Departures of note

C. A. Stephens, born Charles Asbury Stephens in Norway, Maine, wrote under the pen name 'Stephens' to shield his family from potential embarrassment if his writing career failed. He attended Bowdoin College starting in 1866 but left due to lack of funds. For most of his career, he was under contract to The Youth's Companion, where he became their most popular and prolific contributor, estimating he had written 3,000 short stories.

The Youth's Companion financed his medical education so he could serve as their staff physician and write scientific articles. He earned his M.D. from Boston University in 1887. His works included adventure tales like 'Fox-hunting' (1872) and 'On the Amazons' (1872), as well as scientific and philosophical books such as 'Living matter: its cycle of growth and decline in animal organisms' (1888) and 'Immortal life: how it will be achieved' (1920). He also wrote nostalgic memoirs of rural Maine life, including 'When Life was Young at the Old Farm in Maine' (1912).