The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-11-03

one OF them prominent architect but |
neither of them has shown any predi-
lection for letters.
George William Curtis has, believe,
son, though | have never heard of his |
evlnclng any disposition to tread in the
paternal footsteps.
Thomas Wentworth Higginson had
no children by his first marriage, his
hrst wife, if mistake not, sister of
William Ellery Claiming. having been
tor years an invalid. She could not
move without assistance, her ailment
being. fatty degeneration of the
muscles; but her mind retained all it's
yIvacity and brightness to the close
her husband took care of her himself
most OF the time. and was the best of
nurses, being as competent as he was
af1ectonate. He married again, and
became father, one of his intensest
desires, but soon lost his little daughter.
lie now has anoth er daughter, though
he is still without son, which is sore
disappointment to him for he is nearly
slxty-three. He has always been ambi-
tlous OF distinction in various ways. He
was noted for scholarship and clever
ness at Harvard Che was born at Cam
bridge, and has recently returned there
to llvel. and also for his athletic powers
He had the Greek idea of equal cultiva-
ton of the body and mind, and was
esteemed by some rather worldly for
clergyman. He was graduated in the
academic course at eighteen and in the
theological school at twenty-four. He
belonged in the church militant, being
opposed to slavery and ready to fight
against it. Having been settled over
the First Religious Society at New
buryport, he resigned because he
knew that his political views were
distasteful to some members of his con-
gregation, and went to a Free church at
Worcester. He afterward led an at
tack on the Boston courthouse in order
to rescue Anthony Burns, fugitive,
who was in the custody of the United
States Marshal, and about to be re-
turned to slavery. During the fight he
was wounded with a saber, and was af-
terward indicted for murder, as one of
the Marshal's posse had been killed. He
was acquitted, owing to flaw in the
Indictment. Some years later he was
active in Kansas in the contest against
the pro slavery invaders from Missouri.
Believing by this time that he was not a
good representative of the Prince of
Peace, he relinquished the ministry to
pursue literature exclusively.
When the Southern States seeded he
raised several companies of volunteers
and was commissioned, Captain. He
was next appointed Colonel of the First
South Carolina, the first slave regiment
mustered into the Union service. This
was a position full of danger, for the
South had declared that 1t would show
no quarter to any officer commanding
colored troops. He commanded them
for two years. making number of ex-
petitions into Florida, in one of which
he captured Jacksonville. Having been
severely wounded, he was forced to
leave the service year before the end
of the war. Most of the early lead
ing abolitlonists were non-resistants
on principle. Higginson felt sure
that slavery never could be destroyed
except by blows, hard and ma ny, and
events demonstrated the clearness of
his perception. He has noble record.
He has been a gallant soldier and an
eloquent preacher; he is brilliant
writer, genuine reformer; he has q
host of admirers and friends, but he has
never had what he wished most of all, a
son, to bear his name and transmit his
renOWn.
James Parton has two children, one
of them q son, but they have come late.
His first wife was Mrs. Sara Willis
Eldredge, Fanny Fern, with whom he
led rather inharmonious life, as any
one might imagine who knew that way
ward, whimsical woman, eleven years
his senior. His second wife was her
daughter, and as they were married in
Newburyport, hewas distressed to learn
afterward that the marriage was illegal
bv the laws of Massachusetts. No one
had any idea of it's existence; but some
mouser discovered the unpleasant fact.
Parton had lived most of his life here,
and no New York enactment hinders
any man from wedding his deceased
wife's daughter if he be so inclined. In
deed. it is a thing not likely to happen,
and would not have happened in this
case save for a rare combination of cir
cumstances. He had adopted a little
girl, daughter of Mortimer Thompson
| Doesticks), and the sister of his
present wife, who had kept house
| for Parton and taken care of the child.
Parton, who is entirely domestic by ma.
ture, is happy in his second union, and
enjoys his family exceedingly. He also
enjoys the tranquility of the old town on
the Merrimack, which is the antipodes
of the modern Babylon on the Hudson.
Whether Hugo Parton, a bright little
fellow, will take to literature when he
has grown up can not be foretold.
Another singular marriage was that
of Wendell Phillips. who though known
as a gifted orator, was eminently lit
erary man, as his printed speeches and
numberless articles in periodicals and
newspapers bear testimony. The lady
who became his wife had considerable
property, was vehemently opposed to
slavery. an invalid, and interested in
Phillips as conspicuous and able Abol-
Zionist. She had a settled feeling that
she would not live long, and, wishing
to put her means in Philips hands, SO
as to benefit the cause she had so much
at heart, she thought that marriage
would be the best method of carrying
out the purpose. The couple had been
friends, and remained such after their
union, which naturally included very
little passion or romance OF the
ordinary kind But in place
of that was tender regard, an
earnest admiration, an exalted esteem,
which made them the best and :ruest OF