The paper focuses on two short stories by E. Marlitt (E. John, 1825-1887), a most famous German woman writer of the nineteenth century. One of them, "Schulmeisters Marie" ("Schoolmaster's Marie"), was published much after its being written. Although it was eclipsed by another Marlitt's work, "Die zwölf Apostel" ("The Twelve Apostles"), written simultaneously with it, it may be considered a successful beginning of the writer's literary activities as it exposes her considerable skill of characterization and plot making. The second of the stories, analysed in the article, "Blaubart" ("Bluebeard"), not only reminds the reader of an old folklore and literary plot but also provides at least two interpretations associated with either biblical Kain and Abel or, in a wider context, with the plots about rival brothers/families in the world literature (for instance, F. M. Klinger's tragedy "Die Zwillinge" ("The Twins") or Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet").