5 December 1897 Letter from James Monroe Smith to Eva Slaton Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Robert S. Hendrick, 6/2006 ************************************************ 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. ================================================================================= 5 December 1897 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. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== James M. Smith Sr. to Eva Slaton (Addressed to Miss Carrie Manning ; c/o Mrs. M. L. Brooks) Jas. M. Smith, Clerk Edward Everett, Deputy Clerk’s Office Parish of Union Farmerville, LA December 5, 1897 10:30 P. M. My Own Sweet Little Darling, Your sweet little letter came promptly as expected and made me as happy as usual. Today is our regular church day and I have had company all day & tonight. Bro. Wharton our preacher came Friday evening and has been stopping with us all the while & is here tonight. We had service at 11 AM. & again tonight & had company all the evening, so it has interfered very much with my customary & pleasant duty of writing to my precious little girl on the Sabbath. But as all have now retired I determined to write to the dearest, sweetest, best little woman in this world before retiring even if it is 10:20 PM. I had rather be disappointed myself than have my little angel disappointed. Darling you are just so good, so sweet & so just to your boy & he loves you with such tenderness & devotion that your welfare & wishes come first with him above all others, his own not excepted. I know you are going to look mighty pretty and sweet in that wedding dress with all the necessary “fixments” belonging thereto. I am no judge but imagine a shade of blue will be very becoming to my little darling’s complexion. I can tell better when I see you with it on. Of course I know you selected a color you thought most becoming for that august occasion. Darling I am just so happy over the fact that you are entirely well you say it must be due to a prescription from me that has had such a soothing effort. May be so, but can’t think what it was unless we finally having fixed the date our marriage, it has settled that question, kept you from future worrying over it on my account, don’t you reckon ? Well I believe we will be two as happy children as lives the moment I can say my wife “Mrs. Smith” & you my husband, “Mr. Smith”. Darling I don’t believe we will envy any others happiness for we know we love with a love as strong & deep & as was “divine in its purity” as I believe it’s possible for sweethearts, don’t you? Think of it tomorrow one month & our Heavenly Father permitting I take the dearest, sweetest, loveliest & most perfect little girl that grace this life with her charms of head, heart & form to continue it. Try it any way for a while & see. Tomatoes are a great delicacy with some but not with me. I can’t eat them. Darling I may go to Ruston the later part of this week or it may be the latter part of next. I can’t say at this time. Don’t look for me until you see me. I will write you so soon as I get there & if I know a day or two in advance when I will go will write you a note. As to our announcement cards you need not go to the trouble of sending them to me as I think I will be over to see you in time. Your taste is so much than mine in such things I just leave it to you to decide. If you prefer you can wait until I come. Any way you decide will be all right with me. I am using lead pencil again as more can (???) & know it makes no difference with my sweet girl. Write me as usual. With a heart full of love & many kisses for my little girl. Devotedly, Lovingly Yours, James ###########################################################################################