Dwellers in Arcady (Illustrated)

If you know Albert Bigelow Paine from his "Hollow Tree" children's stories, you might be surprised that he also wrote about his own experiences. At the turn of the 20th century, Paine and his wife were living in a New York City apartment. If you remember your history, you'll recall that New York City was not a pretty place at this time. The Paine's went looking for a better place to live, and they stumbled upon an abandoned farm in Redding, Connecticut, a small town in the southwest section of the State. He wrote this charming, somewhat fictionalized account of the 12 years the Paine family lived in Redding, which he called "Brook Ridge." Paine and his wife Dora are buried in Umpawaug Cemetery, less than a mile east of the farm they loved.

Albert Bigelow Paine (10 July 1861 9 April 1937) was an American author and biographer best known for his work with Mark Twain. Paine was a member of the Pulitzer Prize Committee and wrote in several genres, including fiction, humour, and verse.

Paine was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts and was moved to Bentonsport, Iowa when one year old. From early childhood until early adulthood, Paine lived in the village of Xenia in southern Illinois; here he received his schooling. At the age of twenty, he moved to St. Louis, where he trained as a photographer, and became a dealer in photographic supplies in Fort Scott, Kansas. Paine sold out in 1895 to become a full-time writer, moving to New York. He spent most of his life in Europe, including France where he wrote two books about Joan of Arc. This work was so well received in France that he was awarded the title of Chevalier in the Légion d'honneur by the French government. Paine was married to Dora and had three daughters.

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