National Republican., 1875-07-27
"HoME, SWEET HOME"
The Circumstances Under which John How
ard Payne Wrote the Song.

ara FayHe WLOto Lno oouks
tBrooklyn Eagles Rsyiew S. q HarrlsOn's Life of
Mr.. Payne, on one occasion in 1885, while at
New Orleans, when questioned on the subject OF
the music Of "Home, Sweet Home" told his per-
sonal friend, Mr.. James Rees, of Philadelphia,
that the air was not wholly original with Mr..
Bishop, and related the following pleasant anec-
dote concerning it. He said: 81 first heard the
air In Italy. One beautiful morning as was
strolling alone amid some delightful scenery, my
attention was arrested by the sweet voice Of q
peasant girl who was carrying basket laden
with flowers and vegetables. This plaintiye air
she trilled out with SO much sweetness and SIM
plicity that the melody at once caught my fancy.
accosted her, and, after few moments conyer-
sstion, asked for the name Of the song, which
she could not give me, but having q slight knowl-
edge Of music myself, barely enough for the pur-
pose, requested her to repeat the air, which she
did while dotted down the notes as best could.
It was the air that suggested the words Of Home,
Sweet Home, both Of which sent 70 Bishop at
the time was preparing the opera Of Ulari' for
Mr.. Kemble. Bishop happened to know the air
perfectly well, and adapted the music to the
words" This statement is fully sustained IN the
letters Of Mr.. Payne to Mr.. Bishop which are In
troduced in the volume.
There have been many ridiculous statements
made as to the circumstances under which Mr..
Payne wrote the words Of his celebrated song.
"Some," says his biographer, "haye stated that
he was residing in London at the time, without q
shilling IN his pocket; others have stated that on
q stormy night, beneath the dim fickerlng Of q
London streetlamp, gaunt and hungry, and
without q place to shelter his poor shivering
body, he wrote his inspired song upon piece of
ragged paper, picked from the sidewalk.'n
This was not so. The letter Of Mr.. Payne,
above quoted, proves directly to the contrary.
We see by his acknowledgment 10 Bishop Of the
receipt Of eighty pounds that he was comfortably
situated when preparing "Clart" for the stage
We admit that Mr.. Payne never, at any period Of
his eventful life, accumulated any considerable
amount OF wealth, but those who knew the state
Of his circumstances knew that he never was o
street pauper. In q still later Communication to
Bishop is another acknowledgment for nifty
pounds on the sum Of two hundred and hfty,
which he was to receive for the three dramas en-
titled, "Ah Pacha," "The Two Galley SIaves'
and ''ClarL" all Of which were produced at the
Covent Garden theatre, under the management
Of Mr.. Charles Kemble.
Mr.. Payne has never been 'let alone;" almost
everything he ever did has been doubted, and It
is somewhat surprising that his censulship at
Tunis has not been denied him; but what Of that?
Fools have been found who doubted that Shsks-
peare wrote his own plays, and that Poe was the
author Of the Raven" and, with all their moot
else who did perform the works. At one time 1t
was stated that Mr.. Payne did not write the
words Of Home, Sweet Homer The assertion
called forth inquiry. Washington Irving was
applied to on the subject, and his reply was that
he had been unable 10 discover who else did, and
he could see no reason for doubling the author
ship.