Letter from Hattie to Em, February 10, 1875
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Em, February 10, 1875
Subject
Homesickness; Dreams; Diseases; Single women; Women missionaries
Description
In this letter to Emily, Harriet writes about how she cannot stop thinking of going home. The school is on break so she is getting some sewing done. She comes back to finish the letter the next day, the 11th. Miss Shaw and Lillie Happer are still unwell. Harriet wonders if Dr. Happer is going to propose to Miss Shaw. She hopes they will send more single women missionaries. Lucy has a toothache, Mattie's teeth are feeling better, and Henry's throat has improved.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #2
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1875-02-10
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English); chi (b) (Chinese)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_139
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
Feby 10th 1875
My dear Em -
I have only a minute
to write but that is long Enough
to [u]commence[/u] a letter to you.
Mattie is writing to Cousin Mary
a person whom I wish very much
to see and hope I soon shall.
I dream nearly Every night now of
getting home and have seen
you in the "visions of the night"
many many times lately -
Henry told me yesterday that
he thought I had resolved not
to think much about going home
until the [u]End[/u] of 1875 but then
that resolution was made before
the school-house burned down
and "circumstances alter cares"
you know . I hope now during this
vacation before the school opens
again to get whatever sewing I
want to have done finished
as far as possible so that when
the scholars come back I shall
have nothing to think of but them.
Feby 11th I have just finished
a letter to Mrs Lyon "Davids" wife
and now I will continue my
discourse to you. Dr Happer
has been in this morning to
talk over our work for the coming
year and [?now?] we know what we
have [u]suspected[/u] all along that
Lillie is probably going home with
Mary and Verdie next month
and as Miss Shaw's doctor says
she cannot think of taking up
any mission work before next
June. Mattie Lucy and I will
have it to ourselves. Miss Shaw
and Lillie have been on the
Invalid corps so long already
that it will not be different
from what it has been in
that respect. WE are wondering
now whether the Doctor has
it in his head to propose to
Miss Shaw or not. His plans
are generally laid a long ways
ahead but he does not divulge
them in advance of time
The idea of Lillie's going home is
a profound secret yet although
the children expect to leave
here in seven weeks. Her trouble
is [u] "nervousness" [/u]. I hope the good
people at home will send some
more "[?ku neungo?]" {single ladies} to
reinforce us soon, for although
we count up [u]five[/u] in the books
our active working force is not very
large. WE shall have to get
some Chinese helpers trained to
take our places. The new
developments set our minds at
rest about trying to Enlarge our
work at present as it will be as
much as Mattie and Lucy
will want to do to keep it in
running order, and then when
we come back perhaps we
can make some changes.
We will have six day-schools
to look after this year, seven
counting the one in the country.
I am very anxious to get some
books prepared if I can get
time before the school opens
again . I wonder if you have
seen Mrs Leyenbarger yet
I suppose Mr Sites and his family
will soon be here as we hear that
they are coming out this spring -
I hope that they will give us a
visit on their way. Your last letter
was written Dec 4th Exactly seven
years from the day that I left
San Francisco . You write us
nice [u]home[/u] letters telling us just what
Every one and everything is doing.
I can almost imagine I see
what you describe Jack on the
window Rover at the well and
the horses standing in the barn
ready for action. I dreamed a
few nights since that I was at
home talking about taking a
horse back ride on [u]"Fred"[/u]
Lucy has been having toothache
for two or three days and
one side of her face is swollen
badly . Mattie's teeth seem
to be all right now I am
glad she has got them put
in such good order. Henry's
throat is getting better He preached
last Sabbath eve from a text I
gave him long since "I shall
be [u]satisfied[/u] when I awake in thy likeness"
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
I think it is one of the nicest versus is the whole Bible
It is after
four-o-clock
and I feel
as though
I have
accomplished
very little
to-day. We
are getting
very hungry
for letters
from USA
Ever your
loving sister
[u]Hattie[/u]
Feby 10th 1875
My dear Em -
I have only a minute
to write but that is long Enough
to [u]commence[/u] a letter to you.
Mattie is writing to Cousin Mary
a person whom I wish very much
to see and hope I soon shall.
I dream nearly Every night now of
getting home and have seen
you in the "visions of the night"
many many times lately -
Henry told me yesterday that
he thought I had resolved not
to think much about going home
until the [u]End[/u] of 1875 but then
that resolution was made before
the school-house burned down
and "circumstances alter cares"
you know . I hope now during this
vacation before the school opens
again to get whatever sewing I
want to have done finished
as far as possible so that when
the scholars come back I shall
have nothing to think of but them.
