davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07
Upper le Mrs. Charles Dana Gibson; center, Lady Astor;
Upper right, Mrs Robert H. Brands
Lo,Uer, Mrs. Paul Phipps.
@0uk 7X0MPSoW

that King Edward came to tea Mrs.
Astor's house was crowded with the
most fashionable people in London.
The King had attended to that very
we'll. And as it was his purpose to
make Nanny Langhorne somebody in
British society he gave her a great
deal of his time. She was at her
best, and their conversational sallies
and repartee filled the part of the
room where they were.
The man who tells the story says:
"This did not suit the pleasure of
the ladies of the land. They decided
to break up the party of two. Bridge
was suggested. Nanny smiled and
said she did not know how to play
cards. The ladies insisted. Now,
Nanny honestly did not know how
to play bridge, but she did know how
to amuse the King, and she had no
intention of being bored when it
was so easy to avoid 1t. With her
most fascinating smile she declared
she could not tell one card from an
other, and added quickly: why, I
don't even know king from a
knave.' King Edward laughed
heartily. The ladies fled, and Nanny
was firmly established in the royal
good graces. After that she was
not long in winning her way into
the heart of the Kings England" )"
Naturally, rumors soon began to
fly about of her engagement to
numerous men. The most persistent
ones connected her with Robert
Goelet and Lord Revelstoke, the
bachelor head Of the banking house
of Barring Brothers and one of the
host cst~hes IN E-rl~r1. -Rut in
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07

ralness and simplicity Of speech that
has always been one of her greatest
charms. "Airs," or what the English
call "side" or "swank," she learned
to despise, as she dcspises any at
tempt to display a superior knowl-
edge.
Moreover, back of all her lightness
and gayety there was a deep sense
of responsibility that has led one of
her friends to say:
"The false impression is often
gained that Nanny Langhorne has
no depth, that she is specifically
clever and sparkling; that there is
nothing below the surface. That is
the impression that a good many
people of her type give. But it is
not true one. Nanny Langhorne
has fine mind, made the more at
tractive by the sparks Of fire of
which she is capable Her sincerity
and loyalty to principles and her fine
appreciation of human values are
rare indeed"
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07

Another friend illustrated by a
tale of Nanny's youth.
"It was no unusual thing" she
sNd, "for Nanny Langhorne to act
as nursemaid when she thought the
situation demanded it. She would
go into a train, dressed as the Lang
horne girls knew how to dress, and
find a tired old mother wearily TAX
ing care Of half a dozen children.
Nanny would look at the woman,
then at the young tribe of unwashed
youngsters, and decide Immediately
that there was something she could
do in the way of evening up things
a bit. In spite Of the expostulat atoms
Of the embarrassed mother she
would bundle the children off into
another section Of the car and tell
the mother to take a nap. Nanny
took care Of the children. And she
loved it."
But by and by it came time for
the Langhorne girls to marry.
Elizabeth. the eldest daughter, was
the first to take a husband. She
married I. Moncure Perkins, of
Richmond, and died several years
ago. That was before the days when
1T had become fashionable for
daughters of the Confederacy to
marry men Of the North. But when
Nanny's turn came she went di-
rectly into the stronghold of the
Abolitionists.
She was married in 1897 to Rob-
ert Gould Shaw I'd, of Boston. a
Harvard man and representative of
an old New England family. The
wedding took place at Mirador, and
soon afterward the young couple
went to live in Boston. Shaw was
a famous polo player in his day
on the fields, and it was Nanny's
riding that first attracted him, after
which he soon fell a victim to her
wit and beauty. Nanny continued
her career on the hunting fields, be-
gun with the Albemarle, Deep Run
and Norfolk hunts in Virginia, and
she and her husband were soon
among the leaders at Myopia and
Meadow Brook. It was at the latter
place that she became the warm
friend Of Mrs Tchr Jacob Astcr. a
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07
Opposed Drink

