Marlitt, EUGENIE

Marlitt, EUGENIE, the pseudonym of E. JOHN, a German novelist, born at Arustadt in Thuringia, on 5th December 1825. Her beautiful voice and musical talent gained her the favour of the Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, who sent her to Vienna, where, after three years of study, she appeared on the stage. But a successfully-begun career was cut short by an affection of the ear, and Fräulein John acted as reader to her patroness till 1863. Retiring in that year into private life, she spent her time in writing romances, interesting enough, but with strong didactic tendencies and somewhat unreal. Of these the most successful was Goldelse (1866; 18th ed. 1885); others, such as The Old Maid's Secret (1867), Princess of the Moor (1871), Second Wife (1873), Countess Gisela (1869), and Thuringian Stories (1869)—all except the last translated into English, 1870 to 1873—have also passed through many editions. She died at Arustadt on 22d June 1887. A collected edition of her Romanzen und Novellen was issued in 5 vols. in 1889.