The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-01-29
TIL. cOT1zGE WITH TEE cghAD0W or The cYIPcH
cyTEEPE EALILNG UPON w


II
at the time l was preparing the opera
of Clair for Mr.. Kemble. Bishop hap
pened to know the air perfectly well
and adapted the music to the words.
The success Of this song Is known
in every nation. It has had q more
universal circulation than any other in
the world. In less than a year after
it appeared the London publishers
sold more than 100000 copieA Never.
theless 1t is curious fact ths. Payne
never was given credit for 1t nor a
royalty upon it. He never even re
ceiYed presentation copy of the song.
In 1912 he was appointed consul to
Tunis, and the same year was made
colonel on the staff of Mai. 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 the
intimate and personal friend Of Ahmed
Pasha Bey, the king Of Tunis, and was
adored BY the natives Of the city.
He was recalled in 1S45, but re-
turned to Africa in 1851. And when
they told the bey that he had reached
Tunis he ''cried out joyfuliy and said
Let him be made welcomed" 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 q plot of ground
overlooking the purple water and the
splendid ruins Of old Carthage Our
government erected there a marble
slab bearing Chllton's lines:
Sure when thy gentle spirit fled
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 character
Of John Howard Payne cannot fail to
discover in his picture of the old home
stead deep, unsu5siding love for the
old place, as If the spirit Of his boy
hood had come back to awaken men,
ories Of a delightful past; indeed, It
was here where his earliest inspira-
tions were winged, where his eyes
We're first opened to the beauties Of
the world, where he first took breath
Of the broad green fields; where the
waves Of the sea shore, as they broke
their white crests at his young feet,
whispered to him strange stories Of
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 song
Of Home, Sweet Home. It was Of the
lowly cottage at Easthampton2"
And It is this cottage which has
come into the possession of the Epis-
copal church Of East Hampton, and
because Of the necessity for more
room, for the present building is not
adequate for the needs of the congre-
CATION, especially In summer when the
towN is filled with visitors, It has been
the plan TO demolish the cottage SO
as to secure the building space needed
for a larger church and parish house
and rectory adjoining.
Several plans have been put for.
ward for the preservation of the cot.
tage. One is that 1t be remodeled and
used as rectory; one resident Of the
town offers land on which to place the
building; the editor Of boys maga-
zine in the west urges his young read
ers to support It as a historical mu-
scum, and still others have other
plans. Just what will be the ultimate
outcome Of the agitation is uncertain.
but It surely viii be unfortunate If the
place is lost to the country and future
generations who viii continue to sing
the song Of Home, Sweet Home