The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-03

in the coffin shop Of the Sowerbury's
to maye his escape to London. The
trials and hardships Of that trip to
London need only be referred to. And
there are plenty Of other witnesses
ready to offer testimony to the fact
that London is not only the largest
but the lonesomest city in the world or
the poor stranger without friends.
Dream Of "HOme, Sweet Home"
But lying there on his surreptitious
bed of boards with only the damp
and the Pickering lights of London
night above him. John Howard Fayne.
the immoral balladist. dreamed wide
awake of such very strangely differ
ent scenes both in Georgia, thousands
of miles away and the hopes Of his
disappointed and discouraged heart.
which doubtless seemed even a great
er distance away.
An then there came to this footsore
but brain-active wanderer on a foreign
shore that wonderful inspiration
which was to fire the very hearts or
countless coming generations. LOOK
ing into the darkness he saw not the
Pickering lights from the old gas
lamps of London but a dear little.
beautiful world of his own making.
And as he looked he took from his
pocket the rejected manuscript and
on the back of the written pages
wrote In uHQylnS WOTuS lHt ueSSi ~
ton of his dream so wonderfully far
away from his real surroundings and
environment.
Lying there, thus he wrote and then
it was that those beautiful words
came into this world to make it a bet
ter place to live in for all time to
come:
Mid pleasures and places.
There's no place like Home"
And tho words of the verses were
put into writing, there came that ever
recurring chorus:
Home, Home sweet. sweet Home:
Be it ever so humble. there's no
place like Home"
! song Inspires Millions.
| Words sacred to the heart of almost
every person of the civilized world
since that eventful night of the lum-
Der pile and London town. Words
so wonderful in their meaning tina,
they nave brought the fears from
strong men and brave women and lee
the way to higher and better things
for millions in the past and pres m
| and will continue to mean quite al
much to the millions yet unborn.
| Tired and discouraged as he was
the young writer recognized the fac
that these words were inspired ant
| with the first light that came will
the tardy dawn that crawls and creep
so reluctantly hrOugn the lnVafldDl'
mists and fogs of a cold. gray Lon
don morning. Payne, for all future
time the immortal. started once mor'
in search of market for new wares
| Breakfastless. with almost his las
shilling, he purchased paper. copie'
the verses which he had written ant
carried them to the manager of
well-known concert hall. This mana
ger, evidently struck with the patho
haa nf q lines nrnmiSpd
give the words a trial, first stipulat
ing that no payment for the privil"e
be required. Firm in his belief an
hope that the merit of the word
would be recognized. Payne agreed
Going to his friend, Henry Bishop,
musician, he asked him to furnis
the music for the words. suggestin,
that he follow closely the old "Sicu
ian Air" which he had heard suns
and which both appealed to him a
suitable to the words and fitting tn
metre and rythm of the ballad.
"Sicilian Air" Adopted.
Bishop acquiesced and must be Civ
en- much of the credit for the fulur
requested. he followed rather clo3.r
the harmony of the old 'Sicilan Air
Back with the words and music hnr
ried Payne the hopeful, to ~. mama
ger. Then followed .hc rahnlr,lI,
night intervening oe'ncc the raIia,
was first rendered, with :he write
living from hand - mouth as beat b,
could.