Letter from Hattie to Mattie, April 13, 1869
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Mattie, April 13, 1869
Subject
Homesickness; Women missionaries; Missionaries
Description
In this letter to her sister Martha, Harriet describes longing for home and family life. She feels called to missionary work and says it does make her happy, but she misses the "dear ones" at home. She says she does not regret going to China. At some point, she says she is going to include a description of other missionaries.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #2
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1869-04-13
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_176
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
My Darling Sister Mattie, Apr 13th 69
I will try and
write a few lines to you although as it
is nearly dark I cannot write long
I feel so disappointed in not getting
letters that I am afraid I can
not write in a very cheerful strain.
If we only [u]knew[/u] they were bringing
us good tidings of all the [u]dear
ones[/u] it would be so easy to wait
patiently for the tardy steamer
but I have felt [u]so anxious[/u] for [u]so long[/u].
I told Henry last night that it
seemed as though the day that
I landed in Hongkong was almost
as far back as I can remember + he
says it seems to him like a lifetime
since he left New York. I remember
you wanted me to promise you the
morning I left our dear [u]dear[/u] home
that I would write to you just
exactly how I felt and that if
I wanted to get home sometimes that
I would write so. I am very happy
here + feel sure that I shall love to
do missionary work but oh Mattie
I often [u]long[/u] to see you all with
an [u]intensity[/u] I never dreamed
was [u]possible[/u]. Imagination can [u]never[/u]
tell us what it is to feel that the wide
wide ocean is rolling between us +
those who are [u]dearer far than life[/u]
WE have [u]everything[/u] here that is needed
to make us comfortable but it often
[u]often[/u] seems to me as if I would be
glad to give up [u]every[/u] earthly comfort
for [u]life[/u] if I could only have the
[u]assurance[/u] that I would [u]sometime[/u]
meet [u]all[/u] the dear ones again on
this side of the dark river. But it
is well that we cannot see what
the future has in store for us and
we know that over all is the watchful
eye of a loving Father "[u]who careth for
us[/u]" and doth not willingly afflict
nor grieve the children of men I am
afraid I think more about you all
and seeing you again than I ought
and I often tremble lest God should
lead me through affliction to set my
thoughts more on things heavenly.
There is nothing seems as much
like home here as to see the moon
rise in the east when all the new
& strange fea[--u--]tures of chinese life
are hidden beneath the kindly
veil of darkness and we can look up
to the clear sky above just as beautiful
as it is over our own loved home +
the full moon looking down on us
just as [?mildly?] as a few hours before
she has looked down upon our
loved ones so far away --
A few evenings since as Henry + I
came to the window just before we
went to our rooms the moon was
just coming up and it looked just
exactly as it used coming up over
Mr Shaws words and I could
almost fancy I could see the
familiar outlines of the trees in the
darkness beneath, ah yes
"The full moons earliest glance
Will [u]ever[/u] bring to mind
All I have [u]loved[/u] and left behind."
And now you must not read this
over and say "I am afraid that
she is home-sick." I [u]am happy[/u] here
and feel [u]assured[/u] that I am in the
path of duty and I have never
[u]never for an instant[/u] regretted that
I came. But the ties of natural
affection are so strong and distance
rivets more [u]closely[/u] the links that
bind us to our dear [u]dear home[/u]
Ever our dear Dr Lowrie and I
never expect to be [u]anything like[/u] as
good as he is as Mrs Allen would say
told Mr Butler that when he came
out to India after he got out to sea
he felt so badly that he thought if he
had had a plank long enough to
reach the shore he should have
used it. I often wish that I could
make you realize [u]fully[/u] how very
comfortable + pleasantly we are
situated here. The trials of missionar[--y--]ies
are not in any respect in being deprived
of the comfort of life and although these
things seems as the "dust in the balance"
composed with the separation from
friends and all that is so dear to us
at home yet if were obliged to suffer
from the want of necessary comforts it
would doubtless be much harder.
I was interrupted in my writing
last night by Mr Whitehead + Rogers
who came to bring home "Alfie" who
had been spending the afternoon
with them. Sometime I am going
to give you a description of all the
missionaries here. Of Mr Whitehead you
have heard before. He used to be [u]so kind[/u]
to our [u]darling Cynthia[/u] while at Macao
last summer, and he has taken almost
the entire care of Henry through three
spells of sickness. Henry had only one
spell + that not as bad as the former one
since I came but I used to watch
for "Bro Whitehead" to come just as
we used look for Dr Allen during those
sad [u]sad[/u] days at home last fall.
