to venture forth upon the treacherous sea of literature; happily, however, without making shipwreck. By reason of the consonance of their literary tastes Mrs. Coston has received much sympathy, encouragement and help from her husband, whose practical experience has enabled him to suggest plans and methods for the realization of that cherished desire of her heart which will forever distinguish her among Afro-American women. As a girl, Mrs. Coston felt deeply the ostracism of all the Anglo-Saxon journals of our common country as displayed toward anything of interest or credit concerning the colored people; she longed to see a colored face upon the pages of a magazine, and to enjoy the privilege of reading about its owner. This intense desire culminated in the conception and ultimate execution of Ringwood’s JournaL the success and growing popularity of which amply prove her wisdom in launching bravely out upon an untried sea. That the readers of Ringwood may duly appreciate and understand Mrs. Coston's purpose and motives the following quotation from the initial editorial of Journal’s subjoined:
Ringwood's Journal of Fashion, published by Mrs. J. R. Coston, makes its advent to satisfy the common desire among us for an illustrated journal of our own ladies. The injury of the absence of the cultivating influence which attaches to a purely published, illustrated journal devoted to the loving interests of our homes, and to the weal of our daughters, was felt by me when a girl, and is recognized by me now when a woman. Knowing that this injury of absence could only be overcome by the presence of such a journal, without measuring the intellectual ability required, we have published Ringwood's Journal.
The quality of her fidelity to her age and her earnest ambition in behalf of her race are still further portrayed
