Churchill family

“ Trevanion and Miss Churchill was a family affair, arranged without the slightest regard to the young lady's feelings, which Mr. Trevanion well knew were interested by another."
A sudden turn in the walk brought them face to face with Lord Marchmont and Ethel, to whom the countess whispered a few words in a low voice. A flush of pleasure came over the listener's face.
"Trevanion," exclaimed Sir George, "might have spared all his anxiety on Miss Churchill's account. She looks as if the news were only too good to be true." ”

“ All I know of Lady Marchmont is charming; but she likes admiration—who does not? and pique is an absolute passion with a woman. She may like to charm a truant lover, were it but to shew him what he has lost."
"My dear uncle," replied Norbourne, after a pause of mingled embarrassment and emotion, "you are completely mistaken. I will tell you the whole truth, and then let the subject be dropped for ever. I was making a summer tour through our country last year, and called on a Mrs. Churchill, an old friend, and distant connexion of our family. ”

“ The history of Churchill shows, more clearly per haps than that of any other individual, the malignity and extent of the corruption which had eaten into the heart of the public morality. An English gentleman of good family attaches himself to a Prince who has seduced his sister, and accepts rank and wealth as the price of her shame and his own. ”

“ He had heard in England that many American women whom he would be likely to meet socially were superficial and pleasure-loving; and Arthur Rangely came of a family which had long been cited as a vindication of a government by aristocracy,—a family which had never shirked responsibilities. It is not too much to say that he had pictured Victoria among his future tenantry ”

“ In my uncle's absence, my aunt never lost a chance for an ill-natured remark upon Patty, whom she had seen that winter at the assemblies and elsewhere. And she deplored the state our people of fashion were coming to, that they allowed young girls without family to attend their balls.
“But we can expect little else, father,” she would say to Mr. Carvel nodding in his chair, “when some of our best families openly espouse the pernicious doctrines of republicanism. They are gone half mad over that Wilkes who should have been hung before this. ”

“ CHURCHILL, Miss Lide A., born in Harrison, Maine, 9th April, 1859. She is the youngest child of Josiah and Catherine Churchill. From her father she inherited her literary tastes and refined nature, from her mother her strong will and decided traits of character. Three years after her birth Mr. Churchill removed to New Gloucester, Maine, where he resided with his family until his death. When quite young, Miss Churchill decided to learn telegraphy, and went to Saundersville, Mass., where she partially mastered the art. ”

“ Why, he pretended to doubt the genuineness of my Pinturicchio! But at least he was a man of good family, and his niece, in spite of the interest she evidently takes in my servant Churchill, is no doubt a person whom one ought to treat civilly.' For Sir Henry was one of those ingenuous people who don't think there is any necessity at all for treating civilly that inconsiderable section of humanity which doesn't happen to be connected with men of good family. ”

“ The whole Churchill estate would have to be divided between him and his sister presently, since there were only old maids and old bachelors in the family. But she should not make up her mind about marrying until after she had been abroad. American girls often married very handsomely in foreign countries. ”

“ In England there is no woman below the royal family whose name and personality are so generally known as Lady Randolph Churchill's.
Her prominent identification with the Primrose League has carried her fame into the colonies and into India. Many people in Russia and Germany follow her career with keen interest, the press of both countries bringing her frequently before the public, and even in self-centred France the women of the aristocracy, in imitation of her political achievements, have from time to time essayed to "jouer la Lady Randolph Churchill." ”

“ In the safe seclusion of Ashe, John Churchill was nurtured; and, although upon the restoration of Charles the Second the family estate was recovered, his father was honoured with knighthood, and employed by government, his valiant son never derived any pecuniary advantage from the paternal property. [18] Sir Winston ultimately was reduced to circumstances of difficulty, in 21which he died, bequeathing his estate to his widow, with a request that she would leave it to his third son, Charles. ”

“ The one child of the house was dead, and John Temple was the next heir, therefore the Woodlea property must some day be his, and his children’s after him. Mr. Churchill looked proudly around, as he went on, at the wide grass-lands and wooded slopes of the familiar landscape. He seemed to see them in a new light. His grandson might become their possessor, and he, the grandsire, would no doubt reap the benefit. He was a man who loved money and success in life, but to give him his due he was also not thinking only of worldly advantages. ”

“ But I know that my girl can take care of herself. In case—in case I do not come back, or occasion should arise, find Lige. Let him take you to your Uncle Daniel. He is fond of you, and will be all alone in Calvert House when the war is over. And I reckon that is all I have to say. I won't pry into your heart, honey. If you love Clarence, marry him. I like the boy, and I believe he will quiet down into a good man."
Virginia did not answer, but reached out for her father's hand and held its fingers locked tight in her own. From the kitchen the sound of Ned's voice rose in the still evening air. ”

“ And then, suddenly, rang out the words:
"Those whom God hath joined together let no man Put asunder."
Those whom God hath joined together! Mr. White was congratulating her. Other people were in the room—the minister's son, his wife, his brother-in-law. She was in the street again, in the automobile, without knowing how she got there, and Chiltern close beside her in the limousine.
"My wife!" he whispered.
Was she? Could it be true, be lasting, be binding for ever and ever? Her hand pressed his convulsively.
"Oh, Hugh!" she cried, "care for me—stay by me forever. Will you promise?" ”

“ And Sarah [Pg 294] felt this too. It was disagreeable that this little “chit” should be raised above her, but Mrs. Churchill knew very well it was true. Her property consisted of one good farm, besides some savings of her first husband. But what was this to the large estates of the squire’s of Woodlea? And Mr. John Temple was heir to these estates, and May was his wife. So Mrs. Churchill had made up her mind to make the best of it. She had also offended her good-looking husband, and Mrs. Churchill did not like being on bad terms with him. ”

