Letter from Hattie to Frank, May 31, 1875
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Frank, May 31, 1875
Subject
Mail steamers; School buildings; Women's rights; Missionaries
Description
Harriet explains to Francis that the mail is quite irregular, but this irregularity might come to an end with the establishment of a new line of steamers. Harriet and Henry applied to go home for a visit, but they have not received an answer from the Board yet. The new school building, which is almost done, is bigger than the old one so they can accommodate more students. They tried to rent the house next to the school to turn it into a women's school, but they could not. Next Wednesday, a conference will take place in which the members will discuss admitting women as members with voting and speaking rights instead of mere listeners.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #2
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1875-05-31
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_144
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
May 31st 1875
My own dear Frank
WE have not much
time for writing letters this morning
as we slept longer than we
intended but perhaps you
would rather have a short
and hasty letter than so
have us wait until later in
the day and then we would
have to wait for the next
mail and they are so irregular
now that we cannot tell when
that will be leaving. The China
which leaves to-morrow surprised
us by coming in a few days
since as we expected to be
obliged to wait a month.
I think we wrote you that
we were only to have a monthly
mail here-after but they seem to
be sending irregular steamers and
there is a new line [?commencing?]
to run so we hope if you can
continue to write Every two weeks
that we shall be fortunate enough
to get them perhaps as promptly
as we have in the past.
I keep thinking now when I
sit down to write letters how soon
the time will come where we
may throw away pen and paper
and talk once more face to
face. The months fly so quickly
and now there are only seven
left of 1875. We have not
yet received an answer from
the Board to our application
but I have no doubt that they
will give their consent although
perhaps they will hope that
we can stay a little longer.
But I am glad that Henry
and I can feel so fully
satisfied as we now do that it
is right and best for us to
go home for a visit. I can
hardly realize that the time
is coming so near. I have been
sewing some lately the very
clothes that I expect to wear
at [u]home[/u] . Our new school
house is almost finished. It is
very nice. I know Lucy and
Mattie will like it much better
than the first one, and it
is so much higher and more
airy that we can accomodate
more scholars in it . We hope
to have 25 girls and 15 women
so that our number will
be a little increased. Then
we have a project for a little
preparatory department at one
of the day schools and if we
can [?receive?] ten there it
will make our number
fifty. We did hope and
made an effort to rent
the house next us for a
women's school but were
disappointed in this ,and
I presume it is just as well
for I am afraid it might
have made too much work
for Mattie and Lucy while
we are away. They are
both keeping very well have
each taken charge this
year of one of the day schools.
Next Wednesday is our time for
meeting of Conference. A motion
is to be discussed for admitting
the ladies to Conference as members
with the right and privilege of
voting speaking +c +c instead of
only listeners as heretofore. I presume
the motion will pass as the gentleman
would not like to seem impolite
in voting against it . But it will
not probably make any difference as
I feel sure none of the ladies will
care to use the privileges thus given
them. We are planning for
a little trip up the country
next week will be gone three
weeks if we go as far as we
hope. It is not a very
good time for a trip but
we could not all go after
the school commences.
We have had a very nice
cool spring this morning the last
of May there is a nice cool
breeze blowing. but the sun is
shining brightly and will make
it hot later in the day. Now I
must close with Every good wish for
you and much love for all the
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
members of the dear home circle. Ever your loving sister
Hattie
May 31st 1875
My own dear Frank
WE have not much
time for writing letters this morning
as we slept longer than we
intended but perhaps you
would rather have a short
and hasty letter than so
have us wait until later in
the day and then we would
have to wait for the next
mail and they are so irregular
now that we cannot tell when
that will be leaving. The China
which leaves to-morrow surprised
us by coming in a few days
since as we expected to be
obliged to wait a month.
I think we wrote you that
we were only to have a monthly
mail here-after but they seem to
be sending irregular steamers and
there is a new line [?commencing?]
to run so we hope if you can
continue to write Every two weeks
that we shall be fortunate enough
to get them perhaps as promptly
as we have in the past.
I keep thinking now when I
sit down to write letters how soon
the time will come where we
may throw away pen and paper
and talk once more face to
face. The months fly so quickly
and now there are only seven
left of 1875. We have not
yet received an answer from
the Board to our application
but I have no doubt that they
will give their consent although
perhaps they will hope that
we can stay a little longer.
