The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-10-09
The Author OF Home, Sweet Home.

paragraph has been floating through the
columns OF the newspapers for several weeks
past, announcing that the author of the touch
ing and tender ballad, - Home Sweet Home. y
Is W aShngton irving. Soon after the first
appearance Of this statement, Mr. Irving. in
dignant that so foul an attempt should he
made to strip this beautiful wreath of poetry
from the dead brow of him who twincd ii,
wrote letter denying the authorship of the
Song, and re-allirmlng the fact that it was the
composition Of the gifted John Howard PAYNE.
The details of Mr.. Paync's history are very
interesting, and should be better known than
they are TO his countrymen. He WAS born in
the city OF New York on the 9th of June,
ll92, but was soon after taken to Boston, to
which place his father removed to take charge
OF an educational establishment. His precoci.
ty displayed itself in various forms, and
when about the year 1865, lie returned to
New York and entered counting house, he
amused himself by publishing little period.
Cal entitled " The Trcspian Mirror" Some of
his articles thus disseminated attracted so
much attention, and argued so favoraby IN
behalf of lis ability. that benevolent gentle.
man Of that city, Mr. John b Seaman. yolun-
tered TO detray the youth expenses at Union
College. The Offer was gladly accepted, and
Payne took his departure for Albany in a
sioop, IN company with his friend and kind
adviser, the celebrated American Novelist,
Charles Bgockdcn Brown. The baukruptcy
OF his father led young Payne to insist upon
trying the stage as means of support and in
asmuch as he had already displayed hiSrionic
capacities, he obtained the consent of his
parent and patron, and leaving college made
ms first appearance at the Park Theatre as
Young Norval, on the evening Of February
Nth, 1909, in his sixteenth year. The per-
tolmancc, like those Of the whole engage
ment, was highly successful. lie subsequent
~ fulfilled engagements in the principal
cities Of the Unircd States. In January 1919.
he sailed for England, where and in France
ne remained until the year 1892, when he re-
turned home. OF the varied scenes in which
his life was passed on the island and on the
continent, we have not the space to write.
IN account Of The transaction which resulted
IN the composition that is sung wherever the
English tongue is spoken, must not however,
be omitted.
When Charles Kcmhlc became manager of
Convent Garden, he like his predecessors APP
piled to Payne for aid. Payne offered the
new manager a number Of manuscripts for
1850. The odd thirty was the value set OPP
poslte the piece afterwards called 'Clari.'
kemhe closed with the offer, and produced
tins piece. which, at his request, the autho,
mad converted into an opera. 1t made the
fortune OF every one prominently connected
with 1t, except the usual exception in these
cascs-thc author. 1t gained for Miss NJ.
Tree (the elder sister Of Mr.. Charles Kcan.)
who first sung " Home Sweet Home" "a veal.
thy husband, and filled the house and treas
ury. Upwards Of one hhudycd houSuud comes
Of the song Were estimated in 1882 to have
been sold by the original publishers, whose
profits within two years after it was issued.
are said TO have amounted to tro thousand
9ntne0S.
After his return to the United States
Payne Issued the prospectus of periodical
winch was to appear simultaneously in Eng
land and the United States. The prospectus
o' eight pages was the only part Of the work
that ever saw the light. lie subsequently,
bccamc contributor to the Democratic Re.
view, and having twice received the appoint
mont of Consul to Tunis, died ,hcrc in 1852.
The song by which he is best known, ap-
pealcd originally as follows:
HOME, SWEET HOME.
Mid pleasures and palaces though VIC may roam
still, be ii ever so humble there's no place like
A charm from the SIX cs seems to hallow it there
Which. go through the world, you'll not meet
elsewhere.
Home, Homo.
Sweet Home
There's place like Home
There place like Home.
An exile from homo, pleasure dazzes in vain,
| All give me my Lovely matched cottage again;
, The birds singing swcctly, that come to my call
Give me them, and that peace Of mind, dearcr
than all
Home, Home &C.
Many songs. on whose composition far more
time has been employed than was ever spent
on this, have faded from recollection. not That
they were destitute of merit, but because they
failed to ewakcn that thrill of the heart which
is the trcu mcasureofthe power OF music How
different the fate oflhis ballad Written with
nothing Of the delights of home about him,
but the rtcollections Of its LONELINESS, its cot
age tIlatch, and its birds. the author strung
the song with chords whose tones find re-
Spouse in every heart that ever had or dream
ed Of home. This simple lyric is known
all over the world, and doubtless saluttd its
author S ears in far of Tunis He once heard
1t sung 10y fellow captive while in London
prison, and sighed for the freedom of the birds
Of which he had written. In the pa1ors and
saloons Of the great, the rich. and the fashona-
bic: in the simple abode of the humble, the
po>r. and the afflicted by the wayslde, in
the concert hall; at midnight in the sercnadc
at morning and at evening in the street, and
through open windows, is heard this song,
which will be remembered as long as the Ian
guage remains in which it was written Still
its author wanted the leg of mutton while
London was dissolved in tears by his lyric,
and he not only lost the twenty-f five pounds
| which was IN havn hpnn p,;d linn 20, he
copyright of the opera in which the song ap,
peared on the twentieth night of its perform
ance, but was not complimented with copy
of his own ballad by the publisher.
Troy lIh'g.
THE VIRTUE OF BoRAX.--The washcrwomen,
of Holland and Belgium, so pioverbially clean,
and who get up their linen so beautifully
white, use refined borax as washing powder,
instead of soda, in the proportion of large
handful Of boraX powder to about ten gallons