Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-03-10
then stood where the bustling off,
ces of the Mail and Express, Daily


ces of the Mail and Express, Daily
News and the World newspapers
i are now located. From the me.
tropolis the boy actor went forth to
conquer the plaudits of Philadel-
phia, Baltimora, Boston, Washing
ton, Richmond, and even Charles
ton, South Carolina. Being hon.
ored with George Frederick Cook,
a trip to England was determined
upon, and early in January, 1913,
Payne embarked at New York
and landing month later i'm Liv-
erpooi, was Jailed by the Mayor of
that city because he lidn't know
What else to do with such a pro-
greSsive alien. Soon released,
however, he went to London, and,
after firing of its streets and Won
ders, sOnght an engagement at
Drury Lane, obtained a hearing,
made a. big hit and triumphal
round of the provinces. Then he
went to Paris, saw Talma and was
FAVORED WITH HIS KIND WORLD.
Bonaparte returned from the Isle
of Elba, and young Payne improv-
/ ed the forced confinement of the
Hundred Days at the French capi-
tai by making translations nf the
operattas and melodramas for the
Engligh stage. Thus began his
adaptation and literary TRANSMISSION
of other playwrights' ideas, Ian
guage and situations. In many
respects he out-Boucicaulted Dion
himself. i shall not take issue here
with dead-and.gone reviewers who
howled like pack of Siberian
wolves whenever a new dramatic
piece was brought out under his
name. If he was plagiarist, he was
assuredly remarkably honest and
clever one, as his preface to "Bru-
tus" and the tragedy itself will
show. Harris, manager of Convent
Garden, bought Payne's version of
1.-THE Maid and the Magpie" for
one hundred and fifty pounds ster-
ling, and made money by the pur-
chase. Edmund Kean accepted
"Brutus'' and first appeared in it
at Drury Lane, Dec. 3. 1878. Charles
Kenble, succeeding to the control
of Convent Garden, in 1922 pro-
duced Payne's opera of "Clari, or
the Maid of Milan," in which the
elder Miss Tree (sister of Mrs.
Charles Kean) first sang the inn,
mortal "Home, Sweet Home"
The music of this song-hymn of
civilization was born of the genius
of Henry Rowley Bishop (l786-
1850. Before 1880 it was computed
that one hundred and twenty thOus-
and copies of the ballad had been
sold by its original publishers. On
the twentieth night of the perform
ance of "Clari" it had been stipu-
lated that Kemble was to pay John
Howard Payne twenty-five pounds.
Not six pence of the sum agreed
upon ever touched the minstrePS
fingers. A writer in the Utica OBJ
server quite recently gave these
facts about Payne's tragedy of "Vir-
ginus."
Edmund Kean employed both
Knowles and Payne to write plays
introducing that marked historical
character. Payne's was acknowl-
edged to be superior in diction, but
at the same time lacking certain
elements which go far toward MAX
ing a strong acting drama.
.. PAYNE WAS RELUCTANT ..
to submit his manuscript to the
rough pruning knives of Edmund
Keane and his stage manager, with
both of whom he had already had
many serious financial complica-
tions. So Kean gave the preference
to Knowles rendition of the clas-
steal story, and curious was the Sc
quel. Though the tragedy was
damned on the first night, it be-
came in time favorite with actors
and their patrons. Our own Nc
CulIough regards it as the best in
his repertoire" @
Twenty years after, "Home,
Sweet Home' became natiOnalized
by all nations. Queen Victoria
What startling contrast of recon-
pense! The Trainer of the words.
whi.h every humanist's lips hold
pat, and will thus hold forever,
had, ere this co-lyrist received this
high dignity, actually starved in
Partisan atticS, and walked the
musty highways of London with
out the beggarly pittance needed
for food and lodging. In 1882, he
made temporary rise" and re-
turned to his native land. Here
his fortunes were by monster ben
eft at the "New Park" But
Payne's spirit was broken, and he
drifted into cOme-day go-day-God-
send everyday sort of existence;
now stroIling through the Western
towns, tramping the Florida ever
glades, anon Democratic editor,
then twice Consul at an insalubri-
Gus African city, where, on weary
April day, in 1852. he folded his
thin hands over a breast whose |
longings were stilled@ and whose I
feeble throbs betokened the end of
unrest and the certain satisfaction
of natures debt. How tenderly
and reverently will the sailors of
the Mediterranean and the Allan
tic handle the casket in which is to
be transported the tardily reclaim
ed dust of Columbia's famed exile, |
VINO wandered in vain! In the |
grand Occidental commonwealth of |
homes the ashes of John Howard |
Payne are, by the grace of philan-
thropy, to find a peaceful and eter-
nal habitation. OF his masterpiece
it has been truthfully written that |
it was a rough diamond of verse
"cut and set with perfect art"