Educated at Williams College in Massachusetts, Roe began writing short stories while still at school. An avid horticulturist, he also contributed numerous articles to magazines such as Harper's Weekly. After graduation, he continued his studies at Auburn Theological Seminary. During the Civil War, he was a company chaplain for the Second New York Harris Light Cavalry. At the end of the war, he became the Presbyterian minister at Highland Falls, New York and served there until 1875. In 1874, his first novel, Barriers Burned Away, was serialized in The Evangelist and its success convinced him to concentrate on writing. He purchased a small fruit farm in Cornwall-on-the-Hudson where he settled with his wife and his literary output grew. During his time, he was one of America's favorite authors, even outselling the likes of Mark Twain. Having suffered from ill health for much of his adult life, he died suddenly of a heart attack when only 50. His works include Near to Nature's Heart (1875), A Day of Fate (1880), Young Girl's Wooing (1884), Driven Back to Eden (1885), Nature's Serial Story (1885), Without a Home (1885), Original Belle (1885), From Jest to Earnest (1886) and The Home Acre (1887). |
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