8 August 1896 Letter from James Monroe Smith to Eva Slaton

Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Robert S. Hendrick, 4/2006

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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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8 August 1896 Letter from James Monroe Smith to Eva Slaton

Smith became the Union Parish Clerk of Court in 1879 and served until 1900, when 
he resigned to serve as a Louisiana State Senator. Smith had courted Slaton prior 
to his marriage to May Olive Kidd in 1885, but May had died in February 1895. Smith 
and Slaton married in January 1898.
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								Farmerville, LA 
August 8, 1896
My Darling Sweet Girl,

   Accompanied by Mrs. Kidd, I left Ruston yesterday evening a week ago about 5 o’clock 
and arrived home safely about 11. Have been very busy since my return. Court last Monday 
and will probably continue 2 weeks longer and keeps me very busy day and good portion of 
the night. Well my dear sweet girl, it gives me the greatest pleasure to know and receive 
from your sweet lips assurance that that pure, sweet- love you once cherished for me and 
me alone has never grown less, but is as true and steadfast now as when we were in our 
youth. What more could any manly heart ask or wish than to receive the heart and hand of 
one so true, so sweet and so noble; possessing in an eminent degree all of those charming; 
womanly characteristics and accomplishments of head and heart; that constitute the ideal 
Christian woman- the noblest workmanship of God?

   My darling girl I ask no more, I ask no more of my sweet girl than I know I give in 
return. You have my whole heart and my love and affection that is tender and true – almost 
divine in its purity.

   We are no strangers to each other. We knew and loved each other when our love was quite 
young- in the innocency, of childhood’s halcyon days, and love each other now. We are yet 
comparatively young. The rosebuds (?) of Springtime still adorns in all its beauty, the 
fair cheeks of my sweet girl. There is no reason why we should not spend our remaining days 
in perfect happiness together. I just feel and know darling that you will make me an ideal 
wife and one that I will be proud to call my wife, and if pure love and devotion from me 
in return will contribute to and make yours happy I assure you that you have it. My thoughts 
are all of you. I don’t see how I can get my consent to be separated from you for a year or 
more, but reckon will have to do so under existing circumstances. I will be so happy when I 
can call my dear girl my wife and I have her with me all the time.

   The year’s separation will seem very long and lonely to me without you darling. Although 
very busy since my return I have felt lonely without you and get very impatient to see you 
again. 

   As Court adjourned this evening until Monday, I stole off to my other office a few moments 
to write you and have written very hastily and under unfavorable circumstances, as parties 
have kept coming in to see me and would have to conceal my letter for the time. Now my darling 
sweet girl I want you to be candid and frank in all things in writing me and free to express 
yourself. You can rely on my not showing your letter to any one, for I will prize them as sacred.

   Now write me real soon a long, sweet letter and be assured that I am yours always.

       
       Devotedly Yours,
       
                     	  Jas. M Smith

P. S. Don’t show my letters to any one I know you won’t.


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