27 April 1897 Letter from James M. Smith, Sr.to Eva Slaton Submitted by: Dr. Robert S. Hendrick Date of Submission: 11/2008 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ ================================================================================== ================================================================================== 27 April 1897 Letter from James M. Smith, Sr.to Eva Slaton Materials from the Personal Collection of Dr. Robert S. Hendrick, Jr. Transcribed and submitted by Robert S. Hendrick, Jr. 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. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== James M. Smith Sr. to Eva Slaton (Addressed to Mrs. M. L. Brooks; c/o T T Slaton) ================================================================================== ================================================================================== Jas. M. Smith, Clerk Edward Everett, Deputy Clerk’s Office Parish of Union Farmerville, LA April 27, 1897 My Darling Sweet Little Eva Girl, Your very dignified and sweet little epistle acknowledging receipt of my visit, with a warm handshake and hearty “I thank you” came Saturday evening and to say I was the happiest boy in town, does not begin to express the inexpressible “good feelings” and pleasure I experienced in its perusal. Darling I am so sorry though you had to break your past record and all precedents and write your boy telling him how delighted you were with his visit. You are a mighty good, sweet, delightful little girl to write such a nice, delightful, formal letter expressive of your delight with my visit, even though you have been actuated more from a sense of duty than pleasure. Why dearest, I am surprised that you commented upon and seemingly hesitated to break all precedents in order to tell the best (?) sweetheart you ever had, (except in the long ago when you had the same one & gave him his passport), that you enjoyed his visit. I know you never had a sweetheart who loved you so passionately and fondly as does your James Monroe. Well darling if you will permit the slang expression, “I have felt like a fish out of water” ever since my return home- don’t know what to do with myself- I am so lonely without you my precious little jewel & when out of your angelic presence no one- not even a crowd is company for me & can dispel that lone-liness. Darling it seems the more I visit you, the more desperate I become & the more unhappy I am when away from my sweet little doll. It does seem to me that if you love me with that fondness & devotion you profess and as well as you are bound to know I love you darling, you would hasten the day for our marriage, regardless of any slight indisposition especially when you know too, that indisposition is known to me & is no impediment as far as I am concerned to our marriage. Why dearest, I think of you all the time- you are my last thought when I leap into the arms of Morpheus and my first on awaking and leaving the beauties of dreamland. Strange to say my sweet little girl being my constant thought almost every moment when awake. I have never dreamed about her, although very anxious to do so. I reckon though that is best, as it is necessary for the mind to have a rest, for if as constantly as my thoughts are of you and be kept in suspense very much longer, I might become a fit subject for the insane asylum. Dearest, “I wish for no better employment today” than to occupy the same chair near the sweetest, loveliest and best little girl in the world, that I occupied on last Easter evening for several happy hours, and talk to her and hear her "discuss the leading topics of the day." Dearest, the only thing that tended to mar the pleasure of my visit, you refused to shake hands with me at the church with all of your avowals of love, you didn’t invite me to dine with you on Easter, having invited a number of friends especially Mr. P-. Now how do you knowing the fact that I am your best loved, but invite the other fellow- my competitor. That’s hard to harmonize, isn’t it? But dearest, I will forgive you for that transgression if you’ll promise to do so no more. Take my visit upon the whole, I could not have had a more delightful and enjoyable time while with my precious little girl, who was so gracious good and sweet to me. I forgot to tell you that I was very much misput in deferring our marriage indefinitely. I was so hopeful that we could marry in June as suggested by you in March. I don’t like to insist on an early marriage dearest, contrary to your wishes- your health not being perfect, but if you know my situation, how lonely I am and how I long to have my angel girl with me all the while. I believe that you would disregard that “slight indisposition” and we would marry very soon. I am just so unhappy without you & need you to help me run my farm, office, garden and household affairs generally “in general” & can’t do without you much longer. I prefer not to marry in the Fall & can’t wait until next Winter or Spring so I think we ought to marry in June or July. Think over the matter without letting it worry and make you nervous & see if you can’t get your consent & fix the date. I think we had as well marry any way as you won’t get well soon while sitting up & entertaining Mr. P & others until 12 o’clock at night. Now to entertain me until that late hour occasionally will do & probably not cause you had bad effects, but I think it will seriously injure your health to keep late hours with others & you should be more prudent in the future. I suppose that was Mr. P who implored you to such a late hour to find out about our affair. Am I not right? I suppose too he it was you were to take a ride with Sunday. Pretty good guesser, don’t you think? Dearest, I don’t see well how I can wait so long, but hardly think I can visit you again before the 1st or middle of June, unless you get very anxious to see me sooner then there is no accounting for what I will do. Our Sunday School will have a joint picnic & fish fry gather mayhaws on the bayou next Friday. Come over and join us. Will come after you if you conclude to accept the invitation. Let me hear soon. Dearest, I intended when I got your letter to write you Sunday evening without fail had a meeting in the evening to decide on the purchase of new songbooks, about the picnic & the evening was thus consumed & that night there was preaching so you see how I was completely knocked out of writing to my best girl & this is my first opportunity since & a very early reply. I will see if you do so as well. Write me all the news & especially what that fellow said to you & lots of love. You are much too formal & dignified in your letters. Tell Mrs. Brooks about Mary rec’d her last letter promptly. Are you still improving? Always write me without fail about your health as I am so interested & anxious to hear. I will look for a letter Saturday or Sunday. Always Yours Devotedly, James ###################################################################################### File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/union/history/letters/smith/1897-04-27.txt