12 October 1878 Letter from James Monroe Smith to his future wife, Eva Slaton

Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Robert S. Hendrick, 8/2005

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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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12 October 1878 Letter from James Monroe Smith to his future wife, Eva Slaton

Smith became the Union Parish Clerk of Court in 1879
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Farmerville, LA 
		October 12, 1878 
 
Miss Eva Slaton, 
Esteemed Friend: 
 
   Many long and weary Autumn days, whose impressive (?) breezes were fraught 
with the death-knell of parting skies (?) like a dream, have come and gone since 
my very pleasant sojourn at Vienna, even since I received your last epistle, and 
have wrought great changes in the physical world, and when done buried 
themselves in the mighty tomb of "things that were". As you are aware your 
highly appreciated and welcome epistle came to hand since weeks past and you 
well know was read with no little interest and pleasure, and you may be assured 
that your letter s ever afford me the greatest pleasure and are of paramount 
importance. 
 
   I appreciate the manner in which you expressed in your letter the indis-
pensable duty of responding to my letters and your reasonably immediate and 
punctual response, and the (?), natural & unlabored style which has ever been 
characteristic of your letters in the past. Are (?) this you have doubtless 
deemed me negligent and careless in responding to your last epistle, which came 
to hand about a month ago, in the 6th (?), a few hours before Dear Lizzie's 
death, a day which will ever be hallowed by her family as the last moments of 
one dear to them, her death grieves us sorely and before the grief stricken 
wounds had scarcely ceased to flow afresh- but two weeks from that day, Dr. T. 
D. Manning (Thorton Dexter Manning) sacrificed his life in an effort to relieve 
suffering humanity, which  renewed old wounds and caused double grief, which 
nothing, not even time itself can fully eradicate. I should have answered your 
letter long since but for the above reasons, and knowing you to be cognizant of 
those facts I am satisfied that you will not attribute my delay to an act of 
negligence or a non-appreciation of your letter and under the circumstances have 
not effected an answer sooner. 
 
   F'ville for the past few days (?) with people attending District Court, which 
occasions an increase of business and noise. The young Farmervillians by common 
assent gave a Social Entertainment at the residence of Mr. Darby on last Tuesday 
evening, complimentary to three visiting ladies, Misses Statie(?) Woods, Dixie 
Calvin & - McLaw(?). I am sorry to say that I could not attend having had fever, 
but I presume everything past(?) off pleasantly. It would have been a pleasure 
to have met(?) Vienna's daughter. However, on the next morning while sitting in 
my office engaged and feeling a little badly from fever, a lady friend who I 
presume appreciated my feelings sent me a beautiful bouquet of pageant flowers 
with the inscription "Complements of your sympathizing friend" , which you can 
well imagine was verily appreciated and operates very well as a fever-tonic. 
Hoping that you have not attributed my long silence to forgetfulness or any 
thing of that kind, for I have thought of the July(?) day, but that you may deem 
my response reasonably early under the circumstances and answer my letter soon. 
Many thanks for the beautiful little wish clothed in the beauties of language 
and the purity of nature, and may "Your Pathway" ever be shown with 'Italian 
flowers' and "Your Life" be one of grandness and sublimity, is the wish of  
 
Your Friend 
J.  M. Smith 


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