Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-08
Author of Home Sweet Home Died in uns and Buried at Oak
Hill Cenetey-Was Government Clerk in Washington at
One Tme-Frst Singing of Song and Stories of His Life

turning toward Payne and singing
Home. Sweet Home" At tho end Of
At the end Of the song the vast crowd
cheered and clapped their hands for
several minutes. everybody looking
at Payne who was decidedly en-
barrassed.
1t should not be imagined that be-
cause Payne remained q bachelor all
his life that he never had any love
anairA Like all other bachelors, he
had one real. genuine affair. and many
others that soon proved to be nero
passing fanciea. The "one girl" lived
at Boston. She deeply reciprocated
his love and was quito willing to
marry her brilliant sutton. and would
have done 80 had it not been for tho
bitter Interference OF her mother. who
seemed to think her child could DO
better"
Possibly this Boston gKl was in
Payns's thoughts when no wrote this
lover-like poem:
THE GIRL or MY HART.
There's nothing. there's nothing 30 lovely that
lives - thou All, dear!
There's nothing. th1e's nothing that pleasure
gives. and thou art neari
When thou art away the worlds brightest
charms look-oh- how Arear!
But a magic spell tn fosn disarms when thou
art near!
When thuu art away, even summers beams an
cold appeari
But the coolest winter 4 summer seems beside
Thea. dear!
The tragedy Of Payne's life dated
from his appointment a. consul to
Tunis- In less than three years after
reaching his post he was recalled BY
President Polk, who had succeeded
Tyler. Polk desired to supplant him
with = personal friend. This sudden
dismissal was a great disappointment
to Payne For the next several years
he roamed through Italy. France and
England. finally returning to Wash
ington, living on 14th street opposite
WIZARDS Hotel and a short distance
beyond Pennsylvania avenue.
Ono Of his particular friends at this
time was Emma southworth. who had
created a sensation in literary circles
with her story. "Retssbution." Her
home was located just south Of tho
Smithsonian Institution.
4 4 4 4
When Fillmore became President
Payne's friends renewed their efforts
to have him reappointed to Tunis.
Their urgings were fruitless until a
certain prominent Washington girl
called upon Fillmore and advocated
his cause SO eloquently that he agreed
to make the appointment
Payne sailed from New York for
Tunis May s, 1851. never to return
alive to his native land. He died on
April Of the following year, after
a protracted illness. His last days
were made comfortable through the
ministrations Of his faithful Moorish
servant, Thomas F. Reade. the Brit
ish consul. and four Sisters OF Char
.ity-Rosalie, Josephine. Marie Xavier
and Celeste.
His body was buried at Tunis, where
it remained for thirty years. until
w. w. Corcoran. Washington's most
noted philanthropist and q lifelong
friend Of Payne's, at a personal ex-
pense Of SIS, 900 had tho body brought
back to America
While driving by a Washington
hotel one afternoon in the autumn Of
1882 Mr.. Corcoran heard the Marine
Band play Home. Sweet Home"
in honor of a returned arctic explorer
This brought Payne so wildly to his
mind that he then and there decided
to take immediate measures to have
the remains OF his old friend brought
home and given a funeral and resting
place commensurate with his world
wide prominence.
1t will be just thirty-six years to-
morrow since the reinterment at Oak
Hill took place. The ceremonies were
in charge Of the following committee
of prominent citizens: James c. We'll
ling, Ill. d., chairman; Charles M
Matthews. secretary; James B. Ed
monds, Samuel II. Kaufman, An
thony Hyde, Gen. W. T. Sherman,
~ 10 rlr