The Olden Time Series, Vol. 6: Literary Curiosities | Page 3

news, says miss: It constitutes my highest bliss To hear of weddings plenty; For in a time of general rain None suffer from a drought, 'tis plain,-- At least, not one in twenty.
I want to hear of deaths, says one, Of people totally undone By losses, fire, or fever: Another answers full as wise, I'd rather have a fall and rise Of raccoon skins and beaver.
Some signify a secret wish For now and then a favorite dish Of politics to suit them. But here we rest at perfect ease, For should they swear the moon was cheese, We never should dispute them.
Or grave or humorous, wild or tame, Lofty or low, 'tis all the same, Too haughty or too humble; And every editorial wight Has nought to do but what is right, And let the grumblers grumble.
From a Salem paper of 1828; author not stated.
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"All are needed by each one, Nothing is fair and good alone." EMERSON.
In "old times" almost all the young ladies upon their marriage were "amiable" and "agreeable"; at least they are so represented in most of the announcements. The "maiden aunt" could not speak plainer in writing for the "Boston Sunday Gazette." We copy some specimens from Boston and Salem papers.
On Thursday last, in the Forenoon, was married Mr. BENJAMIN DAVIS of this Town, Merchant, to Mrs. ANSTESS GREENLEAF, second Daughter of STEPHEN GREENLEAF Esq; High Sheriff of the County of Suffolk.
The same Evening Mr. OLIVER WENDELL, of this Town, Merchant, was also Married to Mrs. MARY JACKSON, only Daughter of the late Mr. EDWARD JACKSON; both young Ladies of great Merit.
Sept. 13, 1762.
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On Thursday Evening last Mr. Phillip Dumaresq, Merchant, was Married to Mrs. Rebecca Gardiner, third Daughter of Sylvester Gardiner, Esq; of this Town, an agreeable young Lady.
Dec. 19, 1763.
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MARRIED]--Mr. SAMUEL SMITH, to Mrs. ABIGAIL PITTENGILL, an agreeable young widow.
Dec. 22, 1790.
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Thursday evening last, JOHN WHITNEY, Esq. merchant, of the state of Georgia, to the amiable Mrs. BRIDGET SEYMORE, of Wesport.
June 2, 1792.
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--At Plainfield, Mr. Hezekiah Spalding, a batchelor of large fortune, aged 68, to the amiable Miss Mary Williams, aged 22!
1790.
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MARRIED]--At Cambridge, Dr. J. JENNISON, to the amiable Miss BELCHER, daughter of his late Excellency Governour Belcher, of Nova Scotia, and grand daughter of his Excellency Jonathan Belcher, Esq. deceased, formerly Governour of the then provinces of Massachusetts Bay and New-Hampshire.
Aug. 31, 1790.
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--At Newbury-Port, Mr. WILLIAM YOUNG, of Boston, to the amiable Miss JUDITH WILLIAMS, of that town.
June 7, 1788.
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NEWPORT, Nov. 24.
The 16th Instant, Mr. WILLIAM CHECKLEY, Son of the Rev. Mr. SAMUEL CHECKLEY of Boston, was married to Miss POLLY CRANSTON, a young Lady of genteel Acquirements, and of a most amiable Disposition.
Dec. 19, 1766.
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BOSTON, January 12 [1767].
Last Thursday Evening DUNCAN STEWART, Esq; Collector of His Majesty's Customs for the Port of New-London, was married to Miss NANCY ERVING, youngest Daughter of the Hon. JOHN ERVING, Esq; of this Town; a most amiable and agreeable young Lady.
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Thursday last was married, at Newport, JOHN COFFIN JONES, Esq. of Boston, merchant, to the truly amiable and accomplished Miss ABIGAIL GRANT, daughter of the late ALEXANDER GRANT, Esq. a Lady of real merit, and highly qualified to render the connubial state desirable and supremely happy.
May 22, 1786.
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--By the Rev. Dr. STILLMAN, Mr. CALEB LORING, distiller, to the agreeable Miss POLLY SELSBRY.
May 25, 1792.
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MARRIED]--At Billerica, Mr. JAMES BREED, to the amiable Miss ELIZABETH PARKER.--At Newtown, Mr. JOHN WALTER, A.B., to the agreeable Miss POLLY BULLARD.
March 24, 1792.
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Married,
At Topsfield, by the Rev. Mr. Huntington, Mr. JOSEPH AVERELL, to the accomplished Miss EUNICE LAMSON.
Salem Register, 1801.
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Editors were formerly very fond of curious matter for their lists of marriages and deaths. In the "Massachusetts Centinel" for 1789 the marriage of Pork and Hogg has a doubtful look, although it used to be supposed that everything in the paper was true.
MARRIED]--Lately in Delaware, Mr. ROBERT PORK, merchant, to Miss CATHARINE HOGG.--At Pepperell, Mr. GILES RICHARDS, of this town, to the amiable Miss SALLY ADAMS, youngest daughter of the late Rev. Mr. ADAMS, of Roxbury.--At Hull, Mr. SPENCER BINNEY, to Miss POLLY JONES, daughter of Mr. THOMAS JONES, of that place.
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A Boston paper of 1795 prints the following:--
MARRIAGES.
At Concord, Ebenezer Woodwrod, A.B., Citizen Bachelor, of Hanover, N.H., to the amiable Miss ---- Robinson. At Longmeadow, Mr. John M. Dunham, Citizen Bachelor and Printer, as aforesaid, to the amiable Miss EMILY BURT.
The promptness and decision which the said Citizens have shown----
"In all the fond intrigues of Love,"
is highly worthy of imitation; and