HOLMES, Mary Jane, author, born in Brookfield, Massachusetts Her father was a brother of the Reverend Joel Hawes, D.D. She taught in a district school at the age of thirteen. She married Daniel Holmes, a lawyer, and, after their marriage, they settled in Versailles, Kentucky Her first novel, "Tempest and Sunshine" (New York, 1854), pictured southern society. This was followed by "The English Orphans" (1855). These were received with moderate favor as the first efforts of a young writer, but grew in popularity. She has published (1887) twenty-eight novels and collections of stories. With the possible exception of Mrs. Harriet B. Stowe, no female author of America has received so large profits from her copyrights. Some of her books attained a sale of 50,000 copies. Her stories treat of domestic life, and, without having an avowedly moral purpose, are pure in tone and free from sensational incidents. Mrs. Holmes ultimately made Brockport, New York, her residence. Many of her stories, before being issued in book-form, appeared as serials in the New York "Weekly." She has published, besides the volumes already mentioned. "The Homestead on the Hillside, and other Tales" (Auburn, 1855); "Lena Rivers" (1856); "Meadow Brook" (New York, 1857); "Dora Deane, or the East India Uncle," and "Maggie Miller, or Hagar's Secret" (1858); "Cousin Maude" and "Rosamond" (1860); "Marian Grey" (1863); "Hugh Worthington" (1863); "Darkness and Daylight" (1864); "The Cameron Pride, or Purified by Suffering" (1867); "The Christmas Font," a story for young folks (1868): "Rose Mather, a Tale of the War" (1868); "Ethelyn's Mistake" (1869); "Millbank" (1871); "Edna Browning" (1872); "West Lawn, and the Rector of St. Mark's" (1874); "Mildred" (1877); "Daisy Thornton" (1878); "Forest House" (1879); "Chateau d'or" (1880); "Red Bird" (1880); "Madeline" (1881); "Queenie Hatherton" (1883); "Christmas Stories" (1884); "Bessie's Fortune" (1885); and "Gretchen" (1887).