Il have never been asked to stand
as 'pussyfoot' candidate, nor have
l any intention of doing So" she
said.
Lady Nancy was returned to Par
lament with plurality of 5000.
There was a good deal Of talk about
how she would dress in her attend
ance at the House, but she soon
silenced that.
Il shall dress very simply" she
said. "a black skirt with a white
shirtwaist and a black coat, with
possibly little white at the collar
and cuffs. I am not going to set a
precedent that will make other
women hesitate to follow me-"
She kept her word, and when she
appeared in the House for the first
time last Monday she was all in
black, except for touch of white at
the collar and cuffs. 1t was his
toric occasion in the House, and not
only the whole House but all Eng
land was on tiptoe for it. Lady
Nancy was sponsored by Premier
Lloyd George and Arthur ]. Balfour,
both Of whom had backed her CAM
paign, although she had said, II will
be for Lloyd George just as long as
think he is right"
With hand on the arm of each,
Lady Nancy came in and was led to
the Speakers chair. The House
buzzed with low rnurmur of ap-
plause as she mounted the footstool
before the Speaker and took the oath
and then stopped for a minutes chat
with the Speaker. Austen Chamber
lain was the only member who tried
to speak to her as she withdrew
after taking the oath. She was the
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07

Church, Langham Place, London.
Illness kept the elder Astor from
being present. Three of the brides
sisters attended her, and she was
given away by Charles Dana Gibson.
The bridgegroom's younger brother
was best man.
This marriage is apparently what
the unconscious training of her
earlier years had been preparing
Nanny Langhorne for. Waldorf
Astor was a serious young man who
was determined to conquer a place
for himself. Nanny Langhorne was
just the one to help him. Without
sacrificing an iota Of her wit and
brilliance, her independence and de-
fiance of conventions, which, on the
contrary, she made serve her, she
brought out the strong, underlying,
solid foundations of her character.
Helpnseet and Wife
The same desire to help the
mother with six children in the
train, of which her old friend spoke,
found chance for free expression
now that she had the Astor millions
at her command. Waldorf Astor
wanted to enter Parliament, and the
Conservatives were persuaded to let
him stand for the Sutton division of
Plymouth. Nancy Astor Immediately
took Plymouth under her wing. She
campaigned with her husband at
elections, but far more than that
she campaigned the year round in
Plymouth. 1t was with her not
merely a question of winning elec-
tions. She learned what the lives
of the working people of Plymouth
were, and the serious work of her
life became the alleviating Of those
conditions, not only for the people
of Plymouth, but for all England.
''She always hated the term
charity" said her old friend "She
hated the things it implied. And
yet I believe there is no other
woman on the other side who has
the reputation she has of taking
care Of folks"
That was what Nancy Astor did
in Plymouth. She took care of
folks. She went into their houses
and talked to them. She became
their friend. She learned what they
wanted and what they needed and
helped them to get it, She helped
them to get good food and clean
conditions of living. She estab-
lished day nurseries where the
mothers could leave their young
children during the hours the moth
ers were earning a living. And
when Waldorf Astor was elected to
Parliament Nancy Astor and her
husband took up the fight for clean,
pure milk for the poor people of
England and made it their own.
But while she was building up a
name and following in Plymouth
she was not less busy in London.
She reached point of great power
in British politics, and her house be-
came recognized rendezvous for
the best known men in political life.
In January, 1914, she gave a week
end party at Cliveden, which in
cluded Mr.. and Mrs. Asquith, Ar
thur j. Balfour, Mr.. and Mrs. Win
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07

1905 Nanny returned home for the
marriage of her sister Irene to
Charles Dana Gibson.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07
4 Good Nurse

rare indeed
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07

1905 Nanny returned home for the
marriage of her sister Irene to
Charles Dana Gibson.
Irene's Wedding
Irene Langhorne has been account
ed the most beautiful of the Give
beautiful Langhornes. 1t is she who
has inspired many of Charles Dana
Gibson's pictures of American wom-
en-. Like her sisters, she rode to
hounds and displayed also marked
talent as an amateur actress and
singer. When she was brought out
in New York Ward McAllister, then
the arbiter of New York society,
asked her to lead the cotillon with
him at the Patriarchs Ball, and
any one whose memory goes back to
the beginning Of this century, Ward
McAllister, the elder Mrs. John
Jacob Astor and the glories and
heartburnings of the Patriarchs Ball
at the Waldorf-Astoria knows what
that means. Irene Langborne had
been placed on throne than which
one could mount no higher.
In May, 1905, she was married to
Charles Dana Gibson at St. Paul's
Episcopal Church, Richmond. Nanny
Langhorne Shaw went back to Eng
land and rumor soon began to settle
definitely on an attachment between
her and Waldorf Astor, eldest son of
William Waldorf Astor,
On March 8, 1906, cable dis
patch from his daughter to Colonel
Langhorne in Richmond authorized
the announcement of her engage
ment to Waldorf Astor. They were
y. ;-I NO. Q tnnc -, An C~.>,-s
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07
The Langhornes

