The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-08
POOR LADY BLANCHE.
THE STORY OF HER ATTACH
NEWT AND ELOPENENT.
A B~autffui Life Embitterea. Wasted
and Shortened Through an tn
wafnsafn Herself in the United
States with Her Hasband-

On up the rise beyond the hollow there
f. A little house brown and soft colored.
As rains and weather change houses TO
soft-,inted brown. II is one story and
long and rambling. and there Is deep
bay window in fl The fence along the
front. and the gateway are odd and pref
fy. made of the smaller branches OF trees
with the bark left on.
Here was once the home of Lady Blanche
Murphy. the aufhoress. and the eldest
daughter of the Earl Of Gainsborouzh.
and here she died.
The father Of Lady Blanche was the sec
ond Earl of Gainsboroagh. and her
mother. who died before she was 20 years
of age. was Lady Augusta. the second
daughter OF the Earl of Enrol.
The late Earl of Gainsborough was a
Roman Catholic and had a private chapel
a. Ex,on han. his place in Rutlandshire.i in
which mass was celebrated daily. One
day there came TO the manor. as organist.
a winsome and fascinating young Irish
man--pIain untitled Mr.. Thomas p. Muir
ply. But in place OF title the young must
clan possessed what is much better, and
what in this instance proved ten times
more powerful - great talent Lady
Blanche. from her interest in the chapel
music, was brought daily in contact with
the organist- In the most natural and
simple way IL came about that after SER
vice was over and the rest of the family
had left the chapel, she would remain to
practice the music with him. 1t is nothing
strange that In the hours spent singing to-
gether after mathis or vespers, the glad
young voices pouring through the chapel
windows, making the old woods ring, II
was not strange that the young. enthusi-
astic Lady Blanche and the impulsive
young organist fell in love with each
other.
The marriage foliowed-a true love
match in an environment of Old World
traditions and al the fixed and cruel pre-
JUDGES OF rank and high birth. The course
the Earl of Gainsborough adopted on his
daughters marrying is shown by a QUOTA
ton from letter written to him by Car
dinai Manning. and published in the Cath
Ole World of October. 1881. six months
after Lady Branches death: Then came
her marriage the circumstances of which
! then partly knew. and now more fully
IL seems to me TO have been the working
out OF the same turn of character Your
conduct at that time must be a great con-
ISOLATION now. for you showed signally
fathers prudence till you were assured of
what her happiness required and a
fathers love In sanctioning her marriage.
with your consent. from your residence.
The loving and close correspondence which
still united her to you, and you to her
when she left YOU was worthy of both"
After their marriage the young couple
came TO New York. Lady Blanche entered
the field of literature, and Mr.. Murphy
took the position OF organist at New Ro-
chelle. In 1915 they came TO North Com
way. At that time Rev. Frederick fhomp-
son had boys school at the Three EIms.
and Mr. Murphy taught music there.
Lady Blanche Murphy-the name brings
back vision of a graceful little figure
wrapped in a gray waterproof. walking
with quick. elastic step. fresh. rosy face
fair as flower. framed In thick. golden
brown hair-Lady Blanche as / first saw
her on the sidewalk al North Conway one
rainy day in the autumn of 1875.
She was an ardent lover OF nature and
delighted In the grand scenery OF North
Conway and its vicinity: and so II came
about that after the time of Mr. Murphy's
teaching in the school had expired. though
they went away for a little while, they
soon returned to stay.
Her life here was simple and sweet and
brave and industrious. While doing n
great deal of writing for The Atlantic.
Scribner's Monthly. The Galaxy. The
Catholic Review. The Catholic World. and
also for English magazines. she yet did
most of her Homework. and. with 1t all.
she remembered the poor. the little chill
dren. all to whom she could give comfort
or pleasure. Her interest in the jewellers
OF the mountain valley was Just as real as
her love of the scenery. and that was In
tense: so making petticoats for babies
who needed them. giving Christmas gifts
to her poorest neighbors. or cooking din
ners for children was just as much an out
come. manifestation. an expression OF
her genuine self. as were the long walks
she made. the botanizing expeditions the
hours she passed in the open air and In
the woods.
She was always modest, almost shy. IN
the good she did. She made many plans
for future good works in which some other
person should seem 10 be taking the lead.
while she. really the originator and chief
worker. would help all she could"
Lady Blanche had a rather striking face.
the features irregular. the countenance
expressive. with the greatest beauty In