Volume 2 > Half-Volume 4

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Mrs. Johnstone and her husband being now com-
mitted to literature, embarked in it with hearty and
mutual zeal; the latter opened a printing-office in
St. James' Square, and Mr. Blackwood and Mr.
Johnstone having purchased the copyright of the
Edinburgh Weekly Chronicle, the printer and his
talented wife became the joint e'ditors of the news-
paper. But while their views in politics were those
of the liberal party, Mr. Blackwood was heart and
soul with the Tories, which made a lasting co-pro-
prietorship impossible; and in consequence of this
incompatibility of temper, the union was dissolved,
and the Chronicle sold. The Johnstones now threw
themselves into other literary undertakings, the
chief of which was the periodical called The School-
master, supposed to have been the earliest series of
our cheap literature in Edinburgh, the plan of which
was first suggested by Mrs. Johnstone, and after-
wards matured by her husband. As it was the
first, it was also one of the best, of our Edinburgh
cheap and popular literature, as none of its followers
can be said to have surpassed the Schoolmaster.
But it was too good to be highly popular: the im-
portance of its articles and the talent with which
they were discussed was "caviare to the multitude,"
while its cheap price repelled those readers who
estimated the value of literature merely by the amount
of its cost. On this account it was found necessary
to merge the publication into Johnstone's Magazine,
which was published monthly for a considerable
period at eightpence. This new periodical, in which
politics were almost wholly avoided, and subjects of
literary and social interest chiefly discussed, pro-
mised to be successful, when a difficulty occurred:
Taifs Magazine was also printed at St. James'
Square office, and both magazines were issued by
the same publisher. A compromise was the conse-
quence, by which Johnstones Magazine was absorbed
into that of Tait, while the latter, still retaining the
name of Taifs Magazine, was reduced from its
monthly price of half-a-crown to a shilling. It was
a satisfactory arrangement to both parties, while the
popularity of the periodical in this new form was
insured by the appointment of Mrs. Johnstone to be
its chief contributor and director. Although she
was nominally the editor, her authority was subject
to the control of Mr. Tait, who still retained the
principal management, and thus she acted the same
part for Taifs Magazine that Wilson did for
Blackwood's. After the accession of Mrs. Johnstone
to Taifs Magazine it was inspired with new life,
and rose rapidly in popularity, while this success
was owing not so much to the political articles
it contained, as to its elaborate, able, and just criti-
cisms, which were written almost exclusively by
Mrs. Johnstone. It may be remarked also, that
although a just she was a gentle critic, and wherever
true merit appeared in the subjects of her review, or
the promise of future excellence, she was always
careful, with feminine gentleness, to point out the
one and encourage the other.
The next separate work published by Mrs. John-
stone after Clan Albyn and Elizabeth de Bruce, was
Lives and Voyages of Drake, Cavendish, andDampier,
including a History of the Buccaneers. This work,
which formed the fifth volume of the Edinburgh
Cabinet Library, was published in 1831, and in the
following year appeared her Nights of the Round
Table, a punning title, in which were included a
series of lively tales and sketches. This she always
considered as the best of her works of fiction. But
a still more popular work was the Edinburgh Tales,
chiefly written by herself in the Schoolmaster, John-
stone's Magazine, and Taifs Magazine, and which
were now published with several contributions of
other writers in a regular series, in weekly numbers
and monthly parts, and which when finished com-
posed three large volumes. These were so popular,
that in their weekly and monthly form more than
30,000 copies were sold, while in their collective
form they still obtained a considerable sale. Of
these tales, by far the best are Mrs. Johnstone's own,
while the largest of the series� Violet Hamilton and
the Western Exclusives�are equal to her best pro-
ductions. Few sketches, indeed, of Glasgow society
at the beginning of the present century are at all to
be compared with those contained in the Western Ex-
clusives. The last and also the most popular of all
her works which we have occasion to mention, bore
the following well-known title, The Cook and House.-
wtfe's Manual. A Practical System of Modern Domestic
Cookery and Family Management. By Mrs. Mar-
garet Dodds, of the Cleikum Inn, St. Ronans. It
was written at the earlier period of her life in Inver-
ness, and besides being lively and fanciful in style,
with the principal epicures of Scott's St. Ronarfs
Well and other popular novels as the principal
speakers and actors, the valuable directions and re-
ceipts contained in it made it the oracle of the kitchen,
and Meg Dodds1 Cookery became a household word.
This combination indeed of the lively and witty
with the wise and the practical, formed the chief
attraction of the work; it was the new experiment of
investing culinary operations with the charms of
novel-writing; and even those who did not care for
luxurious dinners were interested in the directions
given for concocting them, and the alluring style in
which these directions were conveyed. This singu-
lar volume was in such great demand, that in 1858
ten editions of it had appeared, and from the sale
Mrs. Johnstone derived a regular revenue for the rest
of her life.
While her popularity in the literary world was so
great, and always increasing, "her manner of life,"
writes one of her biographers, "was that of a perfect
gentlewoman. She might have easily obtained a
greater name in the world if she had sought it. She
sought it not. Even the good she did was often
concealed from those for whom it was done. Many
persons now occupy respectable positions in the
world who are indebted exclusively to the plans of
this gentlewoman�devised without solicitation, and
untold when they were successful. . . . Whenever
she thought that it was within her power to be useful
to those with whom she had in any way become ac-
quainted, however slightly, but so far as induced her
to believe that their conduct would support her recom-
mendation, she said nothing on the subject to them,
but sought to accomplish her object. If she failed,
no hopes had been erected to be cast down again;
and if she succeeded, the success was seldom told
by herself, and the originator of some change in life
was not always known�perhaps in some cases never
known�to him whose course of life was changed."
It is only necessaiy to add, that after 1846 Mrs.
Johnstone's connection with Tart's Magazine ceased,
and that she retired into private life with the com-
petence which her industry had acquired. At length,
full of years, honoured by society, and beloved by
all who knew her, she died at Edinburgh on Aug. 26,
1857. Her affectionate husband, the director and
often the partaker of her literary exertions, followed
in a few months after, and over their grave in the
Grange Cemetery stands an elegant obelisk with the
following inscription: "Mrs. Christian Isobel John-
stone, died 26 August 1857, aged 76. John Johnstone,
died 3 November following, aged 78. A memorial of
literary excellence and private worth. Erected 1858."