Alwenty-odd years ago Lady As
tor, then Nanny Langhorne, was
riding to hounds over the Virginia
nils. She wac one of the five beau
!ifa' Lanshornes," daughters Of
Colonel Chisweil Dabney Langhornc,
,! Mirador, Alnenarle County, Vir-
gia;a. The Langhornes had beauty,
wit and spirit galore, but not much
Moaey. One does not need much
money IN Virginia, however. if
me comes Of tHc right stock. A
little money goes a long way. And
blood was another thing the Lang
Aornes had in plenty. Not that they
Were an impoverished family, either.
but small fortune spreads out
pretty thin when it has to cover five
daughters.
old friends Of the family say that
"'s 70 her father she owes her pres
'a' posi1ion. l. was ne who taught
ef ttat conventions were made to
Hosect ~ slow-minded and do not
s"se for the audacious and nunble-
''hgaec. Colonel Ianghcrne loved
a01nn2 in the world so much as 70
soo or say something convention told
x.'n should not be done or said.
.sany was her fathers chum, and
''Sm him she learned in their long
ss'Scountry rides to use her
uc 10 best effect, and from him,
- she LEARNED the perfect natu-
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07
The Candidate, Not
Politics, the Issue,
Says London
Paper
By Fred B. Pitney


.os asked to stand for Parliament
~ the Sutton division of Plymouth,
10 seat made vacant by the eleva-
.;on of her husband to the peerage
through the death of his father, the
late Viscount Astor.
And there is not one among he
friends but will tell you that in those
two sentences she summed up her
career FROM the time she played foot
hall in Virginia to the day she took
her seat in the House of Commons.
81 never hoped and never wanted
10 90 into Parliament" she told her
hearers in one of her election meet
ings in Plymouth.
Doubtless. Virginia has long been
the "Mother of Presidents" but it
has only now become "mother of
women members of the House of
Commons" and what reason could
Virginia girl have had for expecting
to become a member Of Parliament?
But when the opportunity offered
she jumped into the fight and won,
for to quote her again, II loved po-
litical life because it enabled me to
get things done"
1t is a remarkable thing she has
done now-to make an American
girl the first woman to take a seal
in the British Parliament. How did
she do it? The correspondent Of
"The London Daily Telegraph" whC
followed the election in Plymoutl,
says it is personality, and he
friends will agree with him. "The
Telegraph's" correspondent says:
"The short fact is that the cleo
ton is being dominated not by poll
tics but by personality-the person
ality of a somewhat enigmatical
woman. 1t is Lady Astor's election.
Just ''Nancy''
Il have rarely known meetings
that broke up so thoroughly re-
freshed, with the feeling that all
had been having a good time. 1t is
a triumph Of personality which is
carrying Nancy Astor-everybody
so calls her here--along the tide of
success. No meetings are SO packed
as hers, no figure in the streets en-
cages SO much attention as her.
SELF"
Her old friends, those who knew
her as little girl in Virginia, speak
Of her in the same way as this Brit
sh newspaper man, seeing her for
the first time. One Of her old play
mates said:
"She was always different from the
rest of us. She never did things in or
DER to be spectacular, although very
often what she did was spectacular.
1t just happened that Nanny's natu-
raj inclinations went that way. Her
tongue was as quick as the rest of
her young body. None was spared
her good-natured sallies. She could,
however, be just as caustic as she
was kind. She was a good sport
above all. Nothing enraged her so
greatly as to have a decision of any
sort based on prejudice instead of
IN Justice"
An Englishman, trying to describe
her, said:
She's got a punch in both ends of
her tongue, and in Parliament or
out she will always be one of the
most influential women in the
United Kingdom"
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07
friendship that was of great value
to her later in ENGLAND.

