original stories and poems, and interesting items from a number of exchanges, solicited for the purpose; also, pithy and inspiring paragraphs from the writings of people of our race.
The contributors to The Joy were faithful, and the paper kept up in interest while it lived; in proof of which we quote the following extracts from The Baltimore Baptist, the widely-read weekly journal of the white Baptists of Baltimore: "The contents were original, and the general tone very creditable to the editor. ... So far as it has gone, the editor must be conscious of having done a good work, and shown the way for some other to follow." Mrs. Johnson has a large collection of letters and newspaper clippings, further testifying to the appreciation in which her little journal was held.
Her stories, etc, have always been favorably commented upon. The National Baptist of Philadelphia reproduces one of her stories, entitled "Nettie Ray's Thanksgiving-day," in its "Family Page" for Thanksgiving week; and has also, at different times, short poems from The Joy. The National Baptist is one of the largest circulated white denominational journals in the country.
Mrs. Johnson has, in the past year, conducted a "Children's Corner" in The Sower and Reaper of Baltimore, for which she wrote "The Animal Convention," "The Mignonette's Mission," and other original contributions.
But in 1889-90 she reached the place for which she had been aiming and preparing herself. She wrote for publication a manuscript, which was purchased by the American Baptist Publication Society, one of the largest publishing houses in America. The American Baptist of Louisville, Ky., in alluding to this, said: "Mrs. Johnson has the deserved distinction of being the first lady author whose manuscript has been accepted by this society." The Indianapolis
