Maria began publishing her first stories anonymously in periodicals. The writer’s first novel, entitled “The Lamplighter” (1854), was also published anonymously for the first time. However, the author’s name soon became widely known, and the novel brought Maria unprecedented popularity: during the first year after the book’s publication, 70,000 copies were sold. "The Lamplighter" became a bestseller in the 1850s, the novel was translated into six foreign languages and became famous not only in America, but also in Europe. When the book was first published, the aspiring writer was only twenty-six years old. The novel "The Lamplighter" - This is a sentimental story about the life of a young orphan, Gertie, whose mental fortitude helps her rise from the depths of the social bottom and find her family.