New-York tribune., 1896-10-25
THE STORY or LADY BLANCHE.
AN ELOPEMENT AND PONERI1'

From The Granite Monthly.
ON up the rise beyond the hollow there ,r Il ,1II u
moust pnnoe houses TO n ft-tintcd brown. 1t
is OF one story. and long and rambling ana thtne err
s,on, and the gateway are odd and pretty. made
OF the smaller branches of trees with the p'rN
Iiere WAS once the home OF Lady blanche Mur,
ply the authorcss. and the eldest daugnter o'
hf The Ea "f Of d" Bsncne was the
of i;ainsborough. and her mother, VINO dea peiore
she was twenty years OF age. was Lady Augusta
the eldest daughter OF the Earl of Errol. p,.,o,
catholic and had private chapel at Exton Hall,
his place in Rutlandshirc In which mass M was ceie
braed daily One day ,here to 'HS Young s
man-piain untitled Mr. Thomas = Murphy ,,bu but
Is Is much better and what in this instance proved
ten times more powerful-greai talent I,;s,S Lazy
Was brought daily in contact with the organis'.
In the most natural and simple way II came aoont
that after service was over ana the rest on 'ne
family had left the chapel! she would remain 10
practise the music with him II Is nothing strange
in the hours spent singing osetnSr o s''er ponrne
through the chapel Windows making thr Ola WUous
ring il not strange that the young entnus nr
astic Lady Blanche and the ,her mpT'Sve young or
envroh%an, hs rniAsS Of @i% World the
The course the Earl OF Gainsborough adopted on his
daughters marrying is shown by quotation rom
published in ''The Catholic World, of October l%i
Six months after Lady Blanches death; tn Then nch
then partly knew. and more fully; It seems
turn OF character Your conduct that time must
be a great consolation now, for you showed sig,
what WHAT her Happiness required. and fathers love
In sanc,ionns her marriage with your consent. er.
spondence which stil united her TO YOU and you TO
her. when she LEFT you. vas worthy OF both, -
NewYork @s.'i t%' Lady blanche entered the aed Of
and M Thy i" ook IS Gf hc yOsd2" a%
North conTay At that ,ms the b Rey b1ec Ems
s mrph2 nap Gos aushs s'nDE S at there
Lady Blanche Murphy~the name brings back
gray 's" S sr"sf s WITH FHIS qck w'fepSs It
a fresh rosy face. fair as a flower. framed In
saw her on the sidewalk A. North Conway one
rainy day in the autumn of 1915. ~
In the grand scenery OF North Conway and lis vi
clnl,y; and so II came about that after ine tim of
though they went AWAY for little while they
Her NE here simple and sweet ana brave
and Industrious. While doing greet deal OF VII writ
Galaxv" "The catholic Revi w" The Catholic
World" and also FOR English rnagazines she yet
did most OF her housewoIk, AMI with 1t AL she re-
membcrcd the poor: the little children az TO whom
she could give comfort or pleasure Her interest In
real AS her love OF the scenery, and thai was in,
tense: making pettcoats for babies who needed
bors or cooking dinners FOR children was just "a
| OF her genuine self as were the long Walks she
| made the botanizing expeditions the hours she
She was always modest. almost shy, n the good
she did She mad" many plans for tutur. good
works In which some other person should seem
be- taking the lead. while she really the orig |,
naior and chief worker. would help all she could
| Lady Blanchc had rnth"r striking face. the
TEXTURES Irregular the countennncc expressive with
| the greatest beauty In the winsome. sweet smile
| of her mouth Her akin beautiful the checks
the fresh deep pink Of the trailing arbutus. and
she had "A handsome head.
Ia March ISL she took n violent cold that readily
Developed INTO an acute ana & fatal malsdy she she
| hope never thinking OF death her words and
thoughts the very last night OF her lfc words and
thoughts of kindness and loving care Tor Others she
! died She only thirty five years old In the
| fun prime 81 remarkable Intellectual vigor and
| her success ls writer was steadily increasing.
The Earl OF Gainsborough said. In a letter 10 the
| present writer: She was remarkable character.
sl,on rarely 10 be met with noble woman. as
YOU truly say-a daughter am proud OF. In n let
ter written eight years ago, sh" wrot" OF her de
1 termination to carry out her pet schemes. and
proud Of She succeeded believe she will
be remembered by you all az long you live, and
| that her influence for good VIII he felt. and her
| bravery. Industry and heroism be constant en-
William Dean Howells who was then Editor OF
The Atlantic" at the time Lady Blanche made
her nrst contributions to literature and who did
| much to help and encourage her, in speaking 10
! the writer Of this sketch OF Lady Blanchos in
telectual habit and acumen. said: she had the
most analytical mind Of any woman | have ever
\ known
Che had not lived all the Ave years In her pretty
| house under the shelter OF the Humphreys Ledge.
| but she had looked forward to owning her own
| home I'm the midst OF the lovely scenery she so
| bought tho farm at the foot OF the ledge and
| modelled the house she meant 10 be her ideal
/ home.
She sleeps now beside her mother at Exton. In