Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-02-21

at the time was preparing the opera
 of Clair for MT. Kemble. Bishop hap.
 pened to know the air perfectly we'll,
 and adapted the music to the words. z
 The success of this song is known
 in every nation. It has had more
 universal circulation than any other in
 the world. In less than a year after
 1t appeared the London publishers
 sold more than 100000 copies. Never
 theless it is a curious fact that Payne
 never was given credit for it nor q
 royalty upon 1t. He never even re- ceived a presentation copy of the song. In 1842 he was appointed consul to Tunis. and the same year was made colonel on the staff of Maj. Gen. Aaron Ward, of the Fourth division of in. fantry of the militia of the state of New York. In February of the fol- lowing year he left for Africa. His career in Tunis was as unique as the rest of his life. He became tho intimate and personal friend of Ahmed Pasha Bey, the king of Tunis. and waa adored by the natives of the city. He was recalled in 1845, but re. turned to Africa in 1851. And when they told the bey that he had reached Tunis he ''cried out joyfully and said Let him be made welcome!'" Flags were hung from every window, and the people filled the streets with fes- tivities in his honor.
 And there in Tunis he died, cared for by Greek priest, two French sis. ters of Mercy and some native Moors who loved him. Tunis wept when his eyes closed at last, and the bey was in. consolable.
 He was buried in plot of ground overlooking the purple water and the splendid ruins. of old Carthage Our government erected there a marble slab bearing Chilton's lines:
 Sure when thy gentle spirit hed
 To realms beyond the azure dome With arms outstretched, Gods angels
 said:
 Welcome to Heavens Home, Sweet
 Home""
 Gabriel Harrison says of the poet in connection with the Easthampton cot tage, of which he often spoke:
 One who has studied the characteu of John Howard Payne cannot fail to discover in his picture of the old home. stead a deep, unsubsiding love for the old place. as if the spirit of his boy hood had come back to awaken mem. ories of delightful past; indeed, it was here where his earliest inspiras tions were winged. where his eyes were first opened to the beauties of the world. where he first took breath of the broad green fields; where tho waves of the sea shore, as they broke their white crests at his young feet whispered to him strange stories oa the deep; where he first tried to count the stars, and where. each early morning as he awoke. hope painted new pictures of his imagined future. Indeed. if he was thinking of any one place on earth when he wrote his cong of Home. Sweet Home.' 1t was of the lowly cottage at Easthampton.'"
 And 1t is this cottage which haa come into the possession of the Epls. copal church of East Hampton. and because of the necessity for moro room. for the present building 10 not adequate for the needs of the conRre. sation. especially in summer when the town is filled with visitors, it has been the plan to demolish the cottage so IS to secure the building space needed or larger church and parish house md rectory adjoining.
 Several plans have been put for yard for the preservation of the cot age One is that it be remodeled and lsed as rectory: one resident of the own offers land on which to place the the editor of a boys maxs- ine in the west urges his young read ITS to support 1t as a historical mn cum. and stfll others have other 'lans. Just what will be the ultimate of the agitation is uncertsin. ut 1t surely will be unfortunate if the lace is lost to the country and futuro who will continue to sins he song of Home. Sweet Home.s