The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1902-07-19
MISS JOHNSTON.
Richmond To Welcome the Author
of /. Audrey"

The people of Richmond hail
with pride and pleasure the conf
ing Of Miss Mary Johnston, auth
or Of +" To Hayo and TO Hold y
and Audrey, to be a resident
here, says n Richmond dispatch
to the Atlanta Constitution.
Richmond has already a grows
ing popular novelist in the dainty
person of Miss Ellen Glasgow.
That the CITY will soon be able t0
boast Of two is source of salts
fact ion even for self-complaisant
Richmond, with all her proud airs
and blue blood.
Miss Johnston recently purchas-
cd q larger portion Of the hand
sofeet vacant lot III Richmonda
Dise prioo wes tss is,siauet s'ss,,.
paid for scsidentisI s,Ass perty.
Miss Johnston visited niubm0hsl
just before the purchase. and se-
lected the location herself. When
she went away her agcnt quietly
secured q decd for u frontage Of
100 feet. The most popular
Southern novelist has not been
here since then, but her fatheg'
and sister are now in tho city.
Major Johnston is arranging the
details before the actual work on
the erection of the house will be-
gin. The designs for one Of the
most artistic residences in the
State arc approaching completion
in the Office of a Baltimore firm
Of architects. Work begins the
Inter part of next month. Miss
Johnston herself is at the Warm
Springs, where she is engaged ON,
new novel which will deal with
tho times OF Thomas Jefferson.
One of the best friends Mics
Johnston has is Miss Glasgow,
whose nevels, "Vox Populi" and
and " Battle Ground " have been.
widely read. When Miss john
ston gets into her new home the
two writer's, each of Virginia'si
past, but neither entering the terri
tory of the other, will pursue their
labors within less than half a doz-a
en- squares of each other. In the
big "comfy" gray house on West
MAN street, ,and in one of the rooms
overlooking pretty little church.
many busy hours are spent by Miss
Glasgow. Into this. retreat few
friends are admitted, for the young
authoress, surrounded by her
father, several sisters and BROTH
ers, secludes herself from mapy1
friends and admirers.
One day some months ago, be-
fore the publication Of her latest
and most popular book, the 'sISat-
tie Ground 2 Miss Glasgow, on b.
walking expedition ID the country
near Williamsburg, was surprised
and amused to find in the same
field Miss Johnston. Both were
bent on the same mission Of gath
ering data for their forthcoming
works, the Battle Ground " and
" Audrey" each trying upon the
very ground where the scenes they
were endeavoring to depict had
appeared many years ago and
vanished, to get more into the
spirit of the surroundings. 1t
was local color that each wanted.
1t was "What are you doing
here?" that each smilingly asked
of the other. Miss Johuston was
writing of early colonial times;
Miss Glasgow of the period when
the sons of those same cavaliers
fought against the northern in
vader.
Miss Glasgow il also writing
another novel. What the theme
is has not yet leaked out.
1t is easy to imagine many hours
of delightful and helpful com
panionship that these two friends
and allied laborers in the field of
literature will spend together.
r,tnn At rnr,r, asr,n,rs,stx.