160 LETTER-FILES OF S. W. JOHNSON 



I am glad that all our children are so good. God bless them. 

 May they all continue to be respectable and useful. I wish 

 I were able to place them all in circumstances of competence 

 as to this world's goods, believing most of them have chosen 

 the good part never to be taken from them. . . . Our best 

 love and good will to you three. Your Mother's health is 

 nearly as good as it has been for years, so far as I can see. 

 Affectionately, A. A. Johnson. 



Early in 1864 came another family bereavement, the 

 death of Mrs. Abner A. Johnson. In January 1866, 

 Professor Johnson wrote to the home at Deer River, 

 where Ms three youngest sisters were caring for their 

 father in Ms old age : 



Dear Lizzie, . . . You may or may not have heard of the 

 National Academy of Sciences, composed of 50 scientific men 

 who are or ought to be foremost in their respective depart- 

 ments. Well, that body has just held a meeting at Wash- 

 ington, and has elected me a member. I presume you (I 

 write to Father and all the family as well as you, and mean 

 them by "you") will think full as much of this honor as I 

 do, which is not a great deal, still you know that ' ' straws show 

 which way the wind blows. ' ' 



I have subscribed for a new magazine (English) called the 

 Argosy. I shall send the numbers to you the three sisters 

 to read and keep. It begins very well, and you will find it 

 full of good reading if it continues as good as it has com- 

 menced. . . . Affectionately if rarely on paper Your 

 brother, Samuel W. Johnson. 



In connection with Ms election at the early age of 

 thirty-six to membership in the National Academy, it 

 may be noted that Professor Johnson possessed one 

 of the attributes of a great teacher, the discriminating 

 ability to discern and to set forth clearly the basic 



