Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-04-30
LADY ASTOR RETURNS
TONATIVE SOUTHLAND
In Virginia, Figura,ivc Welcoming Arches Are Being
Erected for Coming, Tuesday of This
Week, of 'Our Nancy
IIy Mnyme Ober Pcnk.

This Amerlcan-born peerless. frs,
woman member of the mother OF
ParliaMents, has taken her native
country by storm because of her
witchcry. wisdom and unaffected.
charm. Her spontancity OF wit, keen
Intelligence and cool-hcaded reason
ing conveyed in her messages OF
good cheer and warnings against a
fcminizcd nation have fallen like
spring flowers on new plowcd land.
Down In 'virsinyah." where well
coming arches are being erected for
the coming of our Nancy" on Tues
day OF this week. the favorltc pas
iimc Is the recounting of Il knew
her whcns.'
Il wasn't at all surprised" said
nald-hcadcd bachelor to the writer
while on recent visit to Virginia.
when heard that Nanny Lang
horne had got herself elected 10
Parliament. She was always doing
the bcatcnest things!
borrowed Burk's Clothes.
when ! was "a student at the Uni
Ncrsity OF Virginia" lie told me.
Mamie used To borrow her brother
BUCKS clothes and come with him
a-Visitin' the dormitorics. remcm-
per. one night. being 50 pctrincd
when she selected my quarters To
pun OF one OF her cscapadcs that
Tor fear OF being implicated and cx
peiied. marched her OF to the dean
and explained the whole matter.
She never forgave me- and have
never forgiven myself There was
no other girl like Nannie. and the
bald-hcaded bachelor heavcd a deem
sigh.
ISa writer was born and reared In
i-yhchhurg. Va. where lived 4 host
Oh cousins OF the Langhornc girls
whom they visited. My earliest long
ing was 10 look like 4 Gibson Girl"
cuts or the beautiful Irene Lang
horne and her sisters filled the
walls OF my room. and stories ~
'"cIT strings of suitors intrigued nv
teens. That their popularity de-
pended entirely on their yivac,ou.
chhrn and br:lliancy made them an
pear All the more fairy princesscs
Found Girls Fascinating.
mere was no wealth in the Lang
"osHe family to speak OF. but always
one round them fascinating. have
vivid recollections Of LanrhorDe
n'Se cousin--one whom Lady Aston
>" oi'en visited and SO soon will vIsi,
h'i"-dr!Nins into town looking as
80" "nu pretty as q dew-kisscd
rose with a couple o; babies on .,cb
sue and buckets of neat I;ttl. n,ds
oi butter In the back. which sb. w..
bringing in to sell.
none OF the I.anghorncs oyer M,
u"s-NhhhE least OF ail-cveu ar
'tr peihS presented at court md MAJ
;'ns real live lord. OF the four
sisters. she was the least bean,i,n,
nut the greatest favorltc. Ucr ra,hu
,nlS"ci! Dhhncy Langhornc. bcttcr
hho"h as Chilly, adored her. no ala
e' three brothers. who found Nanny
"s good fellow as any OF thnjr
, nuns. as young girl. with her
""iI IN Draids. she ox-huntcd win
mem In Albemarle, and as yo,,nr
iadE. In habit and beaver She wa.
noted Tor her daredevil riding Win
inc Deep Run Hunt Club OF MIR
mona. She is famed over EnrIond
apday Tor her Incompatible scar as
S"o sun loves to follow the hounds.
Nancy Rides A.tride.
rom the beginning she rode astrido
long before It was being done. But
nopous ever raised eyebrows or drew
aside skirts at what Nanny I,nr
hornc did. Everybody laughed Viii
inns dashinE. daring Virginia girl, for
PACK or her deviltry was n trnd.r.
neSs ana oewitching sweetness and
Il heart MS true as steel. MANY
nn.tle mas sho fought for the pcrse-
80, uesu ana the under-dog, and black
N
cause for alarm in the family
men IL Nancy Langhorne made n
S"rt OF triple debut--in Richmond
baltimore and New York. In those
DAYS, when girls were mostly made
on inc same old-fashioned model her
ouonl'hs sayety and singing wit
created something of sensation. ana
She was surrounded by bcaux.
First Married shaw.
IN 1896. while Still in her ,oo,s 81,
married Robert Gould Shaw IT. NJ
b0Stoh. The marriage of the little
renel ana the strict abolitionist was
not success. and in 1903 she was
granted divorce from the Boston mil
Iionaire and given the custodv -,
their son. Robert Shaw III. rhc nm
happy details which led to the final
return to her fathers country home
at Mirador, near charlottesville. were
buried by Nanny Shaw and oniv
brought to light when, during her
campaign for Parliament MS J.ady A
Tor, n scathing attack was made upon
her principles and the fact that sbn
was divorced woman
IN reply, Ghe made strairhtfor
ward statement that she had hcnp
granted a divorce on the ONLY ground.
woman should ask for it--statu-
.prS-aha went about her way with
the matter settled and many votes
won. 'o'eo
IL was on board ship. en- route To
england, that Mrs. Shaw met William
Waldorf Astor. Jr. lie was fascinated
ny inc virginia girl and, upon her
ARRIVAL In London. where she created
Juror, showcred her with attentions
Ihere were other titled suitors who
sought her favor. and when Nanny
ona" hnally succumbed, at the end
oL u Two years Siege Waldorf Astor
nag the satisfaction OF Knowing that
neitner MIS- prospective title nor mill
hons had dazaled her.
m wedding Quietly Observed.
me wedding was quietly celebratod
nj All souls Church. London. Nav
''oo' witnessed by the American Am,
bassador and Mrs. Whitelaw Reid tho
staff OF the American embassv tho
brides three sisters, and by Tho
duchess Of Roxburgh Charles Dana
Gibson gave her away, and the host
man was John Jacob Aston. brother
OF the bridegroom, who went down
10 brave death on the Titanic.
Among the wedding presents wo.
CiiVeden on the Thames, ono OF tho
famous estates OF the Duke OF yyest.
minister. whero Lady Astor and her
husband now live and where their |
nrst child, son. William Waldorf
ILL., was born. During the war Give |
den was fitted UP as a hospital. ac-
Gommodating over thousand beds. |