14 April 1896 Letter of Frances May Sholars Kidd to her granddaughter Florence Smith Thomas Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Robert S. Hendrick, 4/2005 ************************************************ 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. ================================================================================= 14 April 1896 Letter of Frances May Sholars Kidd to Florence Smith Thomas Residents of Farmerville, Union Parish Louisiana ================================================================================== ================================================================================== April 14, 1896 Let Alice read this. It hasn't much news Farmerville, LA but it is better than nothing. Dearest Florence, We never received your letter till this morning. I don't know why, unless Jimmie has been carrying it in his pocket several days and I don't know that he has. If he has, it is no wonder, for he has so much to think about. He is out electioneering all the time now. Came home last night, went out again this morning and will not return till Saturday night. His opponent will get a good vote, but he thinks he will get about three hundred majority. Democrats of this Parish are getting uneasy. They will have a close run. Mrs. Calloway [probably Mary Ann Manning Callaway, Aunt of Florence Smith Thomas & James Smith] has been in bed two and a half day. 2 P. M. She just now got up. She says you will have to excuse her from writing. I am just getting over a bilious spell and a pain in my side. I had no fever and was able to be up. Mary our hired girl is getting lazy and I fear she will not stay us much longer. Oh, how I wish we could get a suitable white woman. The children are well and still play with our their dolls and horses. Lois [May Smith] has been trying to write you a letter. I wrote one for her to copy but she may not succeed. We sent you letter to Mrs. Thomas. She had been sick with a pain in her back, but was up. She sent us some vegetables and some buttermilk. One of our milck cows died and we don't get enough milk. Your young heifer has a calf. They have her up and Birdion milks her. The samples you sent are very pretty. I make Lois' blue Chambray by a design in The Standard Delineator. Ava says it is beautiful, but it doesn't look to my notion. The mainsook was so course I just made her a mother-hubbard out of it. I have felt so "out of sorts" I haven't made Jamie's (James M. Smith Jr.) blue chambray yet. We can't tell how many dress they will need, but perhaps if you and Alice will make each one a nice one they will have enough. I hope you will enjoy your visit to Texas and keep well. On your return when you have seen Mr. Thomas enough be sure to come, for all are anxious to see you. Tell Alice to be sure to come some time this summer. Lois talks about you both a great deal. I am homesick, but don't know when it will suit for me to leave. Sincerely & Lovingly Your Friend, F. M. Kidd P. S. The children will have enough dresses till you and Alice come and bring those you make in Texas. 3 P. M. Jamie "set up a yell" to go somewhere and Mary has taken him and Lois to see Mr. Thomas. The colt that was killed was a few days old. We have had a much needed rain. We have had some cold, gloomy weather, but it is fair today. We made plenty summer underwear for the children. ============================================================================================== This is probably Frances May Kidd, Florence Smith's grandmother. Alice is probably Sarah Alice Kidd Lewis, her sister-in-law. This is only a deduction. #################################################################