With such favor were her writings received by the public that they were frequently copied by other papers, and ran the rounds of the press, both in the United States and at times in England.
A fall from a carriage which broke her ankle, when but ten years old, forced her to stay at house for some months, and tended still more to develop this taste.
She took on the duties of a minister's wife, actively taking the lead in ladies' prayer meetings, Sunday School, and Bible-class work, and all forms of Christian and charitable effort, visiting the sick, providing for the poor, and promoting schemes of benevolence.
Among these were: The Presbyterian of Philadelphia; The New York Evangelist, The Lutheran Observer, The Sunday School Times, The Herald and Presbyter of Chicago; The Raptist Chronicle (later Examiner and Chronicle) of New York; The America Messenger, and Child's Paper of the American Tract Society, the papers of the Sunday School Union, of the Presbyterian Board, of the Methodist Book Concern, of the National Temperance Society, and others, all animated by the same purpose of Christian spirit.
The titles of these are: Archie at the Seaside, Hours with my Picture Book, Minnie's Thinking Cap, How to be Beautiful, The Little Box and its Travels, Respect the Burden, The Prize Bible and other Stories, One Hundred Gold Dollars, The Hard Master, Hanna's Lesson, Clarence, The Fire-fighters, Capital for Working Boys.
[3][5] In the latter years of her life, when her own sons began to be young men, she took great interest in the welfare of that class, and turned her aim in writing largely toward them.
[3] After Jennie Maria Drinkwater Conklin conceived the idea of the "Shut-in-Band", McConaughy, though sorely smitten by the painful malady that resulted in her death, became a corresponding member, and wrote numerous letters to the suffering invalids, to cheer and brighten their lives.
The disease of which she died began to develop about 20 years earlier, and several operations were performed at various times, which succeeded in prolonging her life.