The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-02-22
The Parton Marriage.

James Parton's second marriage, with
the circumstances attending it, is at last,
to great extent, made public, A month
ago, it seems, he espoused the second
daughter Of his late wife, so widely
known as Fanny Fern" The intention
was to make the matter as little public as
possible. The union grew out of the Pc
culisr relations of the family the first
Mrs. Parton left. Her oldest daughter
was married to Mortimer Thompson
(Doesticks) and died early, leaving an
infant to Mrs. Parton's care. This in.
FAINT was the subject of kind of idolatry
from Mr.. and Mrs. Parton, and also from
Mrs. Parton's daughter, who has now be-
come her mothers successor as wife.
After Mrs. Parton died the aunt with
the child moved to Newburyport but
Mr.. PartoDs affection for the latter was
such that he was miserable when separa-
ted from it. 1t brought the parties to-.
gether, and their marriage has been the
result. Publicity might have been es.
capped had it not unfortunately happened
that under the laws of Massachusetts the
wedding was illegal. The disparity be.
tween the age OF Mr.. Parton's present
wife and that OF himself is not much
greater than was that Of his first mar.
riaee, and it is in more fortunate di.
rectian. Fanny Fero was fifteen years
older than he, while her daughter ia
about twenty years younger. Mr.. Par.
ton was Fanny FERNS third husband.
She was married in early life to q Mr.
Eldridge. cashier in one of the Boston
banks. After leading life of geyety
and luxury with him for few years he
died suddenly, and left her destitute OF
property, aud with two children to sup.
port. She had for somo years bitter
struggle with poverty. During this
time she made marriage with Mr..
Harrington, which proved to be an un.
happy ope. She was divorced from him.
She began writing as resource to earn
her bread. Her first articles were poor.
ly paid, appearing in one Of the fash
story papers of Boston. She went to
New York for wider field. and was
soon on the road to success. There she
married Mr. Parton. and, notwithstand
ing her advance Of him in age the wed
ding proved happy one. There were
no children as the fruit Of their union
This second stepdaughter has always lived
with him. and to her care the mother
consigned the favorite grandchild at hel
decease. The love of Mr.. Parton for i,
undoubtedly did much to draw them to-
getber. The Willis family, from which
Fanny Fern, N p. Willis aud Richard
Storrs Willis sprang, was Puritan stock
but the children appear to have had the
reverse Of Puritan tendencies. The
father was au orthodox deacon and the
publisher of the first orthodox newspaper
we had here n. p. Willis at one time
belonged to Park street church, but New
York drew him away, as 1t did his sistel
later, and be became one of the mos
thorough Of the men of the world of tha
city Fanny Fern, who quarrelled with
her brother before she began her literary
career, draws very unfattering portrai
of him in her story, ruth Hail." bu
the brother and sister were afterward
reconcilod. N. p. Willis left little i
any property, believe, at bis death
Richard S. Willis is now living. wealthy
man, in Germany. The family is vel
entitled to rank with those remarkable fo
talent that have originated in Boston,
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