Mr. Clyde Stroud lived in Shreveport, the city on the Red River in northwest Louisiana.
Shreveport is near the border of the States of Texas and Arkansas and provided, until the late 20th century, headquarters for the oil industry in the region.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shreveport,_Louisiana
At the end of December in 1913, Clyde received a New Year’s postcard from Mrs. Smylie.
Mrs. Smylie mailed the postcard from the same city, so we may assume that she was a neighbor or nearby friend.
The face of the postcard is a charming drawing of two children observing swans swimming on a lake or stream.
The landscape shows the bare bleakness of winter, and the children are wearing coats and hats.
Interestingly, they are both bare-legged, although the boy has high boots and the girl, thick stockings.
The swans, however, appear unperturbed by the cold.
Above the children is a printed greeting, “Happy New Year”.
Beneath the drawing, the printed greeting continues – “And Sincere Good Wishes”.
The postcard was printed in the USA.
On the reverse, Mrs. Smylie offers thanks to “you and mother”.
At Christmas, we learn, Clyde and his mother sent a “beautiful vase”.
Mrs. Smylie is “sure I will use it just lots”.
One hopes, that Clyde and his mother were pleased by the postcard, that the vase continued to provide pleasure for Mrs. Smylie, and that the friends in Shreveport enjoyed a wonderful New Year.
