“HOME SWEET HOME”.

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 January 1928, Page 8

“HOME SWEET HOME”.

STORY "OF ITS AUTHOR. It has been said that, more than five thousand songs are written each year, but that only a small percentage of them are ever set to music. Many of these are forgotten almost as soon as they are heard, for a song must have something divine or spiritual to live for even a dozen years. Those who are familiar with the history of literature and music know that every great poem, song or story is an inspiration of the author. “Home, Sweet Home” was an inspiration of that remarkable genius, actor dramatist, and journalist, John Howard Payne. 1 It is the atmosphere that the song “Home, Sweet Home creates, the siihple pharasing, the, great truth of its words, “Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home,” that has endeared it to our hearts. It is a favourite song of the exile; it has been sung in every language and every clime. The Eskimo in his snow hut, ’mid Greenland’s icy mountains, and the Hindu on. India’s coral strands, are not unfamiliar with it. This one effort has so much the touch of Nature in it that the whole world, becomes akin in acknowledgement of it, and in love for its author. Payne was born in New York City on June 9, 1791, of Engljsh parentage. Some of his ancestors were among the earliest settlers , of Eastham, Massachusetts, but the greater part of hfs chjldhood was spent at the old Payne homestead in Long Island, ' and it was here that his young heart drank its first inspirations from the beautiful Nature that surrounded

him. He received part of his early education at Boston, and in 1804, when only 13 years of age, he organised a little military group, which attracted so much attention that it made his name in the city a household word. Howard Payne’s father was a lawyer, and young Payne benefited greatly by his father’s teachings in elocution. He always took a leading part in school'* theatricals, showing superior merit in elocution and in acting, and as time went on his interest in the theatre became very marked. On the death of his elder brother, it was thought advisable by Howard’s parents to remove the young man from his associates and those pursuits which had riveted his attention on the and to place him in the way to succeed his brother. This was attempted by ways and means unsuited to his temper, which drove him to a clandestine editorship of a little paper called the “Thespian Mirror,” issued every Saturday evening. It contained well-written memoirs of Cooper, Hodgkins, and other actors of the day, with criticisms of their performances and plays, besides various interesting dra- . matic and literary news items from ‘ general sources. It ran for fourteen numbers. j ARRESTED AS A SPY. j

The editor of the New York “Evening Post” was so attracted by the boy of 14, who was outstanding in ability, that he ‘ formed a plan to send him to Union College. His father consented to the plan, and the boy left the counting house for ever. The death of his mothei’ came as a severe shock to his father as to himself, and for financial reasons the reluctant consent of his father was obtained for him to go on to the stage. A return to business proved a failure, and he returned once more to the stage, acting in Shakespearian drama in Boston and elsewhere. Finally, in 1913, accompanied by his brother, he sailed for London, and here he met several New York friends, including Washington Irving. England was at war, however, With the United States at that time, and Payne was arrested as a spy and thrown into prison, where he was confined for fourteen days. Discouraged as he was, his thoughts turned to home, and he composed the * ' words of that immortal song which in after years were to be embodied in an opera called “Clari, the Maid of Milan” —

'Mid pleasures and palace though ye may roam, Be it ever so humble there’s no place like home; A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there, Which, sought through the world, is ne’er met with elsewhere. An exile from home splendour dazzles in vain, Oh give me my lowly thatched cottage again; The birds singing gaily that came to my call, Give me them and that peace of mind dearer than all. Home, home, sweet, sweet, home, There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. Released from prison, he was intro-

duced to the great English actor Sir John Kemble, who in turn introduced him to the manager of the Drury Lane Theatre, where he made his first appearance in 1813, and met with the same applause as before the people of America. Then in Europe he acted for 106 nights, taking the parts- of 26 characters. Sent to Paris several years, later by the company of the Drury Lane Theatre, and it was then that he wrote' “Clari, the Maid of Milan,” an opera in which “Home Sweet Home” was sung fos the first time. The sweet rendering of the song by Miss Tree at Covent Garden won for her a rich husband and fame as L an opera singer. The song has had more universal circulation than any other ever written, and more than 100,9.00 copies were issued in London within less than a year of its appearance. In 1832, the authoi’ of “Home, Sweet Home” returned to his native land, and here he continued his work of writing until 1843, when he was appointed Consul to Tunis. In 1852, however, he had an attack of pneumonia from which he died. In an obscure cemetery in Georgetown his remains were interred the following year, and on a plain shaft topped with a bust of the immortal poet, actor, playwright, and journalist were inscribed these simple words: — Sure, when thy gentle spirit fled, Far beyond this earthly dome, i With outstretched arms God’s angels said—- “ Welcome to heaven’s home, sweet home.”