25 May 1874 Letter from Lillie Temple to James Monroe Smith

Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Robert S. Hendrick, 5/2005

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Materials from the Personal Collection of Dr. Robert S. Hendrick, Jr.
Transcribed and submitted by Robert S. Hendrick, Jr.

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25 May 1874 Letter from Lillie Temple to James Monroe Smith
Smith became the Union Parish Clerk of Court in 1879
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May 25, 1874 
Dallas, TX 
 
My Dear Friend, 
 
   I am going to write to you my last letter for a good while. I wish? let?   
You the reason why Ma Ma has come and she makes me show her all of my letters. 
She broke one of yours open the day before yesterday, but it happened just at 
the time some one called to see her and she laid the letters down and as soon as 
she was out of ear shot. I jumped forward and  _____  ________ 
In pieces and gave some of the pieces to the babe so as to make her think he did 
it. Isn't it to much for me to bear. 
 
   My dear friend if you love me as you say, do, do, not for my "Gods" sake 
write to me any more. Do not even answer this letter. We will still keep our 
engage-ment and I hope that it will prove to effect.  Do not answer this letter 
I pray you. If you (do) my mother's curses will follow me to the grave. We 
expect to go to California in ten weeks and when I get out there I will write to 
you. 
 
   PaPa is going to take me back to LA in 1877, so you can look for me then. 
 
   Do this favor (Do Not Write to me). I will let you hear from me every week 
When I write to Mollie ( Mary Elizabeth Smith)  and she will let me know about 
your welfare. 
 
   I will repeat once more the word which is so painful to me. Do not for Heaven 
& my sake write to me. I will send you my Photograph by one of Mollie's letters. 
Do not send me yours. Your image is (fixed) in my heart. Give my love to all. 
 
					I Remain Yours Until Death, Yet in Great Haste, 
 
					Lillie Temple 
 

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