Letter from Hattie to Mother, February 27, 1875
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Mother, February 27, 1875
Subject
Letters; Betrothal; Single women; Women missionaries; Arson; Throat--Diseases; Bridesmaids
Description
In this letter to her mother, Harriet writes that Henry is in the process of applying to the board to return home the next year. Lillie Happer is going home and Miss Shaw is coming back from Japan to marry Dr. Happer. The doctor thinks Henry's throat issues are related to nerves, so going home will help him. Those who burnt down the schoolhouse have been driven out by Chinese officials. Harriet says she and Lillie are going to be bridesmaids in Miss Shaw's wedding.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #2
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1875-02-27
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_140
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
Feby 27th 1875
My dear Mother
I did not get my
letter writing last night on to the
point of reaching the home
letters but I have a little time
this morning before the mail
goes when I will [?improve?]
in writing home. It always
seems that it is too bad to
leave the home letters till the
last as I have got in the
habit of doing but since Mattie
came I feel as though she
gives you all the news and
now the time for our visit Home
seems coming so near we can
tell you then what we do not
write now. I presume Henry wrote
that he is sending by this mail
an application to the Boarkd
for permission for us to revisit [u]USA[/u]
and we have no fears that
[u]they[/u] will not grant it. Mattie
doubtless has written to you how
our force of single ladies is growing
less. Lillie Happer going home
in April and Miss Shaw coming
back from Japan next month
to marry Dr Happer. This
was rather a startling announcement
to us when we heard it two
days since although we had
speculated a good deal on the
probability of such an occurence.
The matter will occasion some
surprise in our little community
but if she is happy in this new
arrangement it will be all right.
It will save Dr H the trouble
of going home on another search
and he found it such a difficult
business before I presume he
does not care to try it again .
So you see when we go home
Mattie and Lucy will be left with
the work on their hands
If they had not come out and
circumstances were as they are
now you see I would be left
alone. and in that case I
could not have had a [u]particle[/u]
of hope of going home next year.
for I could not once have thought
of having the work with no one
to look after it. So perhaps this
thought will reconcile you
to having Mattie here. I know
you are reconciled already but perhaps
this will make you feel more so.
Henry we feel ought to go home
although he seems well. The
Doctor says his trouble with his
throat is a nervous affection .
so I presume he will not get
Entirely over it until he does
go home . It is better now
however, for a few days, it seemed
worse for a time but I presume
it was on account of a cold
he had taken .
The men are working busily
at the school-house [u]taking
it down[/u]. It seems so sad
to me to see it taken down
brick by brick and think with
what pleasure we watched
it going up three years ago.
But no doubt all is for the
best in some way. The
bad neighbors that we think
are responsible for its burning
have been driven away by the
Chinese officials and our Consul
has promised if they come
back again to take the matter
in hand so we hope that we
shall henceforth be free
from them. To return to
the proposed wedding, did
Mattie tell you that Lillie
and I are to be the brides maids
on the occasion. They are to
be married in the new church
in the presence of a Chinese
and English audience .
I expect we will invite all
our mission to come here afterwards
and have dinner of something
according to what the
hour suits. WEll this is our
first desertion . The Canton
single ladies have been notorious
for their faithful adherence to
their [u]single[/u] mission but now the
ranks are broken -
WE are hoping for a mail from
America in a day or two. Our
last brought a nice lot of letters.
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page four]
They are gathering up the letters to send to the mail so I must
close. Last mail all together we sent [u]forty two[/u] letters. Love to all
Ever your loving daughter
Hattie
Feby 27th 1875
My dear Mother
I did not get my
letter writing last night on to the
point of reaching the home
letters but I have a little time
this morning before the mail
goes when I will [?improve?]
in writing home. It always
seems that it is too bad to
leave the home letters till the
last as I have got in the
habit of doing but since Mattie
came I feel as though she
gives you all the news and
now the time for our visit Home
seems coming so near we can
tell you then what we do not
write now. I presume Henry wrote
that he is sending by this mail
an application to the Boarkd
for permission for us to revisit [u]USA[/u]
and we have no fears that
[u]they[/u] will not grant it. Mattie
doubtless has written to you how
our force of single ladies is growing
less. Lillie Happer going home
in April and Miss Shaw coming
back from Japan next month
to marry Dr Happer. This
was rather a startling announcement
to us when we heard it two
days since although we had
speculated a good deal on the
probability of such an occurence.
The matter will occasion some
surprise in our little community
but if she is happy in this new
arrangement it will be all right.
