The niece of James Fenimore Cooper and a good friend and correspondent of Henry James, Constance Fenimore Woolson was a well known short story writer in the later part of the 19th century. Famous for her "e;local colour"e; stories, Woolson's work also touched on many similar themes to her contemporary Henry James, including the motif of the American expatriate in Europe. The Old Stone House was her first full-length publication.