. ▁ ▁The ▁family ▁consisted ▁of ▁four ▁children , ▁of ▁whom ▁E un ice ▁was ▁the ▁third . ▁After ▁various ▁changes ▁of ▁climate ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁health , ▁Dr . ▁Gib bs ▁died ▁young . ▁The ▁mother ▁and ▁children ▁then ▁moved ▁from ▁Jackson , ▁Michigan , ▁to ▁Cleveland , ▁where ▁E un ice ▁was ▁graduated ▁with ▁hon ors ▁from ▁the ▁high ▁school . ▁ ▁Career ▁Al lyn ▁intended ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁teacher , ▁but ▁her ▁mother ▁dis su aded ▁her ▁and ▁she ▁remained ▁at ▁home , ▁entering ▁into ▁society ▁and ▁writing ▁quietly ▁for ▁the ▁local ▁papers . ▁Her ▁articles ▁were ▁signed ▁using ▁various ▁pen ▁names ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁avoid ▁dis ple asing ▁one ▁of ▁her ▁brothers , ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁wish ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁" bl uest ock ing " ▁in ▁the ▁family . ▁Her ▁first ▁published ▁po ems ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁Cleveland ▁P lain ▁De aler , ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁only ▁th ir teen ▁years ▁old . ▁Besides ▁compos ing ▁po ems ▁for ▁rec itation ▁in ▁school , ▁she ▁often ▁wrote ▁songs , ▁both ▁words ▁and ▁music , ▁when ▁she ▁could ▁not ▁find ▁songs ▁su ited ▁to ▁various ▁occasions . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁she ▁married ▁Clar ence ▁G . ▁Al lyn ▁( born ▁ 1 8 4 5 ), ▁of ▁Ny ack , ▁New ▁York . ▁After ▁sp ending ▁several ▁years ▁at ▁Ny ack , ▁New ▁London , ▁Connecticut , ▁and ▁A ub urn , ▁New ▁York , ▁they ▁moved ▁to ▁Dub u que , ▁Iowa .