6 March 1876 Letter from Lillie Temple to James Monroe Smith Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Robert S. Hendrick, 5/2005 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Materials from the Personal Collection of Dr. Robert S. Hendrick, Jr. Transcribed and submitted by Robert S. Hendrick, Jr. ================================================================================= 6 March 1876 Letter from Lillie Temple to James Monroe Smith Smith became the Union Parish Clerk of Court in 1879 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== March 6, 1876 Ennis, TX Dear Jimmie, Or perhaps I should say “Mr. Smith. ‘Dear Sir’” as it has been nearly three years since I saw you or even wrote to you. I need not tell you how surprised I was at the reception of your letter. But I was not surprised at its contents. “‘Tis said that absence conquers love” and I believe it particular when it is founded in the bosoms of youths and maidens of the respective ages of 16 and 13. Ah! Wasn’t we a jolly couple! I was always honest; and now I will candidly confess that I never thought of you! Save when I was in Texas the first 8 months. Then For a while I had a lovely, sick-at-the stomach feeling only experienced by love lorn “ damsels” and spooney (?) “lads” like you and I. Often since I have made my “debut” in society, I think of my first “love dream” which seems so much like a dream to me that I can with difficulty believe I ever lived in Farmerville or ever professed to love you my sweet, innocent, childfriend! “Society” (so called) is heartless, Jimmie, and when you mingle, and mix, with the “world” , you too, will find it as I say – cold, hard, heartless, gossiping, spiteful & billis (?). You will often wish in your heart of hearts that you should lay your now(?) aching, burning, head on some trusting or I should say trustworthy bosom and give rent to your pent-up feelings. But Ah! Jimmie the worse of all will be you will be afraid to trust, afraid to speak, the feelings that are well nigh bursting your heart-cords loose! Yes and often you will wish you could end your miserable life! Perhaps you wonder how I know this. I simply answer by the base-teacher that ever taught the daughters and sons of time: “Experience”. Yes, experience taught me every word I have written to you! So I ask of you Jimmie, that before you ever think of marrying, to mingle in society and have the being of your choice do so too, visit different places and if you return with your heart pal-pitating with the same true love and that object “d’couer” do then marry by all means. Perhaps my letter is assuming rather a “loving faced” appearance so I will tell you of “one” who is dearer to me than the breath I draw. I will tell you this first, I love him with all the order of my passionate soul!!, but that same demon, “distrust”, keeps me from telling him so. I verify(?) believe if I was engaged to him I would be afraid to trust him, although I have respectful assurance of his fidelity and, oh! I hate to say it !, if I were engaged to be “his wife” and his love grows cold to me, I would pray to God to take me away from this world! And if he wouldn’t, why! I’d just take myself away. It’s so cold, so dreamy. And although I had ceased to care for you still I could but think “ this is simply a duplicate of what I shall receive in the future”. Ah! The human heart is very frail does it ever know it self one week! Now for a minute description of “my feller” and myself. He is living in St. Louis, has several business houses in Texas and spends most of his time in this state. I should say instead of living in St. Louis that his home is there, but he lives mostly in my presence (or he says) and here in Ennis, Texas. He is good, noble, generous to a fault, kind, witty, gentle, is tall and graceful “an apollo”, has large dark eyes of blue, beautiful, rich curly brown hair. It is so dark that it is generally called “black”. (He ) has a magnificent, broad well proportioned figure, lovely white teeth, a mobile mouth, and in one or two words I will say he is the handsomest man I ever saw! He is about (23 or 24). Now that I have given you his “bona fide” description it is but just I should tell you of the little girl he has seen fit to address. She is tall, has a (superb??) figure , or perhaps best describe her as she was once described in a “Texas Journal well (??) curves…” . “ Miss Temple is tall, as graceful as the little fawn that is one of her (buts??), has a wealth of lovely fine light brown hair which is wavy and beautiful, has a lovely forehead which is characteristic of a brilliant (??) . Her (??) hands, much of the (??) alabaster whiteness her eyes are large and have a saucy sparkle which shows that under those sweet-blue orbs, a demon of mischief is lurking. She has the most exquisite, musical voice we ever heard. Her teeth are like hearts. Her lips are full and look the blushing petals of a sweet- June rose. She has a firm step, a tender of way of moving about that shows she has a wealth of love to bestow on some “fortunate” . She has the grandest we ever heard escape (??) ‘great-vocalists” of the age. She has a regal appearance and never looks better than when on the stage.” Rather too flattering, it makes me sick. Why! That very man angry with me two weeks ago because I refused to go to a house to see some young ladies where I thought I was not wanted! But, very soon I Will send you a picture of myself and let you see the change that “time” with her busy fingers has wrought in me. I love my future husband and although I’d not like to trust any person, he makes me tell him all my secrets. He is very funny (?) and says the only little objection he can in my composition is that I am a little “cynical”, but since I have loved him I am a (??) over that. You know I was always lively, but you would never know me now. I say more funny, willy things in one minute; than any other girl in this town or Waxahachie says in a week! I always keep my (??) laughing at some speech I make. I am quite a favorite among the gentleman and married ladies, but the girls hate me! Now Jimmie, I have told you of myself in general and I must soon close. And before I do I want to ask you a favor. Here comes : ~ please correspond with me as an old friend , write me sensible letters, and give me the news of the place, and tell me who the “girl of your choice” is, you can tell me, can’t you? You use to trust me in the days long ago. So be a man and tell me. I will answer all letters in a friendly circumspect manner so that you can show them to “her” and when you write to me make ~ illusions to our childish “ affair d’couer” or love match. I am glad you were so honorable in making your “(??)” to me. It is certainly more than I should have done!-because I thought you would have forgotten it long ago. Well I am engaged now and shall marry next “fall”. I been sitting here twisting my “solutions” so as to see it change so many colors! And what else!-thinking of “Lynn”!! that’s part of “his” name. I intended to send you “our cards” about a week before our marriage and I want you to come. I am not living in Ennis. I am only here on a visit. I intend to go to Dallas next week. As when you answer my letter direct it to Waxahachie, Texas and I shall get it. Do not make any illusion to our “ affair d’couer”. I do not Pa Pa and Ma Ma to think you and I played the part of a fool! – give me all the news I wrote to Beleta Stenbiuranch a month ago. I have never received an answer. Are they still in Farmerville? If not, where are they? I wrote to Molly too, I believe three times . Why does she not answer? I’ve lots to tell you about ourselves, about our times in Texas, our business, etc., but for fear of taxing you patience I will close. My love to the family. Write very soon to Your True Friend, Lillie Temple P. S. If you do not want to correspond, say so! Be a man. And if you do, I will be ever glad to hear from you. I am writing in bed so you will excuse bad chirography . I am quite (??) today. Truly, L. T. Excuse the terrible writing. I do write a barely legible hand., but I have a very sore finger and I can scarcely write. ###########################################################