Evening star., 1922-01-22

turn to the gratuitous rumor) has
nothing against Americans in the
style of John Howard Payne.
The author of Home. Sweet Home"
never had any real luck in Europe;
and most Of us who have followed his
footsteps have done it completely. He
began life as a youthful genius and
romantic actor in the best style. At
the age OF eighteen he was playing
Norval, in the tragedy Of Douglas"
at the Park Theater. New York. He
appeared in leading. heroic roles. from
"Barbarossa" to Romeo and Juliet
and his profits for the first year were
$4,000.
THREE years later, he went to Lon
L don and Paris, and while always
an artistic success. it took him no
time at all to get his nose permanent
ly on the grindstone.
Payne turned playwright at the age
of twenty-one. He wrote. translated
or adapted sixty plays on the twenty
three consecutive years of his Parls-
London existence. Always hard up, he
had to bestir himself at times to pay
IL shillings per month for his dogs
board and lodging with fancier OF
the Pont-Neuf. To request Tor
money, Charles Kemble sent him the
untruthful reply that "a poorer man
lives not in England than myself.
Payne answered simply: You should
come and see what Paris can do IN
that line" When manager of Sadler's
Wells Theater he was imprisoned for
debt until a successful adaptation OF
.4Therese" permitted him to ARRANGE
with his creditors.
During all these dreary years of
exile, Washington Irving. who had
met. Payne in New York, was his
friend, literary adviser. mentor and.
for several periods. his companion in
Paris lodgings: but-and here. again,
one sees how expatriates are punished
there came a time when Payne's
lady love preferred his friend.
1t was Mary Shelly, young widow of
the poet. The love story has been
completely reconstructed from Paynes
letters. Mary, who had passion for
going to the theater without paying
(she often had six tickets to the same
show), used the author of Home.
Sweet Home" for the double purpose
of keeping her supplied with theater
tickets and for reaching Washington
Irving.
Invariably Payne offered to escort
her, with the tickets. Sometimes she
accepted, often she accepted, only the
tickets. She used to address him. in
her little notes. as my Dear Sir. 1t
warmed up to my Dear Payne" only
after an abundant" supply of tickets.
NV, don't it sound natural?
When, at last, he yielded to the evil
dence that Mrs. Shelly used him "as
her stalking horse in the pursuit Of
Washington" his ardor cooled, and he
abdicated.
Then he wrote Home, Sweet Home"
PAYNE was always a success
L though always broke. He was
man out of place. a square plug in a
round hole-an American settled in
Europe. Being under contract to
supply operas and plays to Covent
Garden Theater he wrote the libretto
of the eperetta "Clari, or the Maid
of Milan" AS a suitable song was
needed in the second act Payne. in
spired by early memories of New
York and Easthampton, L. l., penned
the immortal hymn:
mid pleasures and palaces though
we may roam,
Be it ever so humble. there's no
place like home"
Payne furnished the tune as we'll
that is to say. he hummed It to Sir
Henry Rowley Bishop. the composer,
who fitted 1t to the words. What
Payne hummed was hts remembrance
of an air which he had heard from
the lips Of a Sicilian peasant girl
selling oranges.
For 'Clari, or the Maid of Mi1an."
containing the most famous song
in the world, Charles Kemble, man
ager Of Covent Garden Theater.
paid the poet 80 pounds, or $3.50. Miss
Tree, sister Of Ellen Tree, played
the part of Clari and thus sung, for
the first time. Home, Sweet Home"
It was said that all who had to do
with the song got rioh-except the
author. In twenty months Charles
Kemble gained $4,000 by the copy
right-10o,000 copies were sold tho
first year. He kept tho profits. They
were his. weren't they7 Others have
done the same thing since. The
opera was quite forgotten.
II were asked to lecture in one
Of the promised Home.
centers. would like to get together,
as audience. all the young fellows of
the A. e, F.. who. being enamored
of France-and justly-have thrown
their cap over the mill," SO to speak,
and returned to seek a Job in Paris.
There are thousands and they are
not doing themselves any good.
I would tell them, first, that the
state Departments two years Is not
arbitrary fddle-faddle, but profound
psychology. Two years continuous
stay in Europe IL. think, the limit,
after which an American becomes
rapidly nniit for doing anything else.