F.R. Stevenson is unknown. James Harvey Campbell married Mary Frances Bowis on October 8, 1857.
New York Dec 1, 1857
Dear Fannie:
Since the receipt of your dear little epistle of the 17th I have been so busy that I could not write to you. I have thought of you every day but could not get time to write. There is one thing I want to impress on your mind Mrs. Campbell that is you cannot put me off with a sheet of note paper and call it a long letter. That won’t do if you want to do the right thing you will get that husband of yours to beg, borrow, buy or steal some proof paper for your use. I am sure if you knew how much good your notes do me you would write me letters. Why Fannie the day I received your last letter I did not take any of those vile Drugs that a great man wrote about and do not expect to take any the day I receive your answer. By the way my health is much better. If I had thought you were going to be married so soon or that you had a case of sweetness on hand last winter (well never mind what I would have done at all events) I should have acted very differently from what I have done. Can you not find a second edition of yourself for me now that I stand a chance of living two or three years longer I want to find someone to take care of me when I get sick again. You no doubt will have many trials that you are not accustomed to, but not more than you had before you were married but of a different kind; if when you are tried in some way that you never were before look back and compare it with some trial that you have had years ago and I think you will say that I am right. I see no reason why you should not be very happy your husband I do not know but I think that you are of a disposition to make almost any man a companion for life. I should judge from your description that he was a very good looking. Today it is very warm and overcoats are at a discount and I am at present very busy. Times are very hard here at present but I think it will be much better by Christmas. So Mr. Cray is after the Girls again. He shows a proper appreciation of the Sex don’t you think so. Give my respects to my acquaintances and love to my friends and kiss sister for me and if you were not a married woman I would send you one but I dare not for what would your husband say. But give him the well wishes of your old and true friend.
F.R. Stevenson
P.S. I am ashamed to send this but I know you will excuse me on act of haste.
Truly Yours
FRS