The Coolidge examiner., 1932-07-22

prisonment for debt So his homecoming was
all the sweeter because he came back TO his
native land to receive the acclaim of his fell
low-Americans who honored the penniless COM
poser with great festivals in New York and In
Boston.
Since that day century ago the fame of
John Howard Payne has spread TO all corners
of the world, for the song which he wrote, per-
haps more than any other ever written, has
universal appeal. 1t has been translated into
every language and sung in every country un-
der the sun. Simple of melody and homely of
words though 1t may be, some of the greatest
singers Of all time have been proud TO include
II in their repertoires, for IL is the one song
which is sure to reach the heart of mankind, no
matter under what color of skin that heart
beats.
Because Payne's fame rests so securely upon
this one song, Americans are likely to forget
If indeed they know, at all-that he had other
claims TO distinction, any one OF which would
entitle him to a place in the list Of American
notables At the age Of twenty he was darling
of the New York stage, young actor who had
leaped into fame overnight. But the fame of
Payne, the actor, greater than the fame
of Payne, the intimate friend of such literary
notables as Washington Irving, Sir Walter Scott,
Lord Byron and Thomas Moore and of such
statesmen as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and
William L. Marcy.
He might have been remembered as one of
the great playwrights of his time, for he was
the author of no less than five operas, nine
farces, 21 dramas, six comedies and eight trag-
edies But the chances are his name would have
passed into oblivion had ii not been for song
which he wrote for one of his operas. That song
was Home, Sweet Home"
In 1923 Payne, who was dividing his residence
between London and Paris and travelling all
over the Continent wrote play which he later
converted into the opera called "Clari, or the
Maid of Milan" The music written by
Sir Henry r. Bishop composer and director of
music for the Theater Royal in London, but 1t
was Payne who gave Bishop the idea for the
music.
The song first sung by Anna Maria Tree
at the premiere of "Clari" at Covent garden in
London on May s, 1923 The song was an in
stantaneous success. More than 100000 copies
were issued by its publishers in London within
less than a year after it was first sung there
and it yielded them a profit of more than half
a million dollars. And yet the author of the
song received only a mere pittance from this
sum. The publishers did not place his name
on the title page nor did they even send him a
complimentary copy of his song which was so
soon to become immortall But this was not an
unusual experience for the composer. For
Payne's life had been series of successes and
failures, strange combination of affluence and
poverty alternately.
Payne was born at SO Pearl street in New
York city in 1871. the sixth child of William
Payne, a school teacher His mother was the
daughter of Jewish family, named Isaacs, who
lived in Easthampton, long Island. 1t was this
peaceful Long Island community which was
Home, Sweet Home to Payne during his boy
hood and there today stands the house which
is said to have been in Payne's thoughts when
he wrote the song. AS a matter of fact this
house was not owned by Paynes father but
was rented by him, while he was principal of
the Clinton academy in Easthampton, from the
Mulfords, a family that in continuous pos
session of it from 1851 to 1910 when it was
sold to Gustave II. Buck Of New York city.
While John Howard Payne was still very
young the family moved to Boston where his
formal education began