After graduation, she spent some time in France.
Returning to California, Swett became a teacher in the kindergarten schools of San Francisco.
It was in 1879, when the second Free Kindergarten west of the Rocky Mountains was organized, at 116 Jackson Street, that Swett, then an earnest, enthusiastic student, became deeply interested in the needy, neglected children of the Barbary Coast, that had been grouped for training and improvement.
It was not long until a Second Class was organized in the same building, from the overflow of Class No.1.
In the absence of a trained Kindergartner, and while waiting to secure the same, Swett took the work in hand, and day after day, was as faithful at her post as if she were a paid teacher of the Association.

Unable to find employment in the city school department, she accepted a position as teacher of music and French in a private seminary at Eureka, California.
 
She left to go abroad, and, while away, acted as correspondent to several eastern and western papers.
The first earnest literary work done by her consisted of translations of French and German scientific works and historical novels for a New York City firm.
She also was private secretary to a San Francisco publisher but still wrote prose and verse.

Swett married John W. Parkhurst, of the Bank of California, in 1889, but retained her maiden name for her professional work.
After her marriage, she organized the Pacific Coast Literary Bureau, and out of it grew the Pacific Coast Women's Press Association, and she served as corresponding secretary of the latter organization.
When she founded the WPAPC, she had hard work to drum up sufficient members to make the thing go.
The dilettante rushed in with outstretched hands begging for permission to pay dues and Be called authors and journalists, but the majority of working writers held aloof.
Parkhurst's idea was to have the association a genuine press club, but she died before she could bring her plans to completion.

Parkhurst wrote much in the editorial line, and her literary work includes Greek, French, and German translations and new poetry.
She wrote a biography of Charles Edward de Villers in French and English.
 She dramatized Helen Hunt Jackson's novel, Ramona.
The play concerns a story of discrimination against indigenous people in southern California.

Parkhurst became the manager of a literary bureau which she established in 1889, which handled the work of more than 600 writers.
The principal work of the bureau was to write, or have written, finely illustrated out-door articles for the eastern and London magazines.
She contributed to the "Magazine of Poetry," the "California Illustrated Magazine", "The Overland Monthly", the "American Home Journal", the "San Francisco Call", "San Francisco Bulletin", "Philadelphia Times", "Outing", "Popular Science News", "Golden State Catholic", "Pacific States", and was an occasional contributor to other periodicals.
Her mentors included: James T. White, the New York publisher; Charles H. Shinn, editor of "The Overland"; George R. Cathcart, of New York, and W. C. Bartlett, of the "San Francisco Bulletin".

For a year before her death, she was assistant editor of the Californian Illustrated Magazine, who offered the following tribute to her memory: "The Pacific Coast world of letters has suffered a loss in the past month in the death of Emily Tracy (Swett) Parkhurst.
Parkhurst was connected with the Californian as an assistant editor, was a contributor to its columns, and wrote its literary reviews.
She was a woman of rare promise, possessed of great talent, which, combined with executive ability, made her a prominent figure in many assemblies.
Her especial work was the formation of the Pacific Coast Women's Press Association.
A few years ago she traveled through the state and made the personal acquaintance of all the Pacific Coast writers, her object being to advance the interests of women writers — bring them out and aid them in obtaining a field for their work.
In this she was extremely successful.
She gathered about her hundreds of con
After graduation, she spent some time in France. Returning to California, Swett became a teacher in the kindergarten schools of San Francisco. It was in 1879, when the second Free Kindergarten west of the Rocky Mountains was organized, at 116 Jackson Street, that Swett, then an earnest, enthusiastic student, became deeply interested in the needy, neglected children of the Barbary Coast, that had been grouped for training and improvement. It was not long until a Second Class was organized in the same building, from the overflow of Class No.1. In the absence of a trained Kindergartner, and while waiting to secure the same, Swett took the work in hand, and day after day, was as faithful at her post as if she were a paid teacher of the Association.
Unable to find employment in the city school department, she accepted a position as teacher of music and French in a private seminary at Eureka, California.  
She left to go abroad, and, while away, acted as correspondent to several eastern and western papers. The first earnest literary work done by her consisted of translations of French and German scientific works and historical novels for a New York City firm. She also was private secretary to a San Francisco publisher but still wrote prose and verse. 
Swett married John W. Parkhurst, of the Bank of California, in 1889, but retained her maiden name for her professional work. After her marriage, she organized the Pacific Coast Literary Bureau, and out of it grew the Pacific Coast Women's Press Association, and she served as corresponding secretary of the latter organization. When she founded the WPAPC, she had hard work to drum up sufficient members to make the thing go. The dilettante rushed in with outstretched hands begging for permission to pay dues and Be called authors and journalists, but the majority of working writers held aloof. Parkhurst's idea was to have the association a genuine press club, but she died before she could bring her plans to completion.
Parkhurst wrote much in the editorial line, and her literary work includes Greek, French, and German translations and new poetry. She wrote a biography of Charles Edward de Villers in French and English.  She dramatized Helen Hunt Jackson's novel, Ramona. The play concerns a story of discrimination against indigenous people in southern California.
Parkhurst became the manager of a literary bureau which she established in 1889, which handled the work of more than 600 writers. The principal work of the bureau was to write, or have written, finely illustrated out-door articles for the eastern and London magazines. She contributed to the "Magazine of Poetry," the "California Illustrated Magazine", "The Overland Monthly", the "American Home Journal", the "San Francisco Call", "San Francisco Bulletin", "Philadelphia Times", "Outing", "Popular Science News", "Golden State Catholic", "Pacific States", and was an occasional contributor to other periodicals. Her mentors included: James T. White, the New York publisher; Charles H. Shinn, editor of "The Overland"; George R. Cathcart, of New York, and W. C. Bartlett, of the "San Francisco Bulletin".
For a year before her death, she was assistant editor of the Californian Illustrated Magazine, who offered the following tribute to her memory: "The Pacific Coast world of letters has suffered a loss in the past month in the death of Emily Tracy (Swett) Parkhurst. Parkhurst was connected with the Californian as an assistant editor, was a contributor to its columns, and wrote its literary reviews. She was a woman of rare promise, possessed of great talent, which, combined with executive ability, made her a prominent figure in many assemblies. Her especial work was the formation of the Pacific Coast Women's Press Association. A few years ago she traveled through the state and made the personal acquaintance of all the Pacific Coast writers, her object being to advance the interests of women writers — bring them out and aid them in obtaining a field for their work. In this she was extremely successful. She gathered about her hundreds of con
Emelie Tracy Y. Swett