Paine was born in
New Bedford, Massachusetts, the son of
Vermont farmer Samuel Estabrook Paine and
Massachusetts shopkeeper Mercy Coval Kirby Paine, and was moved to
Bentonsport, Iowa when he was one year old. From early childhood until early adulthood, Paine lived in the village of
Xenia in southern
Illinois; here he received his schooling.
His home in Xenia is still standing. At the age of 20, 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. The works were so well received in France that he was awarded the title of
Chevalier in the ''
Légion d'honneur'' by the
French government. ==Selected bibliography==