orig. Mary Elizabeth Mapes
born Jan. 26, 1831, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died Aug. 21, 1905, Onteora Park, N.Y.
U.S. author.
She began writing children's stories when she was suddenly widowed with two small sons. Her first collection, Irvington Stories (1864), was followed by Hans Brinker; or, The Silver Skates (1865), which became a children's classic. In 1873 she was named editor of the new children's magazine St. Nicholas ; its success stemmed from her high standards, which attracted such writers as Mark Twain , Louisa May Alcott , Robert Louis Stevenson , and Rudyard Kipling .