Letter from Hattie to Mary, February 15, 1869

noyes_c_cor_025.pdf

Dublin Core

Title

Letter from Hattie to Mary, February 15, 1869

Subject

Girls' schools; Scholars; Missionaries; Pets

Description

In this letter to her little sister, Mary, Harriet Noyes writes of opening a new girls' school. However, the focus of the letter is on the topic of pets, specifically Harriet's two birds, Joan and Darby.

Creator

Noyes, Harriet Newell

Source

The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #1

Publisher

Unpublished

Date

1869-02-15

Contributor

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

Format

PDF

Language

eng (English)

Type

Text

Identifier

noyes_c_cor_025

Text Item Type Metadata

Text

Canton China
FEb'y 15th /69-
My [u]own dear little Mary[/u]
I am afraid
it has been a long time since you
have had a letter from China but
you must not think it is because your
sister Hattie has forgotten you for
nothing could be farther from the
truth. I am sure you ought to have
your share of letters for you are a
good girl to keep up your end of the
"foreign correspondence". I have been
vacation in my school for about
two weeks will commence again next
week. To-day a Chinese lady called
who has had a school of 20 little
girls for several years. After talking
with her for a while I asked her if she
would be willing to let me come and
visit the school and teach the
scholars as in my own school and
was delighted to find that she
not only seemed willing but pleased
with the idea. So I made an
arrangement with her to pay $1.00
a month in addition and then
I have the care of the school. I feel
very happy over it for it seems as though

it is a good step. It is a self supporting
school the scholars each paying
$4.00 a year which they will
continue to do so for the trifling
sum of $12.00 a year I can
have the same oversight of the school
as of one that costs the Mission
$80.00. I am a little afraid that
the parents may object but she seemed
to feel sure they will not. I think
she would have been willing to have
done all that I wanted without
any remuneration but I wanted
to pay something as I shall now
feel that I have some claim
upon it. But I have not seen the
school yet and I know it is not
best to hope too much in advance.
I believe I have written about the
school which I hope to have
in Ngan-pin but as yet is uncertain.
I wonder if I have ever told
you anything about my little birds
I wish you could see them they
are such dear little things "Joan"
+ "Darby" Mr Davis named them.
Joan has been rather unfortunate
something has been the matter with
her wings I think from the appearance

she must have got it out of joint
Soon after I got them she began to
lay eggs and I thought we were going
to have a nice lot of little birds
but were doomed to disappointment.
I went + got a large case with a
place made for a nest in it for her
use but all in vain, although she
laid five nice little blue eggs she
managed to [u]break[/u] every one of them.
Every night I would make up the nest
as nicely as I could of soft wool +
bits of fine shavings but the first thing
in the morning she would go to work
and pull it ^[all] out on the floor of the
cage. She evidently thought that I
didn't know much about making
bird's nests but my private opinion
was that she didn't understand
it much better herself for she never
succeeded in getting a nest that was
worth looking at. I didn't care
about my little birds but Aho was
very much disappointed for I had
promised her that she should
have some of them. The experience
reminded me a little of the "Black
Topknots" at home. Tell me how many
chickens you have now or have you
given up keeping them since the [?Irish?]

took them off your hands. I am [u]so glad[/u]
that you girls all [u]drive[/u]. Tell me if you
drive [u]all[/u] horses Ned Jennie + Kate. And
I am both surprised + delighted to hear that
Gray-puss is so [u]well[/u] but do tell her from
me that I hope as she grows [u]older[/u] she
will learn to conduct with more propriety when
at prayer-meeting. How I would like
to see "Rover the Second". Tell him that his
friends in China are firm in the belief
that "little Rover is a [u]nice[/u] dog"
And please tell Clara for me that the
name I wanted the sewing machine to
have is "[u]Our Brownie[/u]", In fairy times the
"Brownie" was a good fairy that came in
when people were hurried or behind-hand
and helped them through with hard jobs.
Don't you think it is a good name + appropriate.
And now please [u]don't forget[/u] to tell me
when you write if it sews nicely or gives
you much trouble. You know Mother +
I feel more than a common interest in
its performance. And tell Clara too that
if she succeeds in persuading Edward
to take a star I hope she will not fail to
let me know what one it is. The skies of
China are just as [u]pure[/u] and lovely as in America
and sparkle with the same stars that
look down upon the loved at home.
And now good-bye, with ever so
much love for all inquiring friends
I am as ever Your [u]own loving[/u] Hattie

