She was the eldest daughter of Prof. George L. Vose, author of a number of works on civil and railroad engineering.

She began to write in her early youth, and previous to her marriage, had contributed numerous stories to American periodicals.

In 1885, she began to contribute to the Atlantic Monthly a series of sketches of life in Salem, Massachusetts where much of her childhood had been passed and many of her ancestors had lived.

As pictures of life in an ancient New England town, they are unsurpassed for humor, clever character drawing, and delicacy of touch.

After her death, Arlo prepared for the press her sketches, "Old Salem" (1886), and a novel, A Woodland Wooing (1889).