Mr Whitehead has not been out quite a
year yet is of the Wesleyan Mission. He
is from England and for his sake alone
I could feel kindly towards the whole
of the "mother country" We spent the
eve last night with a very pleasant
company at Mr Anderson's of the London
Mission. I will tell you more of our
visit on another sheet. It is now nearly ten
and we are thinking again about the steamer
which comes about [?two?] For the present good-bye
Your loving Hattie
中国广州
我亲爱的姐姐玛蒂
1869 年 4 月 13 日
我会试着写几行给你
虽然天快黑了
我写不长
我对没有收到信感到很失望，
我怕我不能很高兴地写拉紧。
如果我们只知道他们给我们带来了所有亲爱的人的好消息，
那么耐心地等待迟到的汽船会很容易，
但我已经焦虑了这么久了。
昨晚我告诉亨利，
我在香港登陆的那一天似乎几乎是我记忆中最遥远的事情了，
他说这对他来说就像他离开纽约后的一生。
我记得你希望我在我离开我们亲爱的家的那天早上向你保证，
我会写信给你，
就像我的感受一样，
如果我有时想回家，
我会写信给你。
我在这里很开心，
并且确信我会喜欢做传教工作，
但哦，
玛蒂，
我经常渴望见到你们所有人，
我从未梦想过这是可能的。
想象力永远无法告诉我们，
在我们与比生命更珍贵的人之间，
浩瀚的海洋在翻滚是什么感觉 我们拥有让我们感到舒适所需的一切，
但在我看来，
我常常觉得我会如果我能保证有一天我会在黑暗河流的这一边再次见到所有亲爱的人，
我很高兴为生活放弃一切世俗的舒适。
但很好的是，
我们看不到未来为我们准备的东西，
我们知道，
最重要的是一位“关心我们”的慈爱父亲的注视着，
不会心甘情愿地折磨或悲伤人类的孩子，
我担心我比我应该更多地想着你们所有人，
再次见到你们，
我经常颤抖，
生怕上帝带领我度过苦难，
把我的思想更多地放在天上的事情上。
在这里，
没有什么比看到月亮从东方升起更像家了，
当中国人生活的所有新奇事物都隐藏在慈祥的黑暗面纱之下时，
我们可以仰望头顶的晴朗天空，
就像美丽的这是在我们自己所爱的家上空，
满月温柔地俯视着我们，
就像几个小时前她还俯视着我们如此遥远的亲人一样——自从亨利和我刚刚来到窗前的几个晚上我们去了我们的房间，
月亮刚刚升起，
它看起来就像它在肖斯先生的话中升起时一样，
我几乎可以想象我可以在下面的黑暗中看到熟悉的树木轮廓，
啊是的“满月最早的一瞥将永远想起我所爱和留下的一切。
”现在你千万不能把这句话读完然后说“我怕她想家了”。
我在这里很开心，
我确信我在履行职责的道路上，
我从来没有一刻后悔我的到来。
但亲情的纽带是如此牢固，
距离更紧密地把我们与我们亲爱的家联系在一起，
我们亲爱的洛瑞医生和我从来没想过会像艾伦夫人告诉巴特勒先生所说的那样好当他出海后回到印度时，
他感觉非常糟糕，
以至于他想如果他有一块足够长的木板可以到达岸边，
他应该使用它。
我经常希望我能让你充分意识到我们在这里是多么的舒适和愉快。
传教士的考验在任何方面都没有剥夺生活的舒适，
尽管这些事情似乎是“天平上的尘埃”，
与朋友的分离以及我们在家里如此珍贵的一切，
但如果有义务的话为缺乏必要的舒适而受苦，
这无疑要困难得多。
昨晚我的写作被怀特黑德和罗杰斯先生打断了，
他把下午和他们一起度过的“阿尔菲”带回家。
有时我会向你们描述这里所有的传教士。
你以前听说过怀特黑德先生。
去年夏天在澳门的时候，
他对我们心爱的辛西娅非常好，
他几乎把所有的照顾都照顾到了亨利的三个病痛中。
自从我来之后，
亨利只有一个咒语和没有前一个咒语那么糟糕，
但我过去常常期待“白头兄弟”的到来，
就像我们去年秋天在家中那些悲伤的日子里寻找艾伦医生一样。
怀特黑德先生还没有离开卫斯理教会一年多。
他来自英国，
单单为了他，
我就可以对整个“母国”感到亲切。
昨晚我们在伦敦传道部安德森先生的一家非常愉快的公司度过了前夜。
我会在另一张纸上告诉你更多我们的访问。
现在快十点了，
我们又在想那艘快两点的汽船了。
再见了，
海蒂
My Darling Sister Mattie, Apr 13th 69
I will try and
write a few lines to you although as it
is nearly dark I cannot write long
I feel so disappointed in not getting
letters that I am afraid I can
not write in a very cheerful strain.
