Tom wrote: "You must have missed it as it was just given, but the book "She
Sells
Seashells" is by Veronica P. Johns, copyright 1968, published by Funk &
Wagnalls.  It is a great little book and I wish I had met Veronica as
she sounds like a real character."
 
Dear Tom (and any others who might be interested)
This is my homage to Veronica P. Johns:
Veronica was indeed a real character.    I knew her from about 1968 until her
death, and spent many happy hours (and virtually all of my allowance) in her
shop, which was a treasure trove of shells from floor to ceiling.  She would
let me in the back of the shop to peruse the small specimens in her huge
chests of drawers. I would make my selections, and she always made sure I had
enough left for bus fare to get home. She was a published author of mystery
stories, a chain smoker with a deep husky voice and  a memorable way of
pronouncing (and spelling) shell names. (R. Tucker Abbott is changing some of
those for me now - many thanks for the tape, Tom). She always gave me a warm
welcome, even on busy Saturday afternoons when the little shop got very
crowded.  I returned to New York as an adult, after not seeing her for fifteen
years, and she remembered me perfectly, even gave me 2 tickets to the
Metropolitan Opera that she was unable to use that night.  That was the last
time I saw her.  She was the sort of person who always had the patience and
warmth of character to encourage dedicated shell collectors, but she could be
quite prickly with people who did not show the proper respect.  Without her,
I probably never would have discovered the fascinating diversity of the
molluscan world.
 
Mary Graham
NH, USA