Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-04-07
4 CHARACTER SKETCH OF THE
NOTED SOUTHERN WRITER
WHO is WELL KNOWN
IN ATLANTA.



To the great majority of those who have
read the opening sentences of Mary john
ston's new novel, Audrey" there remains
only a general impression of satisfaction
tinged with admiration for the artist who
has painted such a vivid picture in words
Few realize that in this particular case 1t
might almost be said that the picture pro-
duced the artist:
1.-The valley lay like a ribbon thrown
into the midst of the encompassing hills
The grass which grew there was soft ana
fine and abundant. the trees which sprang
from Its dark rich mold were tall and
great OF girth. A bright stream flashed
through IT, and the sunshine lay warm up
On the grass and changed the tassels OF
the maise into golden plumes. Above the
valley, east. and north, and south, rose
the hills, clad in living green, mantled
with the purpllng grape, wreathed morn
and eve with trailing mist. To the west
ward were the mountains, and they dwelt
apart I'm a blue haze. Only in the morn
ing. II the mist were not there. the sun
rise struck upon their long SUBMITS, and
in the evening they stood out, high and
black and fearful against the splendid
sky The child who played beside the cab
IN door often watched them as the valley
filed with shadows. and thought of them
as a great wall between her and some land
OF the fairies which must needs lie be-
yond that barrier, beneath the splendor
and the evening star. The Indians called
them the Endless Mountains, and the
child never doubted that they ran across
the world and touched the floor of heav-
enc Audrey" Chapter u
Amid such surroundings, in a valley
sheltered by the encompassing hills, Mary
Johnston spent her childhood and early
youth. She was born thirty-one years ago
ar Buchanan a village in Botetourt coun-
~. Va. in the shadow Of that Blue Ridge
which Governor Spotswood and his
Knights OF the Golden Horseshoe found 1t
TO be such a pleasure to, cross. This little
town, settled about a century ago. was
once a picturesque and decidedly pleasant
place, and in ante-bellum days had some
slight trade and Importance. During the
war Il was burned In part, the home of
Miss Johnston's father being one of those
destroyed. If the childhood of the novel;
ist. the nearest railroad was three miles
away. and a stage coach and canalboats
connected 1t with the outside world. To-
day there are two railroads, a "boom" has
passed over the town, many OF the old
residents have died or moved away, and
many OF the old houses show signs of
dilapidation. Ire
But II the old people have gone. the
memory of their reverence for the glorious
past OF Virginia has remained TO lend
warmth and reality to the coloring Of
those pictures which were first seen in
outline by the young girl who spent so
much OF her time day dreaming under the
old trees which have been cut down or
browsing in the libraries Of houses which
are now dilapidated. And the mountains,
which remained for Audrey when the cab
in was waste, and the clearing a tangle
OF shrubs And underbrush, have remained
also for the creator of Audrey.
Sixteen years OF Miss Johnston's life
were spent at Buchanan, years from
which the routine OF neither public nor
private school flched a single hour, for
her health was frail, and her education
was conducted at home, with due regard