If we only [u]knew[/u] they were bringing
us good tidings of all the [u]dear
ones[/u] it would be so easy to wait
patiently for the tardy steamer
but I have felt [u]so anxious[/u] for [u]so long[/u].
I told Henry last night that it
seemed as though the day that
I landed in Hongkong was almost
as far back as I can remember + he
says it seems to him like a lifetime
since he left New York. I remember
you wanted me to promise you the
morning I left our dear [u]dear[/u] home
that I would write to you just
exactly how I felt and that if
I wanted to get home sometimes that
I would write so. I am very happy
here + feel sure that I shall love to
do missionary work but oh Mattie
I often [u]long[/u] to see you all with
an [u]intensity[/u] I never dreamed
was [u]possible[/u]. Imagination can [u]never[/u]
tell us what it is to feel that the wide
wide ocean is rolling between us +
those who are [u]dearer far than life[/u]
WE have [u]everything[/u] here that is needed
to make us comfortable but it often
[u]often[/u] seems to me as if I would be
glad to give up [u]every[/u] earthly comfort
for [u]life[/u] if I could only have the
[u]assurance[/u] that I would [u]sometime[/u]
meet [u]all[/u] the dear ones again on
this side of the dark river. But it
is well that we cannot see what
the future has in store for us and
we know that over all is the watchful
eye of a loving Father "[u]who careth for
us[/u]" and doth not willingly afflict
nor grieve the children of men I am
afraid I think more about you all
and seeing you again than I ought
and I often tremble lest God should
lead me through affliction to set my
thoughts more on things heavenly.
There is nothing seems as much
like home here as to see the moon
rise in the east when all the new
& strange fea[--u--]tures of chinese life
are hidden beneath the kindly
veil of darkness and we can look up
to the clear sky above just as beautiful
as it is over our own loved home +
the full moon looking down on us
just as [?mildly?] as a few hours before
she has looked down upon our
loved ones so far away --
A few evenings since as Henry + I
came to the window just before we
went to our rooms the moon was
just coming up and it looked just
exactly as it used coming up over
Mr Shaws words and I could
almost fancy I could see the
familiar outlines of the trees in the
darkness beneath, ah yes
"The full moons earliest glance
Will [u]ever[/u] bring to mind
All I have [u]loved[/u] and left behind."
And now you must not read this
over and say "I am afraid that
she is home-sick." I [u]am happy[/u] here
and feel [u]assured[/u] that I am in the
path of duty and I have never
[u]never for an instant[/u] regretted that
I came. But the ties of natural
affection are so strong and distance
rivets more [u]closely[/u] the links that
bind us to our dear [u]dear home[/u]
Ever our dear Dr Lowrie and I
never expect to be [u]anything like[/u] as
good as he is as Mrs Allen would say
told Mr Butler that when he came
out to India after he got out to sea
he felt so badly that he thought if he
had had a plank long enough to
reach the shore he should have
used it. I often wish that I could
make you realize [u]fully[/u] how very
comfortable + pleasantly we are
situated here. The trials of missionar[--y--]ies
are not in any respect in being deprived
of the comfort of life and although these
things seems as the "dust in the balance"
composed with the separation from
friends and all that is so dear to us
at home yet if were obliged to suffer
from the want of necessary comforts it
would doubtless be much harder.
I was interrupted in my writing
last night by Mr Whitehead + Rogers
who came to bring home "Alfie" who
had been spending the afternoon
with them. Sometime I am going
to give you a description of all the
missionaries here. Of Mr Whitehead you
have heard before. He used to be [u]so kind[/u]
to our [u]darling Cynthia[/u] while at Macao
last summer, and he has taken almost
the entire care of Henry through three
spells of sickness. Henry had only one
spell + that not as bad as the former one
since I came but I used to watch
for "Bro Whitehead" to come just as
we used look for Dr Allen during those
sad [u]sad[/u] days at home last fall.
