Ranous attained distinction as a translator of French and Italian classics, and among the books rendered into English by her, either alone or in collaboration with Dr. Rossiter Johnson, whom she assisted, are The Literature of Italy, The Immortals, a collection of French works published under the sanction of the Académie Française; Guy de Maupassant's stories in fifteen volumes, and Gustave Flaubert's writings in ten volumes.

[6] The family were Episcopalians, but Ranous attended Henry Ward Beecher's church, attracted by his eloquence, and was a member of the Bible-class taught by Thomas Gaskell Shearman, eminent as an advocate of free trade and as a writer of law books.

The last-named was a retired merchant of Philadelphia, who was learned in the languages and in love with literature, and had become an intimate friend of Lowell and of Robert Browning.

A week later, she received a summons to New York to meet Augustin Daly, who was making up a company for his new theatre at Broadway and Thirtieth Street.

[6] With an ambition for more rapid advancement in the profession, she left Daly's company, and shortly afterward was engaged by The Kiralfy Brothers as leading lady in their drama made from Jules Verne's popular novel, Around the World in Eighty Days.

There John W. Field, who, with his wife, delighted to spend a summer in that pretty village, taught her Italian and was in many ways a wise counselor and friend.

The unused carriage-house was fitted up for the purpose, and Ranous assisted her mother in the enterprise, while the little Alice looked on wonderingly and talked about the "vumms."

The knowledge thus obtained enabled Ranous afterward to prepare an illustrated lecture on silk, which in the winter of 1902–3, she delivered several times in Greater New York.

She mastered stenography in half the usual time required, and set at work to earn her own living and the funds necessary for her daughter's education.

This was completed in the Henry Churchill de Mille school at Pompton, New Jersey; and then the daughter also learned stenography and began to support herself.

[7] Ranous served for some time as assistant in an establishment that dealt in rare books and autographs, and acquired much knowledge of that peculiar business.

[12] In that same year, Ranous was the editor and translator (with Rossiter Johnson) for the National Alumni (New York City) of The Literature of Italy (16 vols.

[3] Ranous was a member of the editorial staff of Funk & Wagnalls' new Standard Dictionary, from July, 1911, to September, 1912, where she was entrusted with the work of reading the plate proofs.

[10] When World War I broke out in 1914, Ranous was called to the headquarters of the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions, to edit the addresses delivered before the International Convention that had been held in Kansas City.

These fill a large volume, containing about one million words, and she edited every page of the manuscript, and read all the proofs, her work being acknowledged with thanks in the General Secretary's Introductory Note.

Her suicide was peculiarly tragic, as she became very despondent at the prospect of losing her eyesight, and she had also suffered from a stroke of paralysis, having left St. Luke's Hospital but a short time before her death.