Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-22
A MARVELLOUS STORY.
Romantic Career Of The Jersey Lily
Related for the First Time.
HER MEETING WITH Mr.. LANGTRY.
The Bcauty's Advancement
from Home to the Pinnacle
Of FashiOn---Stage Life.

One morning, FIVE and twenty years
ago, a young fisherman piped oil hands
on deck of his trim little yacht and sail
ed like modern Jason in search OF the
Golden Fleece. His taste for yachting
came by inheritance His father, Viii
liam Langtry, was a wealthy shipping
merchant, man OF eminent character
and aristocratic appearance. a member
of the Society Of Friends. full OF charities
and good repute, and longtime agent
for the Onion Steamship Line IN
the city of Belfast, County An
trim, Ireland, says the Philadel-
phia Press. The Langtrys, though not
OF the landed gentry, were highly-re-
spectacle family. They had intermar-
RED with the neighborlng estated peo-
pie; their coat-of-arms antedated
Cromwell on one side of the house
they were related TO the county aristo-
cracy, on the other they were connected
by consequently with the great linen
bsrons whose manufactures have made
the North of Ireland prosperous.
MIR. William Langtry. at that time
head Of the family, although a Quaker
OF orthodox principles, was not averse
to an enjoyment of the pleasures OF
life. He had inherited money, married
money, made money, and he spent 1t
literally in supporting the condition OF
a man Of secure social position and the
possessor of many strains OF blue blood
in his veins. He purchased yacht for
his eldest son, settled a fortune on the
Young man on attaining his majority.
and sent him off to enter the lists at
Cowes for the purpose OF upholdlDg the
honor of the Langtry name.
The Young Quaker gentleman, thus
matriculated from college and started Tor
a holiday, set sail from Belfast in high
good humor He was 26 years of age !;
he had an independent es'a.e; he car
ried letters to many members of the Eng
lish peerage he was intelligent, good
looking. and lazy. There never was a
VOYAGE of life begun with greater
promise Of prosperity There have been
few that ended in greater disaster.
Young Mr.. Langtry sailed down Bel
fast Tough with the enthusiasm OF a
yachtsman who treads the deck OF trim
built slOop.
Before gong to Cowes he intended to
pun over to France, and with this object
he sailed the Irish Sea, threaded ~.
Georges Channel and made for Cher
bourg Stress of wind drove the yacht
out of her course, and the young sailor
found himself one stormy night among
the Channel Islands He made the har-
Dor of st. Heller safely and went ashore
until the storm should abate. Thus do
the currents OF mans life go awry. In
stoppinQ on the Island OF Jersey the
vonng yachtsman found fate that was
wholly unparalleled in the house OF
Langtry.
INVITED TO DINNER.
Young Langtry had been there only
one evening when Dean lie Breton, the
most important man on the island, in
yited him to the deanery, and asked
him to remain there instead OF in the
inu. Mr. Langtry accepted the invita-
ton and was introduced to the Dean
two beautiful daughters.
He STAYED day after day at the deanery
until his troth was pighted to one OF the
Young ladies'. The Deans consent was
easily obtained. He knew the Langtry
family and after pleasant interview ar
ranged between the heads of both houses
the matter was settled. The Dean was
glad to have such an excellent sOn-ln-
law and William Langtry, although he
would have preferred to see his son mar
RED to Quakeress. approved OF Miss
lie Breton SO highly that when the young
people were married he gave a very
handsome jointure.
Belfast was not an interesting town
for a man who had had some taste Of
English life, and a permanent residence
in Jersey was out of the question. Mr..
Langtry took a honeymoon tour of the
Continent and ended it IN London.
Like all country-bred girls, the BRIDE was
infatuated With the great city. Its social
atmosphere was agreeable also to her
husband and, in order to please himself
as we'll as his wife, Mr.. Langtry rented
a cottage on the Thames. Here the
young couple lived happily for two
years. Mrs Langtry was 20, her hus-
band eight years older. They had nice
house in an exclusive neighborhood, suf-
fcient income to keep three maids and q
coachman, smart brougham and but
tons.
When their honeymoon was ended
and the Langtrys settled down to matri-
monial life the neighbors were eager to
enlist the new cottagers In their set.
Young Mrs. Langtry's first venture into
society was whist party given next
door, in which the rubbers were six
pence and her partner curate. 1t was
not very lively dissipation. But 1t was
SO much more gay than anything that
she had been accustomed to IN Jersey
that. when the party ended in dance
for the young people, the bride refused
to Join in Sir Roger de Coverley, be-
cause she considered that the daughter
Of dean should not take part i'll any
such worldly frivolity.
Mr.. Langtry only went out to please
his wife. He was an entirely domesti-
Gated young man. After getting mar
ried he sold his yacht, bought new col
lection of pipes, subscribed for the Lon
don weeklies, and spent most Of his
time reading and smoking in the library.
Events in this gentleman's life came
from unimportant trihes. One of bis
neighbors, broker on Change, asked
Mr.. Langtry to dine with him at his club
one night. There was meeting OF the
local sewing circle that evening at the
Langtry cottage. and its owner was glad
TO escape from the babble of church Cos
sip. At dinner he met Sir George Chef
wynd, Bart, of Grendon Hall, Warwick
shire. Sir George was an agreeable
man of fine presence, excellent
tact and great knowledge OF the world
The young Irish Quaker was first awed
10y his superior knowledge and then
fascinated by it. Sir George liked a
good listener and he approved of Lang
try. Before the gentlemen left the club
early next morning Sir George had
asked his young acquaintance to run
down for bit of shooting at Grendon
Hall in the grouse season. Mr.. Langtry,
in return for this unexpected courtesy,
invited the baronet to dine with him on
the following Sunday evening.
FIRST OF THE GREAT WORLD.
Mrs. Langtry was shocked to desc
crate the Sabbath by giving dinner
party. But she had already begun to
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