4 4 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 0 , ▁when ▁she ▁moved ▁with ▁her ▁mother , ▁after ▁separ ating ▁from ▁her ▁father ▁in ▁France . ▁There after ▁she ▁supported ▁herself ▁and ▁her ▁almost ▁blind ▁mother , ▁Br idget ▁( a ▁lif el ong ▁companion ), ▁with ▁her ▁writing ▁career . ▁At ▁first ▁she ▁started ▁to ▁write ▁small ▁ess ays ▁and ▁tales ▁for ▁journ als ▁and ▁newsp apers . ▁Among ▁the ▁different ▁journ als ▁she ▁wrote ▁for ▁were ▁Ch amb ers ▁Edinburgh ▁Journal , ▁House hold ▁W ords , ▁All ▁the ▁Year ▁Round , ▁The ▁Month , ▁People ' s ▁Journal , ▁Popular ▁Record , ▁Temple ▁Bar , ▁and ▁Arg os y . ▁Once ▁she ▁had ▁acquired ▁some ▁reputation ▁she ▁started ▁to ▁write ▁her ▁own ▁books . ▁Her ▁first ▁book ▁was ▁Three ▁Path s ▁( 1 8 4 7 ), ▁a ▁story ▁for ▁the ▁young ; ▁but ▁her ▁first ▁work ▁that ▁attract ed ▁notice ▁was ▁Made le ine , ▁a ▁T ale ▁of ▁Au ver g ne ▁( 1 8 4 8 ), ▁a ▁story ▁of ▁“ h ero ic ▁char ity ▁and ▁living ▁faith ▁founded ▁on ▁fact .” ▁ ▁Julia ▁and ▁her ▁mother ▁were ▁again ▁living ▁in ▁Paris ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁but ▁moved ▁to ▁Rou en ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁Nice ▁upon ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Franco - Pr uss ian ▁War . ▁Julia ▁died ▁after ▁a ▁fall ▁in ▁Nice ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁still ▁un mar ried ▁and ▁a ▁lif el