The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1861-01-03
John Howard Paine.

this brilliant anu eccentric author, we
find between the leaves of our "Scrap
Book" The article originally appeared
in the Charleston Neus, several years
ago. No lover of that dear old song,
Home, Sweet Home" can fail to be in
terested in the simple story.-ED.
A notice of John Howard Paine brings
to mind another adventure in which the
song Home, sweet Home" was touch
ingly brought to bear upon the feelings
of the kindly author. I met the poet for
the first time in 1906, in the little town
of Athens, Ga, at which he had stopped
a few days on his way to explore the
frontier" counties of northwestern Geor-
gia. l found him genial, pleasant and
intelligent travelled gentleman, who had
seen much of the world, strange men and
strange things, but as yet had met moth
ing which surprised him so much as the
extreme apathy Of the Southern people
on all subjects connected with arts and
literature. =
Some months afterwards l met him
amidst the glorious scenes of our noun
tain regions He was enchanted with
them, and rcvellcd in the bracing air and
the purple sunlight of the Indian summer;
and though the Alps, the Appenincs, the
Catskill and the White mountains were
familiar to him, he acknowledged that
such sober certainty of waking bliss he
never felt before as when reclining on the
brow of the "occan view" he listened to
the laundering of Tallulah, rising over
the moaning of the pine trees at his feet,
and through the mist Of a Havana segar,
overlooked the more misty distance of
the middle country of Georgia and Caro-
lima. Before him the pyramidal form OF
the Currahcc rose like Egypts lesser
mounds from the plain isolated and alone;
behind him swellcd up the nearer top OF
the Hickory Nut Mountain. whilst about
and around the short leaf pine and the
numberlcss flowers Of the fall waved
their modest beauties. Our conversation
turned on the sights and scenes Of other
lands, but whilst 1 admitted their beau
ties, exclaimed ''yet after all
@. Be it never so humble there's no place like
home"
lie smiled and replied:
"Thc authorship Of the Jerusalem de-
livcrcd, saved Tasso from the hands OF
the bandits of the Appenines My hum
bic little song, popular only because it
touches q little nerve that vibratcs in
every heart, got me also out Of prison
short time since" and then he gave me
most amusing account of his adventures
in the Cherokee country.
1t will be recolected that about that
time the notorious Georgia Guard was
in existence. A band Of mixed nature,
and under the leadership of bitter par
tizan, it became offensive TO one part OF
the community. whilst the other held it
as necessary for the safety Of the squat
ters of the disputed territory. Now it
happened as usual, that the question be-
tween the Cherokccs and Georgians had
been seized by portion Of the Northern
people as fit occasion TO lneddlc with
Southern affairs; and the Intervention OF
the Supreme Court, Of the military arm
of the Government had been invoked
against Georgia The report ran, that
cmissarics of. various characters were at
work among the Indians, and the Guard
had particular orders to take up all sus-
picious persons and hold them till farther
orders from Millcdgevillc. Now just at
this time, the reported beauties of the
Amy Collola, and the splendors OF Nick
aacl. induced Mr. Paine to risk the rough
roads. the feather beds, the dough bis
cults, the three grains-to-t the-gallon coffee,
and the cindered bacon of the mountains,
in pursuit of these wonders. A broad
cloth coat, civilized hat, neat port
manteau, but above all, a travelling VIII
ting case, pocket comb and tooth
brush. marked our traveller as ''suspl-
cous character" so after due examina-
ton before the Bishop" he was commit
ted to a log house, there to abide under
the surveillance of sentinel till the Gov
ernor's orders could be received in the
due course of mail Night and day the
sentinel paced his weary round, and the
long rife was visible on his shoulder