But I am glad that Henry
and I can feel so fully
satisfied as we now do that it
is right and best for us to
go home for a visit. I can
hardly realize that the time
is coming so near. I have been
sewing some lately the very
clothes that I expect to wear
at [u]home[/u] . Our new school
house is almost finished. It is
very nice. I know Lucy and
Mattie will like it much better
than the first one, and it
is so much higher and more
airy that we can accomodate
more scholars in it . We hope
to have 25 girls and 15 women
so that our number will
be a little increased. Then
we have a project for a little
preparatory department at one
of the day schools and if we
can [?receive?] ten there it
will make our number
fifty. We did hope and
made an effort to rent
the house next us for a
women's school but were
disappointed in this ,and
I presume it is just as well
for I am afraid it might
have made too much work
for Mattie and Lucy while
we are away. They are
both keeping very well have
each taken charge this
year of one of the day schools.
Next Wednesday is our time for
meeting of Conference. A motion
is to be discussed for admitting
the ladies to Conference as members
with the right and privilege of
voting speaking +c +c instead of
only listeners as heretofore. I presume
the motion will pass as the gentleman
would not like to seem impolite
in voting against it . But it will
not probably make any difference as
I feel sure none of the ladies will
care to use the privileges thus given
them. We are planning for
a little trip up the country
next week will be gone three
weeks if we go as far as we
hope. It is not a very
good time for a trip but
we could not all go after
the school commences.
We have had a very nice
cool spring this morning the last
of May there is a nice cool
breeze blowing. but the sun is
shining brightly and will make
it hot later in the day. Now I
must close with Every good wish for
you and much love for all the
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
members of the dear home circle. Ever your loving sister
Hattie
中国广东
1875年5月31日
我亲爱的Frank
今天早上
我们没有什么时间写信
因为我们睡的比我们认为的要久
但是也许你
更想睡的少一点
并且写一点
而不是等到晚上
然后我们不得不等到下一次邮寄
它们也没有规律
现在我们不知道
什么时候离开。
China号船明天离开
让我们很惊讶
因为我们以为我们要等一个月。
我认为我们给你写的信
只能一个月一邮了
但是看起来
没有规律的船
有一条新的路线
所以我们希望你可以继续写
每两周写一次
我们就会很幸运地收到
就像从前一样。
我在想
当我坐下来给你写信的时候
什么时候
我们可以放下纸笔
面对面的说话。
日子过得太快了
现在1875年只剩下七个月了。
我们还没有收到教会的回复
但是我确定
即使他们希望我们待的久一点
他们也会批准的。
但是我很高兴
Henry和我很满意
因为我们做的好。
我几乎意识不到时间已经这么近了。
我在织一些我要穿的衣服。
我们的新学校已经快要完成了，
非常漂亮。
我知道Lucy和Mattie会做的
比第一次好，
而且学校比以前更大
我们可以容纳更多学生。
我们希望我们能有
25个女孩和15个女人
以至于人数会增加一点。
然后我们有个小任务
留给新的在走读学校的备用公寓
如果我们能收十个在这，
就会把我们的学生人数增加到50个。
我们希望并努力着
在我们旁边租一栋房子做女校
但是我们很失望，
而且我认为那恐怕会给Lucy和Mattie增加很多任务。
她们把我们的走读学校经营得很好。
下周三是我们的会议时间。
一个提议是：我们要谈论女人是否该有投票权
我们优先投票演讲
而不是光听。
我认为这个提议会通过
因为男人不喜欢无理地投票来对抗。
但是那不会有太大改变
因为我很确定女人们不会愿意用她们的投票权。
我们正在准备下周去乡村旅行
我们会去三周
我们可以想去多远去多远。
现在不是旅行的好时候
但是学校开学了
我们就没有时间旅游了。
今天早上很凉爽
5月的最后一天还有清风吹过。
但是太阳很晒弄的晚上很热。
现在我必须停下来
给你和你家人留下最好的祝福
【信件结尾边缘书写】
爱你的姐姐Hattie
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Frank, May 31, 1875,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed May 1, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/200.