The Evening critic., 1883-03-23
John HOWARD PAYNE,


and under other skies than those which arched
above that home so sweet to him, the earthly
casket which once held the spirit OF John
Howard Payne to-day reaches our city--his
own land-for final intorment, where his bones
Will be spared I'm sacred ground until clay be-
Few men OF an earlier generation havo been
so little understood or, rather, so little rocol.
l9ctsd ncmSr, by poiho the present :. as John
solely by ono OF the best efforts OF his life,
while tho larger and moro Intellectual scope
of his career and its fullllmont Is forgotten,
or was never known. An actor, he is regarded
as q poet and rs o poet Is unknown, save by
one simple song, which struck chord re-
sponsive In every heart and thrilled IL Into
music that can never cease In Its vibrating
melody.
Payne was no poet, despite his "Homc,
memory as perennial; but ho was a genius In
his way; and had not tho too.often ill-grace of
precocious talent have handicapped him In
his career, he would have been indivldualised
as positive, emphatic man, OF strong talent,
rather than as vague, halr'mythlc memory,
rs he IL to-day.
John Howard Payne was born In New York
city, near the junction Of Pearl aud Broad
streets, on the 9th OF juno, 1901. His father
was native of Massachusetts and a physician
by profession, n student under the famous
General Warren, who was killed at Bunker
Hill.
on his maternal side Payne was of lmmedl.
ate Jewish descent, his mother being the
daughter OF an eminent Jew merchant OF
Hamburg, gentleman so generally re-
spected that when he died at East Hampton
an universal sentiment inscribed upon his
monument-"An Israellte, indeed, In whom
there was no guilel
Paynes fnther, subsequently, took charge OF
prominent educational institution In Bos.
ton; and 1t was there that young Payne RS
ceived his rudiments of education. The lad
was first noted for his military penchant, and
while at school started Juvenile military
company, which was very popular with tho
older folks, and tho title of 'Captain" Payne
conferred upon the child remained with him
until his death among tho people OF Boston.
The specially OF payne's fathers tuition
was elocution, and tho littlo son soon became
so proficient In the art that he was appointed
deputy instructor. He was also foremost In
all school dramatic entertainments, and oddly
enough the nearest approach to q successful
more mature years embraced the ministry,
and rs Rev. Mr.. Palirey was one OF the most
enthusiastic and impressive pulpit orators
against the stage while Payne was reaping
applause and wealth and poverty co.or-
dlnately as an actor.
just about the tlmo young Payne was being
locally populariZed by reason of his local
dramatic power in Boston the famo of tho
child prodigy, Master Betty or Beattle, OF
England, as the kid RoSciHS reached America.
Boston actor and manager, n sort of anti
clpatory D'Oyley Carte, decided In his mind
that Payne would be good Investment as an
american An r. lean Young RSsctgs, and proposed to
him as q Western dramatic prodigy. The
| father Of the child-he was but child less
lldn IOuIleen-WaS shocked at Lnc suggestion
and treated 1t with an unconditional refusal.
The death of his mother, and the subsequent
| bankruptcy of his father, however, caused
| change In his career, and allured him,
| through the imperative necessity OF earning
| his own living TO follow the bent OF his incli.
nations, on the 9th Of February,
1902 1906 John howard Payne made his
1t was at tho Park Theatre, New
York. He vas cast for Norral. His success
was immediate and unqualified. A fow weeks
| leading
have seen young Payne III Douglas, ZapltaG
| Seiim and OctaUia, and may. truly say that 1
one scene In his Zdphaa which exhibited more
| taste and sensibilty than have witnessed
since the days of darrick. He has astonlshed
| everybody"
| Tho young Rosclus was equally successful
| In Boston and other Northern cities. He was
| enthusiastically received In Baltimore, and
| his tv O weeks engagement netted him 81 800,
| wonderfully large amount OF money In those
| days.
From Baltimore he travelled successfully
throughout the leading Southern cities. In
this city he drew the largest audiences over
known up TO that time In Washington.
American.like, he turned his eyes toward
Bonnie Leslie, to carry his conquosts further,
he sailed for England and landed In Liver.
| pool in 1918.
He made his first appearance In Eng
land at the Drury Lane on the 1th Of
l9e." Mrs. Powell, Of the coyoqt Garden,
|
she ever met until upon the stage. But tho
| young American was nervy, and not to be
phased. He entered into the spirit OF the
| drama, and achieved wonderful success and
| an immediate popularity. Mrs. Powell, a
| magnanimous as well as an eminent actress,
said TO him after tho play, and as tho echoes
| of the applauding audience still thrilled the
theatre: I" If you saw any merit in my Lazy
Rdndoph, Il was entirely owing to a son felt
While quite number of the journals Of tho
| day were kindly and honestly disposed toward
Payne, still the preiudices Of the English
against his nationality showed itself In others
Jealous actors wanted TO know IL this 'damned
Yankee thought ho could teach Englishmen
how 10 act2' and q strong effort was made to
blasphemous infdel. Tom Payne"
About the time OF Napoloon's exile to Elba
Payne visited France, principally 10 sec
Talme, the grandest actor of the era In that
the two, the veteran actor taking great liking
and fatherly feeling 10 the young American, as
the following excerpt from an advisory letter
pregnated with the character and situation OF
your parsonage, let your imagination be
exalted, your nerves be agitated-the rest will
follow; your arms and legs will properly dc
their business. The graces of a dancer are
not requisite in tragedy. Choose, rather, tc
have q noble elegance in your gait and some
thing historical In your demeanor Dtrl. Be
ate friend, TALMA.
serious financial losses through the handcaps
OF managers at both Drury Lane and Coven
Garden. He was the victim of Kinnaird OF the
former and Of Harris Of the latter. After con
sultation with Edmund Kean no set abou
writing "Brutus," his greatest, indeed, his
only strong drama. As groundwork
he took mad Nat Lees play and also borrowed
| ideas as skeleton fragments from several othel
| plays upon the same subject. He nlled In the
| flesh from his brain and the soul of action
from his rapid spirit, and created the whole
into healthy existence. Kean seized upon II
and produced It with great nnan
ciai and professional success. Il
thinned the audiences at the other theatre:
and brought both fame and wealth to Kean
But the meanness and petty envy OF the riya
managers and the contemptiblc course o
Kean transposed tho eifects OF his success, a
| far as Payne was concerned, TO his injury
rather than to his benefit. An effort was ever
made 10 obtain an injunction for tho preven
tion OF its performance from tho Lord Chan
cellor, on the ground that certain passage
were calculated TO produce democratic I'm
| pressions."
The conspiracy to crush out tho America,
grew day by day, and Payne was not only re
duced TO complete indebtedness by the low
| under-handed treatment he received In q t0l
eign land, but was embarrassed financially
In this one season he lost the entire accumu
lation of years.
1t was about at that time that he felt In hi
| soul the solemnly beautiful fact that ther
| was no place like homo, and II was then tina
for the consideration OF thirty pounds b
adopted his play Of "Angloietta' for Charlie
Kemble, who had succeeded Harris a
The Covent Garden as an opera, under IN
title OF 'Clari." II was In this that the world
| widely popular song Of "Home sweet Home,
7 Is found. The opera was gra "a auccrss, am
the song alane brought thousands OF pound
to It's owner. but never q penny to Its author
In fact the name Of Howard Payne was move
mentioned In connection with Il until 1t
VT...1 arTHn