The Detroit times., 1911-05-19

perdition seemed to be TO send young
John 70 New York to forget the allure
msnts or the stage among the folios or
Mr.. Forbes. . merchant perhaps the
boy would some day be q partner In
the nrnh as his eldest brother had been
before his death, and that would be
respectable.
The nrst prescription for stage fever
did not prove wholly effectual. Young
Payne devoted his spare hours TO the
publication, sub rosa. OF a little dram
attic paper called the Thespian Mirror,
which attracted the attention and the
favor Of william Coleman, the editor
and founder OF the New York Evening
Post. Notice Of the Thespian Mirror
In the Evening Post brought letter TO
Mt. Coleman from the youthful scribe.
fearful lest discussion OF his paper
should lead to q disclosure of the ed
tors Identity and TO more Christening.
Mr.. Coleman, impressed by the letter,
through which he learned that his col
leagues Of the Mirror was but thirteen
years old. invited the lad to call on
him, and then, following his better
judgment, made public the whole Incl
dent. The upshot was that Mr.. John
10. Seamans, wealthy gentleman OF
benevolent inclination and rock-ribbed
virtue, undertook to pay the expenses
of q college education for Payne, ha,-
ing first got the consent OF the boys
father. Mr.. Seaman's choice fell -
Union college.
Rebelled Against Restrictions.
Payne was hardly model boy while
In college. THE discipline of a classi.
but against the other discipline recon-
mended by his patrons and the impu-
tations put upon his character he re-
belled. As II TO prove the well
grounded he would now and then dis
appear In the jungle. returning after
a few days with contrite heart and
ready for the fray. Finally, however,
he quarreled with his excellent but
stern mentor. Mr. Seamans, and re-
fused further patronage from him He
tried TO make his own way by publish
Ing a college paper, called The Pas
time. The Pastime, to Judge from ex-
tant pages, was breezy sheet and
met with favor, but that favor was not
substantial enough to support penni-
less student. Payne was brought TO
his knees before Mr.. Seamans, who
forgot, forgaye and provided money.
There was more blacksliding and
more censure and finally Payne, at his
own request. was put under the per-
sonal charge Of Prof. BENJAMIN Allen,
whom he describes as the most learn
I'D man In college," and under. whose
tuition, 30 he writes, he had attained
more knowledge In three months than
In any previous year The lad had
now found himself as a student. But
shortly afterward, on June Is, 1907.
his mother died. Payne left college
much afflicted, and never TO return,
and FASTENED home to Boston.
Two lean years followed. The father
Of the family, quite overcome by HIS
lost his grip" His
school failed The son now urged his
inclination toward the stage with bet
ter success. On the evening OF Feb.
"a, 1909, In his sixteenth year, amid
great acclaim he made his first appear
ance on the stage at the Park theater
In New York as Young Norval. His
subsequent career both In this country
and abroad may be learned for tho
pains. But persistent error ciings. He
was never pauper; to be imprisoned
for debt in England one hundred years
ago was not rare enough to be dis
tinction and no passport to the poor
house.
Some Mlsapprehensions Corrected.
He was not tramp and never wan
dered save for o purpose. He was not
lugubrious but. on the contrary, Of
sweet and genial temperament He
did not write Home, Sweet Home"
one stormy night beneath the dim
fiiekering Of London street lamp,
gaunt and hungry and without place
to shelter his poor, shivering body,
upon piece OF ragged paper picked
from the sidewalk. He was not an
idler. He was not wild after the giddy
fling Of his early youth. His career
In England as actor and playwright.
though slenderly rewarded, was not
inglorious: Of It he was himself con-
tent to say that In theg reat metrop-
oils, London, he had endured strug-
heartbreaking struggles
but that II should be understood
that In place overthronged with SO
much busting competition It was hard
for any aspirant to escape unbruised.
He was friend of the cultured and
the great. His Brutus was a prime
favorfte with playgoers for several
decades, and every great tragedian
Of the palmy days was won't to try his
skill In the title role. He deserves
well of his country. Of which he was
ever a loyal and DEVOTED son. II is
eminenuy htting that the college
which had some part In his life should
not seek to revive and impress his
memory: q charm from the sky will
hallow him there and a sweet affec-
tion will be increased In the generous
hearts Of young men.