New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-07-30
From Ohio.


RETROSPECTIVE.
Probably none of your compositors will re-
member the signature attached to this COM
munication, so long have been silent. Since
those long years of ante bellum days when
you were located on the banks of the GEN
escc. and by the publication of the North
Star and Frederick Douglass Paper within Its
limits, raised Rochester from the position of
mere way station on the Central road, to
the dignity of a city, and aspircd to write
for the columns which Ethiop, Communipaw
and Cosmopolite adorned, there has arisen a
more cultured generation, quick-wittcd and
ready with the pen, who, while am getting
my ancient ink-horn in order and reDairing
the nib of my old goosc-quill, get themselves
quickly into print, and find the ideas which
| would fain have uttered, better placed be-
fore the public than could ever have placed
them.
do not grumblc at this. One generation
cannot occupy the stage of life forever, and
boys born in this era of locomotives and tel
cgraphs must be fast; nor would l have
grasped my old-time pen now, had it not been
for an accident which has befallen your regu-
lar correspondent, Depugh, concerning whose
fate know you must be anxious, and that
fate now reveal.
SOCIAL.
General Custer, in starting for the Black
Hills, said: "This is going to be bad sea-
son for stragglers," and so it has proved in
the case of Dcpugh, who has passed safely
through many dire campaign, the Chillicothe
movement not even smuggling him, to be COB
bled up at last.
But who can resist Cupid? Love and death
lay hold on all. Cupid has been on raid
through this vicinity, and "that's what's the
natter with Depugh.
The summer vacation had come on and
those who could had gone to the various
watering places, and those who could not
had closed the front shutters and retired tc
the stoop in the rear of their houses there tc
endure the dog days the best way they could
when suddenly the comet, the hydrophobia,
Tom Collins, the row in Elder Magee's
church, and series of brilliant weddings sci
all agog.
''school marms" of this vicinity arc chiefly
to blame.
| We have had here for several years {
Normal School for the ostensble purpose o.
training teachers, but we all know now thai
its real purpose was to teach the girls how tt
catch husbands. The dcmure young rogue!
managed to extract, as bees do honey from
flowers, from spelling books, primers, ant
other implements of the profession, the bird
lime in which they ensnare the feet of unwary
youngsters like Dcpugh. Only think of it
One. third of the "school marms" of this
large city married within year! Here is a
nice little problem for the sisterhood to solv,
mentally: If 33i per cent. of the "schoo
marms" of given city are married in ont
year, how long will it take them all to catcl
husbands?
Now. don't all raise Your hands at once
but speak, one at time.
But, must begin at the beginning. TIL
first wedding was that of Miss Mary l.. Foot
to Mr.. George Hayes. and of which am in
formed a correspondent has written to. you
Before the gossips had settled fully all thu
vital points connected with the first wedding
as to the age of the bride and the value Q
the lace which adorned her dress, etc., there
came the rush to the second. The bride thi
time was Miss Kate Ida Thomas, the daugh
ter of Mr.. Alexander Thomas whose fame a
an artist is as wide rs the nation, and MI
Lewis Dcpugh Easton. The wedding SCI
vice was performed in the Union Chapel, b
Rev. J. H. Suirs, pastor Of that church.
No more beautifully or elegantly-attiret
groupe ever gathered around the altar tina
that which accompanied Mr.. Easton and hi
lovely bride.
In front of the altar stood the bride drcs
ed in rich corded silk trimmed with satii
Besides her were her bridesmaids, Miss Be
. tic Thomas and Miss Ella Collins, each CT
veloped in snowy-white organdie. Neara
hand was her mother, whose beautiful,
Hitting silk dress of cendres de roses color, W:
; the admiration of all. On the right stoe
Mesdames Louisa Anderson and Margar
Lee, ladies who never permit themselves
appear in public inelegantly attired, but a
, ways set off their acknowledged charms b
brilliant dress. This evening, they, if pc.
. sible surpassed themselves. On the left
the altar stood Mrs. Susan Lee of Clevelan