Letter from Hattie to Mother, June 25, 1872

Letter from Hattie to Mother, June 25, 1872

Missionary; Letter writing; School buildings

Harriet writes to her mother about Matt and Henry. She talks about how she wants to visit home but that Henry still has three and a half years left. The new schoolhouse is finished and she led their first women's prayer meeting. She and Lillie have four scholars. There are two new missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Williams.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #1

Unpublished

1872-06-25

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_083

Canton China
June 25th 72
My dear Mother,
I have [u]finished[/u] writing
for the mail but I will add a few
lines for you. it seems so strange to
be through and only nine-o-clock.
I think a semi monthly is going
to be capital. Henry has been away
in the country six days will be
gone four days more. If Matt
comes I shall not have to be alone
so much of the time . I told Henry
the other day that I did'nt believe
there was any one else in the world
that could come out that would
make me feel so [u]relieved[/u] as Matt &
he said if that was the case she
ought to come out of sheer compassion
he should think. We think a great
deal of you all at home and how
hard it seems to ask you to give
up another one but it dont seem now
as though China was nearly as far
away as it used and if we should
come home in a few years I am
sure it would make it seem
different to you . Only think it is
only [u]three years and a half[/u] until
the end of Henry's ten years
Our new school house is at last

finished everybody is pleased
with it so of course we are delighted.
The first meeting held in it was a
women's prayer meeting and I led
it. Does'nt that seem very funny to
you you know I never had the merest
shadow of a gift in that direction . It
seemed so strange to both Lillie + I
as she said as though we were getting
out of our place to go up on the platform
and commence. We are quite used to
getting up on a chair or even on a table
and talking to a crowd of women but
they are generally all talking together and
our first work is to get them quiet +
it seemed so Entirely different to see
them all seated quietly before us .
There were about thirty present the
chapel closely seated would
accommodate a hundred. We have
opened the school have as yet only
four scholars but are not surprised
at the smallness of the number
have declined a great many
applicants because they were
too small or for some other reason.
Mr & Mrs Williams new missionaries
of whom I think I wrote last mail
wish to board with us next month
and I presume will
With [u]much love[/u] for all from
Hattie.

[Note: Additional note written horizontally across the margin of page four]
I am so sorry to hear of Sarah Leitzell's poor health I hardly
know whether I had better write to her or not please give her my [illegible] [u]love[/u].

中国广东
1872年6月25日
亲爱的母亲
我写完了信
但是我会加一点给您。
感觉很奇怪，
而且现在才9点，这么早写完了
我认为寄信大半个月过去了。
Henry出去6天了
/
还剩四天回来。
如果Matt 过来
我不会自己一个人待太久。
我告诉Henry过两天
前几天，我告诉Henry世界上没有人能像Matt一样让我更安心。
/
让我感觉很放松
因为Matt和他说
如果什么时候她可以出来
他会有一点同情。
我们为您想了一个很好的办法，
看起来很难让您放弃另一个去中国，
但是现在看起来不是，
因为中国离得没有以前很远，
如果我们过几年回家
我确定那会让您的想法有所改变。
/
只是想想，
离Henry出来十年只有三年半了
（Henry出来6年半了）
我们的新校舍最后完成了

所有人都很高兴，
当然我们也是。
举行的第一场见面会是一个女祈祷者举行的
我带领的。
您觉得是不是很有趣呢？
您知道的，
我在这个方向没有天赋。
对Lillie和我来说有点奇怪
因为她说的和想的一样
我们在慢慢离开我们的领域，
并在新的领域开始。
我们一起习惯了站在椅子上或桌子上
并且很一大群女人说话
/
而且我们第一次让他们安静下来，
而且看起来完全不同
看到他们在我们之前坐在座位上。
有大约百分之三十的教堂座位可以容纳一百人。
/
/
我们开了学校，只有四所学校
但是这不会让人很惊讶
在很少人拒绝了很多申请者
/
因为他们太小了
或者有什么其它原因。
/
我认为我写的最后一封邮件
希望下个月写信给
Williams夫妇新的传教士
爱您的女儿
Hattie.

【剩余记录空白处横向书写】
我很遗憾听说Sarah Leitzell健康有问题
我几乎不知道我要不要写给她什么【字迹模糊】表达我的爱。

Letter