[2] Alice Emma Ives was born in Detroit, Michigan, 1876,[3] where she lived until September, 1890, when she moved with her mother to New York City.

So severe was she in judging her work that, instead of being elated at her success, she was appalled at what seemed to her an unwarrantable presumption, and never sent another line to a publisher for ten years.

With her strong imaginative nature rebelling against the uncongenial task, she taught school till her health broke down under the strain.

Her first regular journalistic work was art criticism, and her articles attracted so much notice as to make for her a reputation.

Ives stated:—"In order to write the play, I lived on the race-track for a couple of months, and I read all the sporting papers I could."

Her first play, Don Roderic, was praised by Lawrence Barrett; Reward, a society drama, was presented in Detroit.

Lorine, a Russian story, was played by Frederick Paulding in 1894; its production in Palmer's Theater, New York, was successful.