From an early age, she kept a notebook in which she wrote stories. When she tired of one, she would leave it unfinished and begin another, thus becoming accustomed to what in the professional world is the life of a writer. In 1893, her mother purchased a small piece of land at Onteora, Tannersville, New York, and upon it built a house where she and her daughter lived every summer. Here she taught herself how to write a successful novel, and also how to play golf and tennis, becoming an avid player of both.