INTRODUCTION 39 



to the Florida Republican and the Sun and Press, both 

 published at Jacksonville. Sometime during this period, 

 he produced another novel, Osceola, or the Last of the 

 Seminoles. This narrative about the famous chieftain 

 has not been located, but is supposed to have appeared in 

 the Florida Republican. 1 Robinson proved himself a good 

 citizen of his adopted state, and consistently used his in- 

 fluence to support measures for its welfare. 2 



Although the composition of poetry was distinctly not 

 the foremost of Robinson's talents, as he was probably 

 aware, writing of verse amused him in his leisure mo- 

 ments, and his correspondence between 1868 and 1880 

 contains numerous examples of his efforts in this direc- 

 tion. Many of these poems were written to his children 

 and grandchildren and show clearly his love and affection 

 for them. As in the earlier verse, it is the subject mat- 

 ter, not the style, which interests the reader. Philosophi- 

 cal, kindly, and humorous, occasionally reminiscent of 

 the experiences of his boyhood, they are indicative of the 

 mellowness of his last years. 3 One poem relating to 

 a visit to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, 

 in 1876, is a veritable catalogue of the exhibits and his 

 reactions to what he saw on that occasion. 4 



On June 30, 1872, Robinson married Mary Johnson, 

 formerly his secretary in New York. 5 In August, 1876, 

 accompanied by his wife and her crippled sister, he 



'Knotts, "Solon Robinson." 



2 Jacksonville Sun and Press, November 4, 1880. 



1 Robinson wrote "To My Dear Grand Daughter, Bell Holton," 

 May 13, 1868; "To My Grand Daughters, Christmas 1871"; "To 

 my daughter," January 4, 1872; "Have you forgotten when etc.?" 

 November, 1876; "A greeting to Lake county pioneers," July 25, 

 1879; "My Seventysixth birth day greetings to my daughter, Mrs. 

 Josephine S. Strait, Shakopee, Minnesota," October 21, 1879. 



4 "Can you enjoy a story told in homely rhyme," December 5, 

 1876. 



B Mary Johnson Robinson was born on June 18, 1834, in Mon- 

 treal, daughter of Isaiah Bowen Johnson, of Canada and Vermont. 

 Robinson Genealogy, 1:182-83; Chicago Tribune, July 9, 1872; 

 statement of A. F. Knotts, 1921. 



6— 50109 



