On several occasions, Keith acted as special correspondent for the Sacramento Record-Union, representing that paper at the World's Columbian Exposition.

[3] A suffragist,[5] she was an original member, secretary and treasurer of the Susan B. Anthony Club founded immediately after the defeat of equal suffrage in California in 1896.

Her maternal grandfather, Joseph Fairfield Atwill (1811–1891), had been a music publisher in New York City, but traveled to California in 1849 as an "Argonaut of '49" and became a prominent public officer.

[8] Early in life, Keith's parents detected her literary talents and determined to give her as good an education as the Pacific coast could afford at that time.

She became connected with the Alta Californian, the Chronicle, the Examiner, and the Call, of San Francisco, both as a space writer and a contributor of special articles, usually without signature.

[7] Recognizing that anonymity made her known only in a limited circle, she adopted the nom de plume of "Erie Douglas", contributing poetical charades to the puzzle columns of the weekly papers and winning prizes in contests for the best essays.

She wrote poems of humor for the Wasp, and edited the "Snap Shots" department for the San Francisco News Letter.

Under "Di Vernon", she served as special writer for the Alta Californian, San Francisco Chronicle, Examiner, News Letter, and Call.

[7] Keith's works included, Report of Historical Landmarks Committee of the Native Daughters Golden West (W. N. Brunt, 1902);[14] Outlines of California history (San Francisco, W. N. Brunt Press, 1916);[15] and Keith's outlines in astronomy and geography (Donaldson publishing company, San Francisco, 1917);[16] She was a member of and speaker at the gatherings of Pacific Coast Women's Press Association.

Keith was the first teacher to introduce the salute to the American flag as a part of the regular opening exercises each day in the classroom.

[3] In 1892, as a member of the Pacific Coast Women's Press Association, Keith scored a "journalistic triumph" for her comments published by the Illustrated American.

[17] This address also contained an exposition of "Di Vernon's" pet project, the organization of the "Order of the American Flag," a patriotic legion, among the children of America.

So she was surprised, after picking up a copy of the Illustrated American in April 1892, to find a self-laudatory editorial, in which the paper congratulated itself that the crusade which it had inaugurated against the flag-advertising was about yield results.

Keith (Di Vernon) found all the dates of her patriotic articles, and in the News Letter of May 14, 1892, published a history of the whole matter, under the caption: “Honor the Flag".

The San Francisco Board of Education passed a resolution that the last hour of the last Friday of each month should be given to patriotic exercises, including the salute of the flag.

[9] She was an original member, secretary and treasurer of the Susan B. Anthony Club founded immediately after the defeat of equal suffrage in California in 1896.

[21] In October 1891, she received the bronze medal of the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in recognition of service rendered to the cause of humane education through her lectures and writing.