friendship that was of great value
to her later in England.
One may understand that there
were reasons why the marriage was
not happy. At any rate, soon after
the birth of her son, Robert Gould
Shaw Sd, Mrs. Shaw went back to
her fathers home in Virginia, and
in 1908 obtained divorce on the
ground of desertion for three years,
which is satisfactory cause in the
Virginia courts, and avoided all the
unpleasantness and much of the no.
toriety that might have been neces-
sary in another state.
Phyllis Weds
Meanwhile the third sister, Phyl-
lis, had been married. She was mait
of honor at Nancy's wedding to
Mr.. Shaw and was introduced by
Mrs. Shaw to Northern society,
where she achieved a veritable tri.
umph in Newport and New York.
She met Reginald Brooks, a yachts
man, polo player and hunter Of big
game, all of which appealed to the
outdoor Langhorne girls, and they
were married in 1901 at the Bran
don Hotel, Basic City, Va, eight
miles from Mirador. Colonel Lang
horne engaged the hotel and used
it for the entertainment of the we'd
ding guests, who came from all
parts of the country.
Mrs. Brooks separated from her
husband in 1912 and divorced him
three years later. She married, in
June, 1917, Robert H. Brand, a
partner in the banking firm of
Lazard Freres, of London.
Soon after her divorce from Mr..
Shaw, Nanny Langhorne went to
England with Mrs. John Jacob Astor
and the two maintained a hunting
establishment at Melton Mowbray.
Nanny soon became noted for her
riding, but she had harder time to
gain admittance to society in other
walks. Her unconventionality made
no appeal there. She went unat-
tended one afternoon to garden
party, and, after having run the
gamut of row of cleaning lor-
gnettes, was greeted by very fash
ionable parsonage with the remark:
"My dear, where is your chape-
ROM"
Nanny replied that she had no
chaperon.
ut was broad daylight" she said,
"and l did not think chaperon
was necessary. I'm beginning to
think, though" she continued, that
l should have brought policeman"
Fauorite Of the King
King Edward, who was then on
the throne, heard, as lie had a habit
OF doing, of these attempts of the
peerage to snub the young American,
and King Edward had an especial
fondness for Americans. He had
met Mrs. Shaw and taken a great
fancy to her, and he proceeded to
invite himself to tea at Mrs. Astor s.
where Mrs. Shaw was a guest.
When the King invites himself to
tea or any other affair he chooses
his own guests and sends opt his
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07

Iord ana Lady BeresfOrd, Lord Rob-
erts, Sir Horace Plunkett and J. L.
Garvin. After dinner there was a
debate between Winston Churchill
and j. l.. Garvin. In the course of
it Mr.. Churchill declared he had his
finger on the pulse of the European
situation and that five days before
war was declared the English fleet
would be lined up in the Channel in
full war strength ready to protect
the country.
Nancy Astor was also ready. Her
husband went into the army and be-
came Major Astor. She went to
work for the soldiers. The magnifi-
cent Astor estate of Cliveden, Tap
low, one of the finest along the
Thames, was turned into a hospital
and rest cure, and she did not spare
herself at nursing and visiting and
cheering up the sick and wounded
soldiers. After America went into
the war she could be found two
evenings week at an American
officers club and two other eve
nings were passed at a club for en-
listed men, where she could be seen
sitting on the floor playing the
ukulele. She is said to be the only
IN m hpr Of tho Pr;t;cb Dooro1.o x,,l,
has mastered that instrument.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07
American Personality" Won for Lady As
The mer Vir-
gi1lia Girls Cam
paign Interested
All England

a runaway fight of it, setting pace
the others could follow with diff
Guilty.
Lady Nancy began by making
Churchwood, the ruddy-faced, rotund
old coachman who had served the
Astor family through three political
battles, the director general of her
campaign. Silk-hatted and officious
executives Of the Unionist party
held council daily and drafted the
candidates strategic moves, but it
was Churchwood-also silk-hatted
though less officious-who really de-
termined whether those plans should
be executed or vetoed.
Lady Nancy would enter her car
riage in the morning, Churchwood
would whip up the elegant pair of
sorrels and the candidate would roll
away, unmindful of whittier she was
bound. If Churchwood from his
vantage point saw a street corner
gathering or lowly abode where
Lady Nancy might get hearing, he
would rein in the horses without ask
ing leave and let her do the rest.
During the campaign her ready
wit and quick tongue made her
famous throughout England, and
her clever sayings soon came to be
known as "Astorisms," while she was
affectionately called "Nancy" by
high and low.
Some 'sAstOrisn,s''
Nancy showed her fighting spirit
at her first meeting. She was intro
duced by Viscount Astor, who ex-
planned why he had to give up the
seat and let his wife try for it. The
Laborites soon got to work heckling
him, and he became so disconnected
that Nancy abruptly pulled him
down into his seat, and, taking his
place, said: II have been handling
soldiers for the last four years. You
better watch out. I just want to tell
you some things l am going to get
done if / get into the House of Com
mons. What's more, l am going to
get there. Just remember that"
"a confident person never wins,"
cried one interrupter.
"Never mind" retorted Nancy, "a
faint-hearted man has never got
there"
"The London Daily Telegraph"
correspondent quotes the following
as typical of her sayings:
ut has been said electricity was
always there, but it took Edison to
discover it. 1t is the same with the
hearts of men and women. The
good is always there if only we
bring it out"
She was always after the Social
lists, whom she dislikes extremely.
"You had better take a fighting
woman if you can't get fighting
man," she told one crowd. 81 prefer
the Union Jack to the red flag"
Another time she said II am
ready to meet the whole of the Inde-
pendent Labor party alone on Sails
bury Plain, because they can't or
won't fight"
She advocated a censorship for
movie films, and refused to be dis
concerted when she was accused of
being a prohibitionist.
New-York tribune., 1919-12-07
Nora Last to Wed

