Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-01-08
The Presidents Silver Wedding
SKETCH OF MRS. HAYES, nee LII,
WEBB BEFORE HER MARRIAGE.

| W T1ILIS MAhh1AGE.
President HayesSand wife celebrated
the 25th anniversary of their marriage
on Monday the 31st ult., the 30th the an
niversary of their marriage, being Sun
day. All those who are still living who
were present at their marriage were in
vited to attend the silver wedding. A
schoolmate of Mrs. Hayes furnishes the
Washington correspondent of the Balti-
more Sun with the following sketch of
Mrs. Hayes when she was girl:
LUCY wEEB AT SCHOOL.
First this friend. who was a school,
mate of Mrs. Hayes at the Wesleyan
College, which was then considered the
best school for girls in Ohio, gives her
recollections of Lucy Webb as she first
knew her when she was in her sixteenth
year. She speaks of her as quiet and
rather shy girl, whose hair and eyes
were her chief beauty. She perferred
| Quaker coiors in dress even then,
and wore usually some soft gray mate
rial made simply, with nothing of the
| elaboration of atlornment which school
girls even then Were prone to.
In short, says Der friend, she looked
the sweet, innoc ent village maiden, per-
haps little strange in great city
school, She was very studious and al
ways received perfect marks for her re-
citations. Quoth the lady, who gives
the recital with a charming freedom
from jealousy, II have reason to remem
Der this fact with somewhat notifying
emphasis az I Was ambitious myself Of
favorable recognition by my teachers,
and this slight girlsl, Lucy Webb, some
what my junior in years and several
inches my inferior in height, always
outstripped me. &c was hard not to be a
little jealous and aniably exasperated at
being kept always in the back ground
by such a little body. 1t was not unus-
| ual for n teacher to say at the close of
recitation in which we perhaps had not
done ourselves great credit: young
ladies | commend to you the example
of Miss Webb" This diligent pupil
maintained her supremacy as a student
during her stay in tue school, and finish
ed the course with the gratifying know
ledge that she was then and to succeed.
ing classes pointed Out AS a shining ex-
ample except in writing compositions.
HER YOUTH AND MARRIAGE.
After leaving school, Mrs. HAYES de-
veloped into very beautiful woman,
! naive and engaging III manner and love
ly in character.
OF course so charming a girl was not
long without sl!itors, and soon her
friends heard the name of Mr.. Hayes
associated with that of Miss Webb, and
before many months passed were hidden
to their wedding. Mrs. Webb, the moth
er of the bride, was living in il pleasant
but unpretentious house. on the south |
side of Eighth st., near Race street, in
Cincinnati. There, at P. NJ on De- |
ceInber go, 1852, HE relatives of both |
bride and groom aud a few Intimate |
friends assembled To witness the cere-
mony which was 10 unite the future
President of the United States to the fu-
ture first lady OF America" to use the
popular cant phrase.
YOUNG LAWYER HAYES
Mr. Hayes was tLs u considered a law
yer Of some promise, but with his way
yet to make in the world. Ale was q
cool, retteeilt sortps Spung fellow, and
not speedily noticeable in any way"
writes the friendly narrator, land l
doubted q little w.:e:her he had heart
enough fog my bright, Joyous friend"
THE STORY OF III = INITIAL SCENE.
Continuing her sracs full story this
friend of Mrs Hayes says: The da was
snow IN Tie ssp. Nir stoca around the
parlor talking mostly i'll itlonnsyilables
and In low, hushed torres, expecting
each m0raent the ert~." =" tho bridal
party. Presently : =. sstir n the
hall, and an linmeu-.. e pressing forward
OF the guests to eligible places. Mrs,
webb game f,rst, ;lc1pM panied by one
of her sons the Othsr members of the
family followed, and lastly came the
radiant bride, leaning on the groOm's
arm, and holding by The hand a lovely
child, perhaps eight :. ears old. She was
the eldest daughter of the groom's sis
ter, Mrs. Platt, and is now the wife of
Gen. John G. Mitchell. She was the
sole attendsnt Of t,,i,- pride. phe bride
was regal iii her beauty, clad in her rich
robe Of white satin, with orange bios
SONS fastening the Welt to her head. The
veil fell quite to her feet. The neck wac
covered With tulle, ana tie sleeves reach |
ed to the elbow, where they were met
with long gloves, and the narrator says
she literally lighted up the room, and
the gray dawn became sunny.
OF the groom the writer says the cere-
mony was half over before she thought
to look at him. :'After all ~ she aays, |
che was an honest i;inking y0ung Man, I
and thought he might turn out better
than | feared. His figure was very
slight then as compared to now; his
face, as | studied il more closely, was
thoughtful and intellectual, and his
manner quiet even to the extent OF
ohecAi ing eliusivencss II ofheEs. Iavca |
| from my little ACC ,iai rftance with hfni |
had to admit that,his wis 40 >stereotyp' |
ed character His wife stood beside lila |
plodigai OF her smiles ani blissfuliy con !
tent. She was no fearful orsentimentai
bride her eyes looked with fearless gaze
into his, confident of being inst the rich
| est woman in tie world. I kissed her
good by as she started off on her wed !
ding journey.H
| ,tAu9 neW,I., AIDES the narrator, latter
! twenty-five years, pretty intimate &C |
qnaintance with these two people, am
| pleased to record that, to the best of my |
knowledge, this has been quite felici
tous marriage. If,here have been any |
Blue BEARD closets they hasye aspt shern |
seaurefy iqcKeds frh,si'a III outsIdefa. They |
may have had their private hits ofargu-
u,ent' simply to relieve the monotnuy, |
but | have never seen even that. |
jokingly asked them few months ago
with each other if it were to do over a
gain. He laughingly replied, Yes. I'VE
would be just such FOOLS This is fine
showing to make for two people, both
of whom are blessed with pretty strong
wills of their own and q prstsy decided |.
pefspnaiItY.i .
The writer concludes by saying the
best WISH she can express for the chill
dren of the marriage is that in their dis
position of themselves for life they may
do as we'll as their parents hay !. Ii0a9. .
A FEARFUL FALL. Last evening an
immense crowd assembled ON Canal
street to witness a one legged man walk
tight rope extended fronfthe top of the
custom house across the street, but WelS j
Mortified beyond measnrs' akJhs serious |
termination af wAat'Rf first promised to |,
DO al exhibition OF skill and daring as
exciting as novel.
The performer s;.teiy proceeded on his |!
dangerous walk as far as the G!sldie of
the street, when a-petvc,Ov accidentally /