Hesba Stretton was the pen name of Sarah Smith (27 July 1832 – 8 October 1911), an English writer of children's books. She concocted the name from the initials of her five siblings and the name of a neighbouring village. Smith was one of the most popular Evangelical writers of the nineteenth century. Her moral tales and semi-religious stories, chiefly for the young, were printed in huge numbers, especially as school and Sunday school prizes. She became a regular contributor to Household Words and All the Year Round under Charles Dickens's editorship, after her sister had successfully submitted a story of hers without her knowledge. Altogether she wrote more than of 40 novels. Read more at Wikipedia.