Feby 11th I have just finished
a letter to Mrs Lyon "Davids" wife
and now I will continue my
discourse to you. Dr Happer
has been in this morning to
talk over our work for the coming
year and [?now?] we know what we
have [u]suspected[/u] all along that
Lillie is probably going home with
Mary and Verdie next month
and as Miss Shaw's doctor says
she cannot think of taking up
any mission work before next
June. Mattie Lucy and I will
have it to ourselves. Miss Shaw
and Lillie have been on the
Invalid corps so long already
that it will not be different
from what it has been in
that respect. WE are wondering
now whether the Doctor has
it in his head to propose to
Miss Shaw or not. His plans
are generally laid a long ways
ahead but he does not divulge
them in advance of time
The idea of Lillie's going home is
a profound secret yet although
the children expect to leave
here in seven weeks. Her trouble
is [u] "nervousness" [/u]. I hope the good
people at home will send some
more "[?ku neungo?]" {single ladies} to
reinforce us soon, for although
we count up [u]five[/u] in the books
our active working force is not very
large. WE shall have to get
some Chinese helpers trained to
take our places. The new
developments set our minds at
rest about trying to Enlarge our
work at present as it will be as
much as Mattie and Lucy
will want to do to keep it in
running order, and then when
we come back perhaps we
can make some changes.
We will have six day-schools
to look after this year, seven
counting the one in the country.
I am very anxious to get some
books prepared if I can get
time before the school opens
again . I wonder if you have
seen Mrs Leyenbarger yet
I suppose Mr Sites and his family
will soon be here as we hear that
they are coming out this spring -
I hope that they will give us a
visit on their way. Your last letter
was written Dec 4th Exactly seven
years from the day that I left
San Francisco . You write us
nice [u]home[/u] letters telling us just what
Every one and everything is doing.
I can almost imagine I see
what you describe Jack on the
window Rover at the well and
the horses standing in the barn
ready for action. I dreamed a
few nights since that I was at
home talking about taking a
horse back ride on [u]"Fred"[/u]
Lucy has been having toothache
for two or three days and
one side of her face is swollen
badly . Mattie's teeth seem
to be all right now I am
glad she has got them put
in such good order. Henry's
throat is getting better He preached
last Sabbath eve from a text I
gave him long since "I shall
be [u]satisfied[/u] when I awake in thy likeness"
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
I think it is one of the nicest versus is the whole Bible
It is after
four-o-clock
and I feel
as though
I have
accomplished
very little
to-day. We
are getting
very hungry
for letters
from USA
Ever your
loving sister
[u]Hattie[/u]
中国广东
1875年2月10日
我亲爱的Em
我只有一分钟写信
但是给你写信时间也够了。
Mattie在给我特别想快点见到的表妹Mary写信。
我现在几乎每天都梦见回家
然后很多次在夜里看到你
Henry昨天告诉我
他认为我没有决定回家
直到1875年年底
但是这个决定是在校舍被烧之前做的
而且我的优先事项改变了。
我希望现在
学期开始前的这个假期
我尽可能地织一点什么东西
当学生们回来以后
我就可以不想这方面的事了。
2月11日我刚刚写完给Lyon太太（David的妻子）的一封信
现在我要继续和你说。
Happer医生今天早上来了
跟我们谈论来年的工作
而且他证实了我们的怀疑
下个月，Lillie很可能要和Mary还有Verdie回家
而且Shaw小姐的医生说
她六月之前做不了传教组织的工作。
Mattie、Lucy还有我可以靠自己完成。
Shaw小姐和Lillie以及在伤残军队很久了
以至于有些方面和他们的人差不多了。
我们很想知道
现在医生是否记得向Shaw小姐求婚了。
他的计划很长
但是他不回提前泄露
Lillie回家的想法还是个秘密
即使孩子们想七周之内离开这里。
她的麻烦在于紧张。
我希望
家人可以多送过来一些单身的姑娘
这样我们的队伍可以更强大
即使我们有五个
我们活跃工作的力量也不是很大。
我们不得不找中国人帮忙，
训练他们，然后让他们开始做我们的工作。
新的发展让我们的大脑休息
试着尽可能多的扩大我们现在的工作
因为Mattie和Lucy想让它有序进展，
然后当我们回来的时候
我们可以改变一下。
今年我们有6所走读学校要照顾，
第七个在村里。
如果我在学校开学之前有时间，
我很渴望准备一些书。
我想知道你有没有见过Leyenbarger太太
但是我认为Sites先生一家会很快来到这的
因为我们听说他们今年春天要出来旅游
我希望他们可以顺便来拜访我们。
你的上一封信是12月4日写的
我离开旧金山正好七年了。
你的家信写得那么好
告诉我们家里人还有事情的情况。
我能想象到
你说Jack在窗边
Rover站在墙边
然后马站在马厩蓄势待发。
我几个晚上都梦到了
自从我说过骑马——Fred
Lucy牙疼了三天
她的一边脸肿胀很严重。
Mattie的牙看起来已经好了，
我很高兴她挺过来了。
Henry的嗓子也好了
他上个安息日晚上去传教了
我跟他说
我醒了的时候,得见你的形像,就心满意足了。
【信件结尾边缘书写】
我认为这是圣经最好的一版
四点多了
我感觉
即使
我今天
做了
很少的事情。
我们
对于
来自美国的信
如饥似渴
爱你的姐姐
Hattie
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Em, February 10, 1875,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 29, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/195.