Letter from Hattie to Clara, April 20, 1878
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Clara, April 20, 1878
Subject
Tornado; Flood damage; Natural disasters; School buildings; Pets
Description
Harriet tells Clara that she has gotten hold of papers talking about the tornado. All of the missionary houses and chapels were preserved however one of the day school's fell. There were 17 students in it at the time and the two teachers had them all gather together and put their arms over them. Bricks and tiles fell but no one had serious injuries. She feels for the bodies of those who are still buried under the rubble. It was professed that this would be a bad year. On top of the tornado, there is flooding in the lower parts of the city (the dikes broke). She goes on to talk about "our dog" and how she is glad Clara thinks of him as a present. Harriet wants to name him "Watch."
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #2
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1878-04-20
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_183
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
April 20 '78
My dear Clara
It is getting late but
I will sit up long enough
to write a few lines to you
We have succeeded in
getting some copies of
papers containing an account
of the tornado - Perhaps
when you have read it
Sarah would like to see
it. It seems providential
that all the missionary
houses were preserved chapels
and school buildings --
One of our school buildings
a day school of Lucy's
fell . There were seventeen
scholars in it at the
time but none were
injured . The teacher had
them all gathered in the
middle of the floor and
she and another woman
had their arms around
them when the building
fell. They were covered
by the bricks and tiles
a large timber fell right
across the neck of one of
the girls holding her so that
she could not move but not
injuring her . The whirlwind
passed in a moment and
some of the teachers relatives
came at once to look after
her and rescued them from
the ruins otherwise they must
soon have smothered .
It is supposed that many
bodies still lie under
the ruins and the air
in some parts of the city
is very bad ---
It was prophesied several
hundred years ago by a
[u]wise[/u] Chinaman that this
would be a year of great
misfortune and it certainly
seems to be coming true.
The dikes above the city have
broken away and so the
lower parts of the city are
flooded at high time + I
suppose it will affect the
rice crop . We feel so
sorry for the poor Chinese -
One of the Bible Women said
yesterday it took ten
plagues to make the
Egyptians repent and the
people here had had three
tempest, fire, and flood.
At the North they have had
famine and pestilence
The accounts in the paper
are considered accurate . At
first we hoped the estimated loss
of life too high but it probably
is not over estimated . It was
all over in a moment or two
I heard the noise and thought
it was the steamer passing was
sitting in a boat at the time waiting
because the boat women were
afraid to push off into the
river --- It seemed worse than
a typhoon so sudden + destructive
But to change the subject
I must say something about "our
dog-" I am so glad you will
think of him as my present to you
I wish I could see him but tell him
from me that if he will be a [u]good dog[/u]
I will be satisfied with hearing about
him - About the name I do not want
to give him a name that any of you
will not like so if I suggest one I
must premise that if any of you do
not like it we will consult further.
Captain seems very nice name in
many respects . But a name that
I have thought of and that Matt
thinks will do very nicely is "Watch"
It may seem to you a very [u]funny[/u]
reason indeed + perhaps you will fail
to see any connection but one reason
that I would like to give him that
name {[u] in case you all like it [/u]} is because
I think [?more?] of [u]my watch[/u] than any
thing else I ever had ^[of the sort] And so I
would like the dog named for it so
that they may suggest thoughts of Each other.
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on the first page]
I always look at my watch the last think at night + the first
thing in the morning + it always brings me thoughts of home
more than almost
anything else +
perhaps there
may be some
indefinable connection
which will produce
the same
effect with
you if you
name him Watch
Then there will
be no question
of rank between
the cat and
dog to disturb
the peace -
What do you
all think of
[u]"Watch"[/u] for a
name for him.
I hope Father
will like it - Your aff [u]Hattie[/u]
April 20 '78
My dear Clara
It is getting late but
I will sit up long enough
to write a few lines to you
We have succeeded in
getting some copies of
papers containing an account
of the tornado - Perhaps
when you have read it
Sarah would like to see
it. It seems providential
that all the missionary
houses were preserved chapels
and school buildings --
One of our school buildings
a day school of Lucy's
fell . There were seventeen
scholars in it at the
time but none were
injured . The teacher had
them all gathered in the
middle of the floor and
she and another woman
had their arms around
them when the building
fell. They were covered
by the bricks and tiles
a large timber fell right
across the neck of one of
the girls holding her so that
she could not move but not
injuring her . The whirlwind
passed in a moment and
some of the teachers relatives
came at once to look after
her and rescued them from
the ruins otherwise they must
soon have smothered .
It is supposed that many
bodies still lie under
the ruins and the air
in some parts of the city
is very bad ---
It was prophesied several
hundred years ago by a
[u]wise[/u] Chinaman that this
would be a year of great
misfortune and it certainly
seems to be coming true.
