Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-03
PAYNE'S EMPTY TOMB.
The Monument to the Poet Erected by
Nr. COrcOran I'm the Cemetery 1t
TuniS.

When the romans Of John Howard Payne
Althor of "Home, Sweet Home" were brought
to this country two years ago for reinterment
In Oak Hill cemetery, Georgetown the slab
that had covered the grave In the cemetery of
st. George, Tunis, where Payne had been buried
thirty years before, was also brought to Amer
lea and the spot that had been for many years
the shrine Of all Englsh-speaking visitors to
Tunis was left unmarked. When Mr. w. W.
Corcoran, who had betrayed the expense of
bringing home the remains of the dead poet
and OF placing over his new grave an appro-
pirate monument, heard of the neglected ap-
pearance of the first grave and that the friends
OF Payne in Tunis felt deep regret that at
least the simple old slab had not been left over
the empty tomb, he authorized Mr.. John Wor-
Ellington, u $. consul at Malta, TO have con-
structed q suitable memorial and place II in the
cemetery at Tunis. This trust Mr.Worthingten
has discharged in a manner which is most Sa tis-
factory to Mr.. Corcoran, and must be gratifSiny
to those residents of 'Tunis attached to the
memory OF Payne, who regretted that his re-
mains should be taken from their midst even
TO be brought back to his native land
MI. Corcoran has received from Mr.. Worth
fngton a letter, under date of April 90 an
nouncing the final completion of the monu
ment and Its erection I'm the cemetery at Tunis
He encloses also number of photographs taken
OF the monument as it stood in the sculptor's
yard at Malta. He expressed in his letter to Mr.
Corcoran the hope that it's final com pletion and
erection will be as gratifying to the sentiment
of your friendship for one whose memory YOU
have hOnored SO sgnally and beautifully in
both the new and the old world as it must be
deed to every person who has ever been touched
by the sacred spirit of Payne's simple and i'm
The monument is thus described by Mr.. Wor-
thington: 1.-The shaft is similar to the one
erected over the remains of Payne In Washing
ton by Mr.. Corcoran. In settling on design for
the grave in Tunis 1 concluded that Il partial
duplicate of the Washington memorial would
be appropriate. In the place of the bust of
which is very eective. It was designed bv Dr.
Nicola Zamnit, of Malta, gentleman of high
artistic ;.s,. attainments who furnished it gra,u-
DR.. Dammit thus speaks OF the design: have
combined the symbol of the poet with that of
the writer. have given to the Tyre simple and
solid form, as would be suitable to sculpture ex-
posed to the air, and which could be plainly
distinguished at some distance. The laurel Is
loose, SO as to express that the crown OF genius
Is broken by DEATH On the marble ribbon
is carved the musical notes of the first line of
su ss sy nSms h s09 aec ans scroll
ecuted o'>
''The whole monument stands seven feet and
one inch in height. The square of its base is
four feet. The total weight is about four tons.
The material is the close-graincd, very hard
ana durable 'ZOncor' stone found on this Is
land Its color is grayiSh yellow, the prevail
ing tone being soft gray. Its surface is finely
polished, but without glare On the front is
clearly carved:
LIN memory OF John Howard Payne, author
OF home, Sweet Home born June 9th, 1871
died April 9th, 1852 Beneath this is
Erected A. D., 1856
And on the four sides of the base are carved
the lines:
Sure when thy gentle spirit fed
To realms beyond the azure dome,
With arms outstretched. Gods angel said
Welcome to Heavens Home. sweet Home
On the right side of the shaft is a shield eagle
and +. Pluribus Unum, similar to the arms of
the Department Of State, carved in round re-
lief in marble and let into the side OF the shaft
Just below this are the words:
Died at the
American Consulate
in Tunis.
Aged 60 years and ten months
On the back of the shaft is cut this inscrip-
ton:
IN the tomb beneath this stone the poets re-
mains lay buried for thirty years. On January
5, 1888, they were disinterred and taken away
to his native LAND, where they received honored
and final burial in the city Of Washington, June
y, 1883
On the left the shaft is this sentence:-'Then
be content, poor heart
Mr.. Worthington writes that the effe.t of the
monument, as whole, is pleasing and satsfac-
tory. 1t looks substantial is graceful and SIM
pie. 1t stands firm and strong, and in a climate
like that Of Tunis, where no frosts ever come it
will last for ages. There are several structures
he says, in Malta. made of "zoncor" stone.
which, though upwards of five centuries old are
as sound and perfect to-day as when first
erected.