Nora Langhorne, the last of the
tive sisters to be married, went over
to England to help her. Nora Lang
horne was brought out in London
IN 1906, the year Nanny married
Waldorf Astor. During the follow
ing season it was rumored she had
received an offer of marriage from
Prince Francis of Teck, Queen
Mary's brother. She married, in
1909, Paul Phipps, London archi-
tect. The wedding took place in
St. James's Episcopal Church, in
New York, and Mr.. Phipps settled
in this city to pursue his profes-
sion. When the war came, in 1914,
he returned at once to England and
entered the army, and his wife fol-
lowed soon afterward to join her
sister in work for the soldiers.
Nancy Astor was undoubtedly
right when she told her Plymouth
election audience, II never hoped and
never wanted to go into Parliament. F."
Circumstances forced it on her. But
she was ready for circumstance
which is something that finds so
many others wanting.
She was prepared to go on bring
ing up her five children and helping
her husband win his elections while
she watched over the poor people of
Plymouth. But William Waldorf AS
tor, who had been raised to the peer
age and made Viscount Astor Of
Hever Castle, died. Automatically
Nancy's husband became a peer and
lost his seat in the Commons. The
seat had to be filled. Captain Jack
Astor, younger brother of Waldorf
Astor, was asked to stand for the
division. He refused, despite all en-
treaties, and the party turned to
Lady Nancy.
There were two other candidates
for the place, Liberal and a Labor
ite. Lady Nancy, was a Coalition
The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-11-06
LAWYERS ASK LODGE
FOR AID OF SPIRITS
(By Reciprocal News Service

(by keclprocai news SerNlceJ
LONDON Nov. 6--Sir oliver Lodge
has received a letter from a noted firm
Of London lawyers asking him to oh
tain evidence from the spirit world lnI
order to clear up an Important point In
a case involving the disposal OF an In
come of 100000. The letter explains
that fifteen years ago. three men--the
father OF the lawyer, then head Of the
firm, the father of the client. and an
other lawyer-iunched together and
over the dessert came to an agree
ment regarding the disposal of the prop
erty which was never set down In writ
ing, or II set down the writing has
been lost, These three men have since
died and the rival law firms now hold
conflicting views as to tha title OF the
property. The only change In its adj
ministration since the luncheon was the
manner in which the income tax was
paid, The lawyers on one side main
tain that this proves that a certain de-
cision was taken at the luncheon which
would Justify their view OF the case
the other LAWYERS maintain that no de-
clsion was taken at the luncheon. Sir
oliver Lodge mas been requested by
the former to communicate with the
spirit OF the dead lawyer and obtain
such information from him as would
enable them to prove that the luncheon
| was business luncheon and that the
change of payment made in the income
| tax was due to an agreement made at
| that luncheon
! When asked about the case Sir Oliver
! Lodge refused to saw whether an at
temnt was heing made to subpoena the
| departed lawyer nor would he state
whether he heheved that spirits could
be induced to give evidence IN court
The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-11-06
Mrs. Sam Phillips
Vote Challenged
BIZ Williams Men

Mrs Sam II Phillips vote was chal-
lenged when she appeared at the polls
in the Fifteenth ward Thursday MORN
ing by four Williams watchers. Mrs.
Phillips had a registration certificate,
regularly issued, but II was sent her
at her home as she was too i'll to regis
ter in person.
Mr. Phillips, who was of course with
his wife, had intended voting for some
Of the candidates on the Williams
ticket on account of personal friend
shin. but voted the straight Paine ticket.
Mrs Phillips has made several
speeches for the Citizens league and
has driven home the argument for
cleaner city and law enforcementwher-
ever she spoke She said Thursday that
If she could not vote she hoped all her
friends would try to vote as she would
have done, and that she would work
all day until the polls close for Paine
and every man on his ticket.