Paine returned to her mother's home in Foster and opened a school a few miles away. After a term of seven months, she lent her profit of $40 to her stepfather. For several years, she taught school during the summer and spent the winter sewing garments and embroidering. Paine continued to give her mother all of her earnings. Around this time a son named Nathaniel was born to her mother and stepfather.
Portland (Maine) Advertiser, January 12,1827
completefailure.... How could that tender mother so sacrifice her only daughter, and thus abuse the influence and control she held over her? Oh, how could she!...I was led to the altar—of sacrifice!" She soon found that her husband was "a taunting, sneering, surly tyrant . a consummate hypocrite." He frequently used profane language, he often locked her in a room, and he began "burning bibles when angry." She left him after she "had spent one year and two months in cruel bondage." On August 30, 1821, three months after returning to • • • • •• ••I • • a .;I rl her mother's home, Paine gave birth to Theodore Winthrop Phillips. The divorce agreement gave her custody of 1'0111.1t IT the baby, but she received no alimony and had to give her Meisr9, DM & EtItv.ir.is, husband all of her real estate. Because she had been giving your paliev al) Advertisement of NotiChip her earnings to her mother, she now described herself as a Ws- rail, Who ittri.ri her ,erviet s ;AI Port. destitute. Her son's death is recorded at age 11 months and iiil halide-, I Iniri the coriosily to çiotl at her room for the plicoose iii iewiog the Partrilitt 13 days,on August 12,1822,in Coventry, Rhode Island.' sJut takett since she has bero in town, and In 1823, when she was 31 years old, she decided to it is due to merit to say they arc well Clecuird ' paint portraits. "[In my earlier days, [I] made some atand • olkt likenesses. Miss P. is n native of tempts at drawing and painting; but without instruction, th4: 1.1 S. being from Providence It. I.* a stranand entirely for my own amusement. I thought, in this 1 ger in this place, and vris induced to coma ltistre, on the extremity, to try my hand at painting portraits, having is uf loading cmploymant. I ikflow it is Nio orkti the (leo that naiire enitv painted several in crayons, which proved to be correct liketatrot is too fierimaitly t.eglectrd, whil4 nesses, I commenced the labors of an artist." Paine rejoiced !for, igners are sought niter in 1 p ti ^enized—sach when she found that portrait painting was profitable and thitir,li outd.t not to be I thick it is only conesthat she could both support herself and help her mother. vary for this perrioi to lc, kiitiw a to be employAt this time, her stepfather sold his farm and moved the ed--Lailies Irri a pride and pleasure 111 Ipatrouizing a ftinnir artist. family into a rented home in South ICillingly, Connecticut. Affirm/ to merit. Paine continued to teach school, and she painted portraits 1 'See ' 1?,s adverikement in thig riper. during the recess periods. 5111111Mihm...mwm.m.mmeine•-•••re...ma••• m In late 1826, at age 34, Paine made her first long trip as an itinerant painter. Without asking her mother for permission she knew she would not receive, she traveled alone to Portland, Maine."On my arrival at P[ortland], after paying fares, &c.,I had just eight dollars left, five of which, I found would not pass, so that, three dollars was all my available resources. ... I hired my painting room ... and advertised S. Paine—Portrait Painter."' Her first advertisements appeared in the December 12, 1826, and January 12, 1827, issues of the Portland Advertiser(at left). IP publin,t 1einfientitti ;.1;11.s The January edition included a testimonial from "A friend" Pritchard's in IF new Drirk Block, t)-et 4Irtet stating that her portraits "are well executed and excellent Ow POIVIIIAIT former suelikenesses" and that "Ladies must feel a pride and pleasure ces,•es in Providence, where she line been libein patronizing afemale artist." Paine's other advertisement rally pntioi.iacd, inspire her with confidence to RI solieth patroller.; 83 she miticipates a very simit .41 in the same newspaper listed prices of $8 for oil and $4 stay in Purilneir, she n ill put her Portraits at a up for crayon portraits.' "I had advertised full satisfaction very reduced pi ice, ntid will engasa to make or no pay. .. week after week, came and went; but they then' to entire. sat i;fuct ion, ne receive tin pay— brought no orders for me ... my three dollars had nearly those who will Civet her with 'their patrosirv, ss will please to apply very roon. all melted away,for wood, oil, &c....There was no one to Price—Oil :tietures S 8,00. whom I dared to confide the secret of my utter destitution." Critywis do$ ‘1,00. Her sympathetic landlady, who had not demanded payPortland, Dec. P2, 1S26, I ment, asked Paine to paint her daughter with her kitten. ROA,‘1ilifir1143 (This proved difficult, as the cat occasionally let her "have the benefit of her nails.") The landlady greatly praised the A fellow church member, James Phillips (1794-1878), portrait and invited her acquaintances to see it. Callers took notice of Paine and started visiting regularly. He flocked to see whether "a woman could paint a likeness?" asked her to marry him, but she rejected his proposal. Her Finally, Paine started receiving portrait commissions. With mother implored her to accept, however, and she finally this trip to Portland, she began her life as an itinerant agreed. On November 4, 1819, when Paine was 27 years portrait painter. old, the couple married in Foster. Paine described her wedHer mother wrote disapprovingly of her "clandestine ding with deep regret:"The evening was sad and dull ... a departure." That spring, Paine visited South Killingly with
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