Mr Whitehead has not been out quite a
year yet is of the Wesleyan Mission. He
is from England and for his sake alone
I could feel kindly towards the whole
of the "mother country" We spent the
eve last night with a very pleasant
company at Mr Anderson's of the London
Mission. I will tell you more of our
visit on another sheet. It is now nearly ten
and we are thinking again about the steamer
which comes about [?two?] For the present good-bye
Your loving Hattie
中国广州
我亲爱的姐姐玛蒂
1869 年 4 月 13 日
我会试着写几行给你
虽然天快黑了
我写不长
我对没有收到信感到很失望，
我怕我不能很高兴地写拉紧。
如果我们只知道他们给我们带来了所有亲爱的人的好消息，
那么耐心地等待迟到的汽船会很容易，
但我已经焦虑了这么久了。
昨晚我告诉亨利，
我在香港登陆的那一天似乎几乎是我记忆中最遥远的事情了，
他说这对他来说就像他离开纽约后的一生。
我记得你希望我在我离开我们亲爱的家的那天早上向你保证，
我会写信给你，
就像我的感受一样，
如果我有时想回家，
我会写信给你。
我在这里很开心，
并且确信我会喜欢做传教工作，
但哦，
玛蒂，
我经常渴望见到你们所有人，
我从未梦想过这是可能的。
想象力永远无法告诉我们，
在我们与比生命更珍贵的人之间，
浩瀚的海洋在翻滚是什么感觉 我们拥有让我们感到舒适所需的一切，
但在我看来，
我常常觉得我会如果我能保证有一天我会在黑暗河流的这一边再次见到所有亲爱的人，
我很高兴为生活放弃一切世俗的舒适。
但很好的是，
我们看不到未来为我们准备的东西，
我们知道，
最重要的是一位“关心我们”的慈爱父亲的注视着，
不会心甘情愿地折磨或悲伤人类的孩子，
我担心我比我应该更多地想着你们所有人，
再次见到你们，
我经常颤抖，
生怕上帝带领我度过苦难，
把我的思想更多地放在天上的事情上。
在这里，
没有什么比看到月亮从东方升起更像家了，
当中国人生活的所有新奇事物都隐藏在慈祥的黑暗面纱之下时，
我们可以仰望头顶的晴朗天空，
就像美丽的这是在我们自己所爱的家上空，
满月温柔地俯视着我们，
就像几个小时前她还俯视着我们如此遥远的亲人一样——自从亨利和我刚刚来到窗前的几个晚上我们去了我们的房间，
月亮刚刚升起，
它看起来就像它在肖斯先生的话中升起时一样，
我几乎可以想象我可以在下面的黑暗中看到熟悉的树木轮廓，
啊是的“满月最早的一瞥将永远想起我所爱和留下的一切。
”现在你千万不能把这句话读完然后说“我怕她想家了”。
我在这里很开心，
我确信我在履行职责的道路上，
我从来没有一刻后悔我的到来。
但亲情的纽带是如此牢固，
距离更紧密地把我们与我们亲爱的家联系在一起，
我们亲爱的洛瑞医生和我从来没想过会像艾伦夫人告诉巴特勒先生所说的那样好当他出海后回到印度时，
他感觉非常糟糕，
以至于他想如果他有一块足够长的木板可以到达岸边，
他应该使用它。
我经常希望我能让你充分意识到我们在这里是多么的舒适和愉快。
传教士的考验在任何方面都没有剥夺生活的舒适，
尽管这些事情似乎是“天平上的尘埃”，
与朋友的分离以及我们在家里如此珍贵的一切，
但如果有义务的话为缺乏必要的舒适而受苦，
这无疑要困难得多。
昨晚我的写作被怀特黑德和罗杰斯先生打断了，
他把下午和他们一起度过的“阿尔菲”带回家。
有时我会向你们描述这里所有的传教士。
你以前听说过怀特黑德先生。
去年夏天在澳门的时候，
他对我们心爱的辛西娅非常好，
他几乎把所有的照顾都照顾到了亨利的三个病痛中。
自从我来之后，
亨利只有一个咒语和没有前一个咒语那么糟糕，
但我过去常常期待“白头兄弟”的到来，
就像我们去年秋天在家中那些悲伤的日子里寻找艾伦医生一样。
怀特黑德先生还没有离开卫斯理教会一年多。
他来自英国，
单单为了他，
我就可以对整个“母国”感到亲切。
昨晚我们在伦敦传道部安德森先生的一家非常愉快的公司度过了前夜。
我会在另一张纸上告诉你更多我们的访问。
现在快十点了，
我们又在想那艘快两点的汽船了。
再见了，
海蒂
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Mattie, April 13, 1869,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed May 4, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/232.