Mr. James Carey lived in Larue, a village in Marion County of central Ohio.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaRue,_Ohio

In September of 1907, James received a postcard greeting from D. S.

The postcard was mailed from Rose Hill, a very small city in southeast Iowa.

(In 1910, Rose Hill had a few more residents than the 174 who lived there in 2020.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Hill,_Iowa

The face of the postcard bears a drawing of small flowers and a verse from the Book of Genesis, “The Lord watch between thee and me when we are absent from one another.”

On the reverse, D. S. writes, “Have you forgotten all about Iowa?”

It seems that Mr. Carey had visited Iowa, perhaps during the recent summer.

Whatever happened there seems to have been important to the sender of the postcard.

Perhaps there was an expectation that James would maintain more constant communication.

When I found this postcard, quite a few years ago, I considered that it might be the evidence of a summer romance that could not survive distance and the passage of time.

There are two things that strike me now – one is that far fewer people use Biblical references to punctuate their correspondence.

(I sometimes wonder what happens to classic literature when no one understands the Biblical allusions.)

But, the second thought is that the passage from Genesis is far less warm and comforting than it first appears.

Laban said these words to Jacob who was escaping (with Laban’s daughter) from a twenty-year partnership with his father-in-law.

The “Mizpah” is a sign of covenant between the two (who both have sketchy histories) but it includes also a warning that God will witness the transgressions of the other.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizpah_(emotional_bond)

One hopes that James had not broken any agreements or Commandments during his visit to Iowa!