It will save Dr H the trouble
of going home on another search
and he found it such a difficult
business before I presume he
does not care to try it again .
So you see when we go home
Mattie and Lucy will be left with
the work on their hands
If they had not come out and
circumstances were as they are
now you see I would be left
alone. and in that case I
could not have had a [u]particle[/u]
of hope of going home next year.
for I could not once have thought
of having the work with no one
to look after it. So perhaps this
thought will reconcile you
to having Mattie here. I know
you are reconciled already but perhaps
this will make you feel more so.
Henry we feel ought to go home
although he seems well. The
Doctor says his trouble with his
throat is a nervous affection .
so I presume he will not get
Entirely over it until he does
go home . It is better now
however, for a few days, it seemed
worse for a time but I presume
it was on account of a cold
he had taken .
The men are working busily
at the school-house [u]taking
it down[/u]. It seems so sad
to me to see it taken down
brick by brick and think with
what pleasure we watched
it going up three years ago.
But no doubt all is for the
best in some way. The
bad neighbors that we think
are responsible for its burning
have been driven away by the
Chinese officials and our Consul
has promised if they come
back again to take the matter
in hand so we hope that we
shall henceforth be free
from them. To return to
the proposed wedding, did
Mattie tell you that Lillie
and I are to be the brides maids
on the occasion. They are to
be married in the new church
in the presence of a Chinese
and English audience .
I expect we will invite all
our mission to come here afterwards
and have dinner of something
according to what the
hour suits. WEll this is our
first desertion . The Canton
single ladies have been notorious
for their faithful adherence to
their [u]single[/u] mission but now the
ranks are broken -
WE are hoping for a mail from
America in a day or two. Our
last brought a nice lot of letters.
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page four]
They are gathering up the letters to send to the mail so I must
close. Last mail all together we sent [u]forty two[/u] letters. Love to all
Ever your loving daughter
Hattie
中国广东
1875年2月27日
我亲爱的母亲
我昨晚回家没有写信
但是我今天早上
在邮之前有一点时间
我会很快的写。
把家信留到最后写
总是看起来很坏
因为我一直习惯性的这样
但是自从Mattie来了
我感觉她给你们带来了很多新闻
而且现在回家的日子很近了
我们可以告诉您
现在我们不写什么。
我猜Henry写
他向传教会组织申请了回美国的许可证
而且我们知道
他们肯定批准。
Mattie一定给您写了
我们的单身女性很多结了婚。
Lillie Happer四月份回家
Shaw小姐下个月从日本回来和Happer医生结婚。
这对我们来说是个令人惊讶的消息
两天前当我们听说这个事情时
我们觉得不会发生。
这在我们的小区里
会引起一些惊喜
但是她高兴就可以。
它会在Happer医生回家的时候
省去了结婚麻烦。
而且他发现
在我猜他不会在意之前
会有很多麻烦。
因此您看得出来
当我们回家的时候Mattie和Lucy留下来工作。
如果她们不留下
那么留在这的人就是我一个人。
这种情况下
我不能有特别的明年回家的希望。
我想不到
我自己工作。
也许这个想法会让太惦记Mattie。
我知道
您已经和解了
但是也许这会让您感觉更明显。
我们觉得Henry该回家
即使他看起来好一些。
医生说他有喉疾是心神的问题。
所以我猜
他直到到家都不能完全好。
但是现在好一些了，
几天前，有一段时间看起来很不好
但是我猜他是得了感冒。
工人们忙于拆学校的工作
看起来很悲伤
他们把学校的楼
一块砖一块砖地拆下来
这让我想起三年前学校被建起了的时候满足感。
但是毫无疑问
一切都是最好的安排。
坏邻居们
应该离开这座城市
这些事
中国的官方和我们的领事管
向我们保证了
如果他们再来制造麻烦
我们从今以后可以随意处置他们。
回到那个快要到来的婚礼
Mattie告诉您
我和Lillie是伴娘吗？
他们要在中国的新的教堂结婚
将会面对中国的和英国的观众。
我期待我们会邀请所有的理事会成员来
之后我们会吃晚饭，还有适合的服装。
好了，这是我们的第一次被抛弃。
广东的单身女性的名声
被她们对她们组织的固执弄的很坏
但是现在的排名已经不复存在了
我们希望过一两天可以从美国收到邮件。
我们上一次带来了很多很好的信。
【信件结尾边缘书写】
他们准备一起去寄了，所以我必须停下来。
上一次我们寄去了24封信。
爱您的女儿Hattie
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Mother, February 27, 1875,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 29, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/196.