“ He came into the place where I was lying in Vicksburg, and they told him that my only chance was to come North, I turned my back upon him, insulted him. Yet he went to Sherman and had me brought home—to you, Virginia. If he loves you,—and I have long suspected that he does—”
“Oh, no,” she cried, hiding her face “No.”
“I know he loves you, Jinny,” her cousin continued calmly, inexorably. “And you know that he does. You must feel that he does. It was a brave thing to do, and a generous. He knew that you were engaged to me. He thought that he was saving me for you. ”

“ I said, at length, “I should like to get him off on account of his cousin, Miss Virginia Carvel. And I told him something about Miss Carvel, and how she had helped you with the Union sergeant that day in the hot hospital. And how she had nursed Judge Whipple.”
“She's a fine woman,” he said. “Those women have helped those men to prolong this war about three years.”
“And yet we must save them for the nation's sake. They are to be the mothers of our patriots in days to come. Is she a friend of yours, too, Steve?” ”

“ And well we know, whatever the sound of it, that his speech was not heroics. Nor was it love for his cousin that inspired it, save in this: he had apotheosized Virginia. To him she was the inspired goddess of the South—his country. His admiration and affection had of late been laid upon an altar. Her ambition for him he felt was likewise the South's ambition for him.
His mother, Virginia's aunt, felt this too, and strove against it with her feeble might. She never had had power over her son; nor over any man, save the temporal power of beauty. ”

“ And he drew her to him.
“We all have our duty to perform in the world, dear,” he answered. “It cannot be all pleasure.”
“You—you Puritan!” she cried. “To think that I should have married a Puritan! What would my great-great-great-great-grandfather say, who was such a stanch Royalist? Why, I think I can see him frowning at me now, from the door, in his blue velvet goat and silverlaced waistcoat.”
“He was well punished,” retorted Stephen, “his own grandson was a Whig, and seems to have married a woman of spirit.”
“She had spirit,” said Virginia. ”

“ She continued talking to Miss Churchill. "We meet so seldom, and we are never upon terms," she said lightly. "I assure you we are like cat and dog." She came toward me and the blond maidens disappeared, everybody, everything disappeared. I had not seen her for nearly a year. I had vaguely gathered from Miss Churchill that she was regarded as a sister of mine, that she had, with wealth inherited from a semi-fabulous Australian uncle, revived the glories of my aunt's house. ”

“ A life of service to others had made him guess that, in the absence of her father, this girl had come to him for help of some kind.
"Virginia is right, Anne," he said. "John has gone to fight for his principles, as every gentleman who is free should; we must remember that this is his home, and that we must not quarrel with him, because we think differently." He paused, and came over to Virginia. "There is something I can do for you, my dear?" said he.
She rose. "Oh, no, Mr. Brinsmade," she cried. And yet her honesty was as great as Anne's. ”

“ The squire died in the early spring-time, and the news reached Woodside in less than an hour after Mrs. Temple had found her husband dead. It naturally threw Mr. Churchill, and even his wife, into a state of excitement.
“Now, we must hear from them!” cried Mr. Churchill.
“We will know the truth at last,” said Mrs. Churchill, in a more subdued tone.
“What truth?” answered her husband, sharply. “They were married, and now Mr. John Temple is the squire of Woodlea, and May is his wife—but all the same, I am sorry to hear the old squire has passed away.” ”

“ Churchill. “What was madam herself, who holds her head so high? Only a poor parson’s daughter, with a skin-flint mother, who begs for milk and eggs of everyone who is fool enough to give her them. My girl is as good as madam any day, and as for looks there’s no doubt May has the best of them.”
“You are too uplifted, William,” answered Mrs. Churchill, reproachfully; “remember pride may have a fall.” And having administered this rebuke, Mrs. Churchill left the room, leaving her husband seriously offended. ”

“ An elderly lady in widow's black was kneeling beside a man groaning in mortal agony, fanning away the flies already gathering about his face. He wore the uniform of a Union sergeant,—dusty and splotched and torn. A small Testament was clasped convulsively in the fingers of his right band. The left sleeve was empty. Virginia lingered, whelmed in pity, thrilled by a wonderful womanliness of her who knelt there. Her face the girl had not even seen, for it was bent over the man. ”

“ If my nephew induced your daughter to leave her home, he has only done what a gentleman ought to do in making her his wife.”
“She left her home to become his wife, sir,” answered Mr. Churchill, rather quickly. “That was the arrangement between them, and in the meanwhile my girl went to these ladies, who are friends of his, and remained with them until her marriage. And that there might be no doubt about it, squire, I went to the church where they were married, and I saw the clergyman who married them, and examined the register ”

“ And we shall live out here and be happy.”
But she glanced anxiously at him nevertheless. He was in his familiar posture of thought, his legs slightly apart, his felt hat pushed back, stroking his goatee. But his clear gray eyes were troubled as they sought hers, and she put her hand to her breast.
“Virginia,” he said, “I fought for my country once, and I reckon I'm some use yet awhile. It isn't right that I should idle here, while the South needs me, Your Uncle Daniel is fifty-eight, and Colonel of a Pennsylvania regiment.—Jinny, I have to go.” ”

“ Churchill, angrily. “May is a thorough little lady whatever she is. She would not look at anyone beneath her.”
“Yet such things have been.”
“May would do nothing of the sort; I know that,” positively asserted her father. “And how do we know that she has gone away with anyone? Most likely gone on some wild-goose chase because she could not get on with you.”
“Oh! try to blame me. That’s just like a man.”
“I am not blaming you; but I won’t have anything of that kind said of my girl. May held herself too high for that.”
Mrs. Churchill did not speak. She drew in her firm lips. ”