The San Francisco call., 1906-12-30

ent convulsed by an agitation
which has made itself felt IN
varying degrees OF force throughout
the entire country.
This agitation has been aroused by
the recent plan to tear down the old
cottage immortalized By John Howard
Payne in his world-famous song in or
der TO add TO the building room OF the
Episcopal Church.
The little house has become sur
rounded with sentiment for the resi-
dents OF the village and the summer
visitors. and the thought OF demolish-
ing so precious an old landmark is
srousing much discussion, both in and
out OF East Hampton.
Home. Sweet Home" the most pop
.-ssiar song ever written at any time or
IN any language. needs no word of
comment here. But the. life of fits
gifted author is far too little known.
Who can tell the circumstances under
which II was written? And how many
persons are familiar with the strange,
brilliant and varied career OF John
. Howard Payne?
FOSLs auI0Ors pleyWr18nt, Critic, actor,
oiplomatist, scholar; q man with gift
for things military and things dra-
matte; q wit, student. a friend of
b. allen races as well as OF all the dis
stinguished men of his day; a partisan
of Indians, comrade OF neutral
Princes. a companion OF great actors
and writer's OF all lands, a traveller, a
worker. a dreamer and the tenderest.
kindliest soul that ever was loved i'm
itfe or mourned IN death; there are few
men cut on his pattern-the pattern OF
gay, gentle, handsome, gifted Howard
Payne.
- On February "a. 1909. when he was
Is. he went on the stage, making his
first appearance as young Norval at the
Park Theater. He played for some
time IN America, being known by a
: -titie he had gained during his early
critical work, The American Juvenile
= Wonder" and then went TO London,
where he acted with Miss O'Neill and
- other weii-known players and did some
brilliant work.
He not only hed rare gift in this
direction. but he had in his youth ex-
, xraordinary beauty OF vivid mobile
character, and he possessed as well the
personality and FIRE that go with the
genuine poetic temperament Although
ne did brilliant work upon the stage. IL
was IN hfs play-wrfting that his chiei
ttwenty years IN London. Some OF hi,
. iplays reached nne dramatic heights
land q few OF them remain celebrated
no this day. Notable among them all il
lhis ''Brutus. or the Fall of Tarquin,
, j1n which Edmund Kean. Edwin For
rest and many other eminent actors
trnade great successes --charies III, OF
ifhe Merry Monarch" was a great ia
with Charles Kemble. "Therese
icr the Orphan Of Geneva" had Ions
popularity and Clair. the Maid OF Mi
Ian" Originally known as "Angioletta"
b., was renowned for two reasons. boil
because Nine. Tree, Ellen Trees sister
= made a great hit in Il and becaus'
Payne incorporated in II his great song
: Home, Sweet Home
The words sprang into Payne's htht
spontaneously. but the melody wa'
FIRST suggested to him by a Stellar
air which Sir Henry Bishop. the com
4 poser OF all the music OF Clair" mad'
use Of Payne's own story of finding
this melody is as follows:
-. II first heard the air in Italy. Ons
beautiful morning as I was strollins
alone mid some delightful scenery m,
attention was arrested by the swee
voice OF a peasant girl who was car
rying a basket laden with flowers and
vegetables. This plaintive air sh'
trilled out with so much sweetness
and simplicity that the melody at once
caught nay fancy. I accosted her. and
after a few moments conversation
asked for the name OF the song, which
she could not give me. But having &
slight knowledge Of music myself, re.
ouested her to repeat the air. which
she did. while ! jcfted down the notes
ae best 1 could. II was this air tha'
suggested the chords OF Home. Sweet
Home both OF which ] sent 70 Bisboy
ct the time I was preparing the opers
Of Clair for Mr.. Keulble. Bishop hap.
pened 20 know the air perfectly vel
and adapted the music to the words"
The success OF this song is known n
every nation IT has had a more uni
versal circulation than any other II
the world In less than year afte,
tt appeared the London publishers sold
more than 100000 copies. Nevertheless
81 Is a curious fact that Payne never
was given credit for it nor a royalt,
upon 1t. He never even received q pre-.
-sentation copy of the song.
In 1912 he was appointed Consul Il
Tunia, and the same year was made
colonel on the STAFF of Major Genera
Aaron Ward of the Fourth division oi
infantry OF the militia OF the State o.