中国广州 1869年2月15日 我亲爱的小Mary 恐怕 距离你上一次从中国收到信已经很长时间了, / 但是你一定不要觉得是你的姐姐Hattie忘了你, / 因为没有什么事情能跟现实相比较。 我确定你应该分享过信 关于你是个好女孩 要坚持回复。 / 学校放假两个周, 下周开学。 今天,一个中国女人说 好几年了, 她的学校有20多个小女孩。 跟她聊了一会儿, 我问她能否让我去学校看看, 并且教一下学生, 就像在我的学校一样, 很高兴地发现她不仅愿意 而且对这个建议很欣慰。 因此, 我写了一份合同, 每个月多1美元, 然后我来管理学校。 我感觉很高兴,因为看起来这是很好的一步。 那是一所自给自足的学校, 学生每年交4美元, 他们每年都交 因此,一共是微不足道的12美元 / 我对学校有同样的看法 我有点担心学生的父母可能不同意, / 但是她看起来肯定他们不会。 我想她会愿意让我管理学校而不付钱给她, / 但是我想付点钱让我觉得可以控制学校。 / / 但是我还没有看到学校, 我知道提前抱太大希望不好。 / 我相信我写了很多关于学校的 我希望我在南平有一个, 但是还不确定。 我好奇我是否告诉你 关于我的小鸟们的事情没有。 我希望你可以看到它们, 它们真的很小 Davis先生叫它们Joan和Darby。 Joan很不幸 她的翅膀脱臼了, 我一看就知道, 是这么回事。 我得到以后, 她很快就去孵蛋, 我认为我们很快就要有很多小鸟, 但是很失望。 我拿来了大盒子做它们的窝 / 这些都是徒劳, 即使她孵了5个蓝色的蛋 成功破壳了。 每天晚上,我都要重新铺窝, 尽量铺好一点, 用软羊毛和一点锯末, 但是早上第一件事,她去工作 把所有东西都拽到了笼子的地上。 她一定觉得我不会做鸟窝, / 但是我自己觉得 她没有明白那比她自己做得更好, / 她没有成功过。 / 我不在意小鸟们, 但是Aho很失望, 因为我对她保证过, 她应该有一些。 这个经历让我有了一些“黑发髻鸡”。 告诉我你还有多少只鸡 / 或者你放弃了,自从被爱尔兰人抢走以后。 / 我很高兴你们女孩都骑马。 告诉我你们的马Ned、Jennie和Kate。 我很惊喜也很高兴听说 Gray-puss很好 但是告诉她我希望她长大, 在祈祷会上, 她将学会更多礼节。 我想见Rover。 告诉他他的中国朋友们坚信 他是一条好狗。 并且替我告诉Clara 我希望我们的缝纫机叫Brownie。 / 在精灵时代,Brownie是一个很好的精灵, 她来到人间的时候, 帮助人们解决了很多困难。 你是否觉得这是个很好很准确的名字呢。 而且请不要忘记告诉我, 她是否缝纫缝得好或者给你带来了什么麻烦。 妈妈和我都想确保缝纫机运转良好, 我感觉她们有同样的兴趣。 也告诉Clara 如果她成功劝说Edward去拿一颗星星 她希望她不会不让我知道是哪一个。 / 中国的天空很纯净,像美国的一样, 也有很闪耀的星星, 就像在家里看到的一样。 现在再见了, 爱你的朋友们。 永远爱你 Hattie

Original Format

Letter

Citation

Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Mary, February 15, 1869,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed March 29, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/25.

Output Formats