his removal to Bal
| timore he frequently entertained Mr..
| Stephens as a guest at Penn Lucy. In
| conjunction with DR.. William Hande
| Brown, of Baltimore, Col. Johnston pub
| lished in 1878 life of Mr. Stephens, and
| with the same collaboration volume
upon English literature which became a
class book in several universities.
The success of THE Dullesborougll
Tales" was the chief motive that induced
! Col Johnston to give up teaching and
devote himself to literature, although a
change In his religious belief which led
him at about the same time to abandon
the Baptist church and become Roman
Catholic, had prejudicial influence
upon the school. Always in earnest,
Col Johnston would never suppress his
religious convictions, and was ardently
| devoted to the church OF Rome in all his
later life. At the same time, he was
able to say upon his death bed that it
was great joy to him that he had never
published a line rejecting upon any
other form of Christian belief, or Il line
teaching other than pure morality.
In the later years of his life he Was
constantly contributing to the Northern
magazines, principally the Century, llar
always stories of Georgia life in ollcn
times. Many Of these stories were illus
| trated by A. b. Frost after consultation
with the colonel as to their accuracy of
! costumes and detail, and the original
drawings of many Of them presented
him by Mr.. Frost were amcng his most
valued treasures.
While living in Baltimore Col. John
ston made a trip Or two to Europe, his
| observations being chronicled in vol
ume entitled ''Two Gray Tourists" lie
also published two or three volumes of
his collected stories, and in 1912 two
volumes of Literary and Social Stud
ies,' which are very pleasant reading.
1t is as yet too soon to predict the
permanent place of Col. Johnston among
American authors, although l believe
that it will be a high and honorable one
| All his stories arc pleasant, most OF
them humorous, and all reveal the Kind
ly nature of their author. The man );
| personality was so marked and interest
ing, and his manner of reading his own
tales, which he did with keen enjoyment,
made his public appearance as a reader
historical and literary characters, nota-
bly, those of Henry VIII. and George
Eliot, are powerful and deeply palnetic,
even when one does not agree entirely
with his point of view-that Of de-
voted Catholic.
But 1t was as man who loves his fell
low man that Col. Johnston was best
loved, and will ever be remembered by
those who knew him. In one of his let
ters to him, Sidney Lanier addressed him
as Richard of the Lion Heart" and
among his near and dear friends were
not only Thomas Nelson Page, Joel
Chandler Harris and other Southern III
thors, but Edmund c. Stedman, Charles
Dudley Warner, bill" Nye, Whitcomb
Riley, mark TWAIN" and the editors Of
the Century, Harper's and Lipplncotts s
magazines, with all of whom he was on
terms Of close intimacy. Probably no
Southern author ever had as many warn,
friends in his own profession certainly
none had more in the North. Mr.. Riley
was especially fond OF him. and year or
two ago wrote him a letter of congratu-
lation on one Of his stories. telling him
that he (Riley) was walking up and
down hugging himself with delight over
the charming humor of the tale in qucs-
ton. Since his death Mr.. Riley ina.
written the family an incXpressibly ten
der letter that reflects credit alike on the
dead and the living.
But it was Mark Twain who gave evi-
dence of the most practical sympathy
during the coloncl's lifetime. Part OF
the story has been Incorrectly told be
FORE but the facts are that Col. Johnston