The dikes above the city have
broken away and so the
lower parts of the city are
flooded at high time + I
suppose it will affect the
rice crop . We feel so
sorry for the poor Chinese -
One of the Bible Women said
yesterday it took ten
plagues to make the
Egyptians repent and the
people here had had three
tempest, fire, and flood.
At the North they have had
famine and pestilence
The accounts in the paper
are considered accurate . At
first we hoped the estimated loss
of life too high but it probably
is not over estimated . It was
all over in a moment or two
I heard the noise and thought
it was the steamer passing was
sitting in a boat at the time waiting
because the boat women were
afraid to push off into the
river --- It seemed worse than
a typhoon so sudden + destructive
But to change the subject
I must say something about "our
dog-" I am so glad you will
think of him as my present to you
I wish I could see him but tell him
from me that if he will be a [u]good dog[/u]
I will be satisfied with hearing about
him - About the name I do not want
to give him a name that any of you
will not like so if I suggest one I
must premise that if any of you do
not like it we will consult further.
Captain seems very nice name in
many respects . But a name that
I have thought of and that Matt
thinks will do very nicely is "Watch"
It may seem to you a very [u]funny[/u]
reason indeed + perhaps you will fail
to see any connection but one reason
that I would like to give him that
name {[u] in case you all like it [/u]} is because
I think [?more?] of [u]my watch[/u] than any
thing else I ever had ^[of the sort] And so I
would like the dog named for it so
that they may suggest thoughts of Each other.
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on the first page]
I always look at my watch the last think at night + the first
thing in the morning + it always brings me thoughts of home
more than almost
anything else +
perhaps there
may be some
indefinable connection
which will produce
the same
effect with
you if you
name him Watch
Then there will
be no question
of rank between
the cat and
dog to disturb
the peace -
What do you
all think of
[u]"Watch"[/u] for a
name for him.
I hope Father
will like it - Your aff [u]Hattie[/u]
中国广州
1878年4月20日
我亲爱的Clara
很晚了但是我想给您写一点东西。
/
/
我们收到了一些包含龙卷风信息的报纸。
/
/
/
也许您看到的时候Sarah会有兴趣。
/
看起来是未雨绸缪
所有传教士的房子还有学校都被保护好了——
/
/
Lucy的一间走读学校塌了。
/
17名学生被埋在底下
/
但是没人受伤。
老师把他们在地板中间都聚集起来
/
/
她和另外两个女人
在楼塌下来的时候
用双臂保护了她们。
她们被砖头和瓷砖覆盖
/
还有一块很大的木材
砸中了其中一个女孩的脖子
紧紧地压住了她
使她无法动弹，
但是她没有受伤。
过了一会，旋流过去了
老师们的亲戚过来了
立刻过去照顾并从废墟中营救她们，
/
不然的话，
她们很快就会窒息。
在废墟下面，
一定还有很多尸体
而且城市的很多地方
连空气都变差了
/
几百年前，
一个中国的智者预言
/
今年会是很不幸的一年，
然后，毫无疑问
它成真了。
城墙也被摧毁
所以城市地势低的地方
开始了发洪水的高峰期，
/
我认为这会影响稻子的生长。
我们对可怜的中国人
深表遗憾。
昨天，其中一个圣经女人说
埃及经历了10场祸患
才建起了
/
人们经历了三次灾难：
风暴、火灾和洪水。
在北方，
他们经历了饥荒和瘟疫。
报纸上的统计还算准确。
/
开始，我们希望这个估算太高了，
但它很可能没有高估。
/
我之前听说过，
那种噪音，
认为是轮船驶过
坐在小船上等，
因为船上的女人害怕被推到河里。
/
看起来，
比突如其来的台风还坏。
但是换个事情说，
我必须说说关于我们家狗的事情。
我很高兴您现在可以这么想
/
我希望我能见到他，
但是让他告诉我他是否会是一条好狗。
我会很满意听到关于它的事情——
关于名字，
我不想给他起，你们不会喜欢的，
所以，如果我说了
我一定会假设一个你们可能喜欢的。
/
Captain看起来是个很好的名字。
但是一个我想过的名字
/
然后Matt认为“Watch”会很好。
对您来说可能很有趣，
也许您会看不到任何联系，
但是，
有一个原因我要给他起这个名字。
你们都会喜欢
因为我认为我的手表是最重要的。
/
所以我想这么给狗起名，
以至于可以互相提醒。
【边缘书写】
看手表是我晚上做的最后一件事，也是早上做的第一件事，
总能让我第一时间想到家，
比想到任何事的可能性都大，
/
也许
有一些不可定义地联系
/
会产生一样的影响
/
/
如果叫它手表。
/
然后就没有什么排名问题
/
在猫和狗之间
是平局的。
/
/
您怎么想的
/
“手表”呢。
/
希望父亲喜欢
您的女儿Hattie。
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Clara, April 20, 1878,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed May 6, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/239.