Annie Fellows
Johnston Scrapbook
Newspaper
"Clippings" 1917
Town
Crier Made Famous.
George Washington Ready, of Provincetown, a Figure In Mrs. Johnston's New
Book.
Louisville
Post January 6, 1917
The fame of George
Washington Ready, the old and retired town crier of Provincetown, has spread
far beyond the limits of that quiet art colony and fish mart at the tip of
old Cape Cod: Annie Fellows Johnston's new book, "Georgina, of the
Rainbows," has made of him a principal character, so important indeed
that the bosom of Mr. Ready may well heave in cheerful content at the kindly
fiction that has been written around him. Mr. Ready is now in semi-retirement,
for old age has come at last, but the town crier, as institution, still
survives in Provincetown through the more youthful efforts of Walter Smith,
who how rings the big bell along main thoroughfares and shouts the lost
pocket book, the fish auction, the death of a citizen, or the birth of a
child. Once in a while in fair weather during the summer months Mr. Ready
takes the bell in hand. for a day, and at such times he is the recipient of
many cordial hand shakes and good wishes from fellow-townsmen, and also from
the hosts of summer visitors who come tumbling in upon the peace and quiet
of artists. One of the best things he does for the artistic element is to
toll away the groups which gather about the artists and their easels to the
destruction of inspiration and execution. All he has to do is to clang his
bell and shout the news and the good-natured crowd trails in behind to
follow him along the boardwalks of the quaint little city. Provincetown,
primitive and steadfast to old ideals, is the only place now on the map
which boasts a town crier.
Louisville Courier-Journal
March 12, 1917
The
perennial popularity, of Mrs. Johnston's books for young people was newly
attested last week by the receipt of the following letter addressed to the
literary editor from a young girl of Baltimore:
"Having
read over and over again the 'Little Colonel' stories by Annie Fellows
Johnston, I have often thought that a good many things connected with
these wonderful books were real. I trust that I am not asking too much of
your wonderful paper and its literary editor in asking of you some
information in regard to whether or not there does exist near Louisville
such a place as Pewee Valley, the Anchorage or the like. And if so, is there
any house or estate existing known in the story as 'Locust.' This is
referred to in the story as the home of a certain Col. Lloyd.
"I
have heard that such places did exist in Kentucky at one time, and it would
interest myself and a number of my girl friends to hear if any place, any
house or anything of interest in any way connected with the 'Little Colonel'
stories still can be seen. If so, I believe my father would take me to see
them."
The
Author of the "Little .Colonel" Is Popular Everywhere.
Louisville Post, March 17, 1917
A
GENTLEMAN, recently returned from a tour in the South, related an
interesting story of an experience in New Orleans.
Some
research work, which he is doing, associated him with a number of libraries,
both public and private.
In
the home of a New Orleans gentleman, who had extended the invitation to look
over his extensive library, the Louisville gentleman was gratified to
observe, in a wing of the library devoted to literature for the children of
the family, a complete set of Annie Fellows Johnston's books.
"I
am glad to see your appreciation of our Louisville author," remarked
the gentleman to his hostess who was showing him about the room. And
inviting him to feel perfectly at home.
"Do
you know Mrs. Johnston?" asked the lady.
Being
answered in the affirmative, she said, "My little girl will be so
pleased. She has written to the author, but will wish to know many things
about her personality."
The
next afternoon, when the gentleman had concluded an hour or two of study
from a volume of history, his hostess appeared with a group of girls, all
wishing to hear of the beloved author.
"As
a matter of fact, I have not a very intimate acquaintance with the author
myself," said the gentleman in telling the story, "but she had
autographed copies of her books for me.--- I had had chats with her a few
times --- and knew considerable in a general way of her, so I bluffed it
out, for I could not disappoint a bunch of kiddies, who thought because I
lived in the same town with Mrs. Johnston I ought to know all about her. I
told them everything of interest I could think of in connection with her,
and they seemed to be satisfied."
GEORGINA
New York Times,
November 12, 1917
GEORGINE OF THE
RAINBOWS By Annie Fellows Johnston Britton Publishing Company. $1.25
net.
We must confess
that, in spite of the authorship of "Georgina of the
Rainbows," its title and its portrait of a particularly winsome child
filled us with alarm lest Mrs. Johnston had added another case to the
prevalent epidemic of infantile radioactivity --- an epidemic which makes
one turn with relief even to Elsie Dinsmore and her tears. But we should not
have doubted the creator of "the Little Colonel." she is too
true to life and to art to produce an, impossibly perfect and
all-transforming child. Georgina is as human as she is delightful,
and, instead of converting her little world, she is the natural result of
her surrounding influences. Her one conscious attempt to "uplift"
is beautifully nipped in the bud by the suffering Mrs. Triplett whom she
exhorts to the cheerful endurance of lumbago. Heartily are we in
accord with the good woman's reply to the well-meant advice.
Deliver me from
people who make it their business in life always to act cheerful no matter
what. The Scripture itself says "There's a tine to laugh, and a time
to weep, a time to mourn and a time to dance." When the weeping time
comes, I can't abide either people or books that go around spreading
cheerful sayings on everybody like salve.
The story is of old
Provincetown that still boasts its "Town Crier," and a most dear
old man he is --- the real hero of the tale. Nowhere except in New England,
is to be found the society Mrs. Johnston depicts, in which "Earth's
four distinctions fade away," and everybody is respected and
self-respecting according to character alone. The very soul of the place and
its people --- the distinctive flavor of both --- pervades. A book which
cannot fail to fascinate old and young alike. Mrs.
Johnston has captured the elusive spirit of childhood, its imagination more
potent than the Midas-touch; its capacity for both joy and sorrow; its
strange reticence, the source of untold suffering. She has written a rainbow
book, and those who read with discerning eyes will not. miss the pot of gold
at its foot: for with fine unconsciousness it radiates the, spirit of
cheer and helpfulness which many more-didactic stories vainly preach.
<1916
1918>
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