Final answer:
The provided passages do not include information about Colonel Johnson courting any of the ladies named Dorothy, Mary, or Katherine.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passage does not directly mention Colonel Johnson beginning to court any of the ladies named Dorothy, Mary, or Katherine. Instead, the excerpts provided focus on Dorothy's empathy and struggles with poverty, her relationship with her brother William, interactions with individuals in distress, and her observations and responses to these situations. Additionally, there is a passage about a character named Jane Withersteen. There is no indication of a romantic courtship by Colonel Johnson in the provided text.