The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1914-05-22

than all!
Home, Home sweet, sweet Home!
There's place like Home
There's no place like Home
There is quite difference of opinion con-
corning the composer and origin of the melody
Parke, in his Musical Memoirs" says that the air
is from a German opera, while other authorities
agree in calling it Sician air adapted by Sir
Henry Rowley Bishop There are numerous
fabricatons concerning its authorship, but
Charles Mackay, the distinguished English poet
and journalist, in writing "The London Telc-
graph with view of putting an end to such
controversies stated that in one OF the many con-
versations which he had had with the gifted mu-
stefan, Sir Henry Rowey Bishop, he was ia
vored with the whole story Sir Henry told the
English poet that while he was completing the
Melodies of Various Nations" he found that he
had Siclian melody worthy of reproduction
and he, therefore, invented one, which is the now
well-known melody of Home Sweet Home"
Payne continued his residence in London un.
til 1882 when his ill-success led him to return to
the United States, and nine years later received
the appointment of American Consul at Tunis
In lS45 Payne returned to the United States.
While he was in Washington, during the close
of his last visit to this country he witnessed the
most sou-strring scene of his whole career. II
was in December, 1880 while Jenny Lind was
making her triumphant tour through the United
States. She gave of her concerts in the great
national hall at Washington and Payne occu-
pied front seat. Her audience had been en-
tranced by the rendition of her lovely melodies
when she suddenly turned to where Payne was
seated and sang Home. Sweet Home" with such
feeling a pathos that the audience was moved
with excitement and enthus.-Sm Payne was
thrilled with rapture at this unexpected compli-
ment Again in 1851 he returned to Tunis as
American Consul His following words show
that he experienced mingling OF unusual pleas
ure and sorrow: How often have l been in the
heart of Paris, Berlin, London, some other
city and have heard persons singing hand
organs playing Sweet Home" without having
shilling to buy myself the next meal or place
to lay my head! The world has literally sung my
song until every heart is familiar with its mel
ody, yet | have been wanderer from my boy
hood. My country has turned ruthlessly
from office and in my old age / have to submit
to humiliation for bread" He died at Tunis
Africa, the 10th day of April, 1852, without
a relative or friend at his bedside. He
buried in St. Georges Cemetery overlooking the
Bay of Tunis and suitable monument was
erected to his memory
William H. c. Hosmer has so well expressed
the remarkable antthesis between his fame and
his fate in the following lines:
Unhappy Payne!-no pleasure grounds were
thine,
With rustic seats o'ershadowed by the vine;
No children grouped around thy chair in glee,
Like blossoms clinging to the parent tree;
No wife to cheer thy mission upon EARTH
And share thine hours of sorrow and of mrth.
Or greet thy coming with loves purest kiss
Joy that survives the wreck of Eden's bliss
Hands of the stranger ring the mournfu knell-
Homeless the bard who sang of home so we'll
His restessness did not seem to end after his
death. In 1883. w. w. Corcoran, the noted phil
anthropist of Washington, who, when boy had
seen Payne act, had his remains transferred from
Tunis to Washington. When the body reached
Washington it placed in the Corcoran Art
Gallery, and the burial took place in Oak Hill
Cemetery on Iune 10. 1893 The President of