Elinor Macartney Lane (1864 – March 15, 1909) was an American novelist who was popular in the first decade of the 1900s. After publishing a number of short stories, she wrote three novels: ''Mills of God'' (1901),(17 August 1901)
A Woman's First Novel
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' ''Nancy Stair'' (1904),(4 June 1904)
The Romance of a Scotch Lassie (book review)
''

'' and ''Katrine'' (1909).(17 March 1909)
Mrs. Elinor Lane Dead; Well-Known Novelist Stricken at Lynchburg, Va.
''

''Tracy, Marguerite (15 May 1909)
The Art of Mrs. Elinor Lane
''

Biography

Born in Maryland, she later moved to Washington, where she attended high school and

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

, from which she graduated in 1882. She then taught in the public schools, specializing in mathematics. She married educator Francis Ransom Lane in 1891. She started writing at age 16, when she also started an occasionally published magazine called ''The Trifler''. Her first novel ''Mills of God'' was published in 1901.Alderman, Edwin Anderson et al. (eds.
Library of Southern Literature: Vol. VII, Johnston-Lucas
pp. 3003-20 (1909) (biography and exemplars of her writings) Although it did not reach '' The Bookman'' 's Top 10 bestselling books list for the whole year of 1904, ''Nancy Stair'' was a best-selling book and received well by critics.Best Selling Books
'' The Bookman'' (January 1905) (Listing ''Nancy Stair'' as the ninth-best selling book for sales in November 1904)(16 July 1905)
In Workshop and Study
''The Sunday Oregonian'' It was adapted for the stage in 1905 by

Paul M. Potter Paul Meredith Potter (June 3, 1853 - March 7, 1921) was an American playwright and journalist, best known for adapting the popular novel ''Trilby'' into a stage play.(8 March 1921)Paul M. Potter, Playwright, Dead: Dramatist of "Trilby" Stricken i ...

, who was best known for his hit play ''

Trilby A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in Britain Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). ''Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style''. Barnes & Noble. and ...

'', an adaptation of the very popular 1894 novel. It played on Broadway at the

Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began developmen ...

for a month in 1905, though it was not a success.Criterion Theatre
''The Theatre'', pp. 82-84 (Vol. V, No. 50, April 1905) Lane's last novel, ''Katrine'', was released almost coincident with her death in March 1909. It was the second-best selling novel in the United States for 1909.

Illness and death

After returning home from a trip to Europe, Lane died in

Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch (1740–1820), John Lynch, the city's populati ...

on March 15, 1909, while travelling to

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

to recuperate from illness. Her home was at that time in

Port Deposit, Maryland Port Deposit is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. It is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River near its discharge into the Chesapeake Bay. The population was 653 at the 2010 census. Geography Port Deposit is located ...

, where her husband was director of the

Tome School The Tome School is a private school in North East in Cecil County in the U.S. state of Maryland. Founded in 1894 by Jacob Tome, it is one of the oldest schools in Maryland. It enrolls grades K–12. As of 2022, the Head of School is Christine Szym ...

.Advertisement Jacob Tome Boarding School for Boys
''New Outlook'' (September 1906) (other references also confirm that Francis Lane was director of the school; this is an advertisement listing him as director)(26 January 1908). Washington People Who Are Leading Characters of Well-Known Book, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' (half page article about Lane, her home in Port Deposit, and characters in ''Nancy Stair'') According to a report in the ''Book News Monthly'' after her death, she had been ill for some years and her death was not wholly unexpected. She reportedly had to write in an "absolutely dark room, with her head tightly bandaged, her writing managed only by a careful guiding of her pencil over the paper."(15 May 1909)
Literary Chat and Comment
'' Lewiston Journal''(17 March 1909)
Elinor Macartney Lane, Prominent Novelist, Dies
''

New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the ''New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''. His ...

''(1 April 1909)
Obituary
''Bookseller, Newsdealer, and Stationer''

Bibliography

* ''Mills of God'' (1901) * ''Nancy Stair'' (1904) * ''All for the Love of a Lady'' (novelette) (1906) (87 pgs.) (first published in ''

Appleton's Magazine ''Appleton's Magazine'' was an American magazine about books and literature. Founded by Seymour Eaton in 1903 as ''The Booklovers Magazine'', it was purchased by D. Appleton & Company in 1904. Its name was changed to ''Appleton's Booklovers Maga ...

'')Appleton's Book Gossip
''

'', pp. 705-06 (May 1906) * ''Katrine'' (1909) * ''The Apple-Tree Cottage'' (novelette) (1910) (52 pgs.)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, Elinor Macartney 1864 births 1909 deaths 20th-century American novelists American women novelists Novelists from Maryland People from Port Deposit, Maryland 20th-century American women writers 19th-century American novelists 19th-century American women writers