Letter from Hattie to Mattie, March 3, 1882

Letter from Hattie to Mattie, March 3, 1882

Women physicians; Travel; Women in the Southern Baptist Convention

Harriet writes to her sister Martha. She tells her that they have not had a winter vacation and that Miss Archibald has been staying with her and Miss Butler. Miss Archibald set sail for Hong Kong to Shanghai, Mr. and Mrs. Parkes and their children just set off for England, and Hattie McDonald and her sister to America. Lucy Leaman left for America as well and though everyone wanted her to leave, Miss Whilden did would not go home by the steamer. They had hoped she would leave sooner so as to be home for the Annual Baptist Convention in Greenville, South Carolina. Miss Butler has started studying medicine with Dr. Kerr. Harriet says that a lot of the ladies at home are deeply interested in medical ladies now and hopes that Dr. Kerr will soon have a large class of women pursuing the medical field.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #3

Unpublished

1882-03-03

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_269

Canton China
March 3d 1882
My dear Mattie
I have been spending
this whole evening reading
in some numbers of Scribners
which Mrs Graves sent up
here instead of writing a lot
of letters as I intended to
do. But I will write a little
to you before I go to bed and
see if that will not ease my
conscience a little I am
sorry I have not written to
you oftener and more but the
time has been so taken up
We had no vacation this winter
and Miss Archibald's being with
us of course filled the time up
a little more than it would
have been otherwise. Now Miss
Butler and I will settle
down and I hope we will
get a little more time for

letter writing Last night
I finished a letter to Miss
Ricketts that I commenced
last December. Miss
Archibald sailed from
HongKong to-day for Shanghai
yesterday Mr + Mrs Parkes
with their children sailed
for England and the
day before Hattie McDonald
and her sister for America.
Yesterday I had a telegram
from Lucy Leaman dated
March 1st two words "Start
tomorrow" so I suppose they
are going home by this American
mail. It may be they are
coming down here to go home
via Europe but I imagine
not. We have all so wanted
Miss Whilden to go home by
this steamer but she [u]would
not[/u]. Dr and Mrs Graves
were so anxious that she should
go but of course that made no

difference Their Annual
Baptist Convention meets the
9th of May in Greenville S Ca
where she formerly lived and
it would be so nice for her to
be there She has consented to
go the last of March instead
of the 1st of May as she had
planned so we hope she
will yet get there in time but
it seems a pity that she
should not go in time
to take the journey leisurely
if she should wish. But I
imagine she will rather enjoy
staying at her post till the
last possible moment and
then just barely getting there
before the Convention has adjourned
However I might have
fancied that sort of thing
once I have no fancy for it
now. I imagine Miss Butler
feels a little as you did the
stoical way in which we

learn to take things here.
However she is satisfied with
me as I am I know and I
am with he. She is going to
study medicine has already
commenced with Dr Kerr so
you must look out for some
one else to come out to take
the place she was to have filled
She has always wanted to
study medicine and now it
seems as though she has a good
opportunity. I suppose the ladies
at home will be delighted as
they are so deeply interested in
medical ladies just now----
I hope he will have a good
class of women studying medicine
soon. I wonder if you will
remember AKwai who was in
the school women's dept when
it was in Mr Henry's day school
building She is going to study
medicine. Perhaps you will
remember her she seemed
to get so much brighter while
in School. Another woman
from near [?Yan Ning?] has also
commenced studying --

[Note: Letter concludes vertically on page one]
I do hope when this reaches you will be quite
well. I am
so sorry
you have
had such
a bad time
The Chinese
are all
most deeply
interested
in your
welfare
and hoping
for your
return.
Yours affly
Hattie -

中国广州
1882年3月3日
我亲爱的Mattie，
我没有像我打算写的那样写信，
/
而是花了整个晚上阅读Graves太太给我的 Scribner's。
/
/
/
我会在睡前写信给你，
/
以至于不回减弱我的真心。
/
对不起，
我没有经常给你写信，
我一直很忙。
我们没有寒假，
因为Archibald小姐和我们在一起，
占据了我们所有的时间。
/
Butler小姐和我会安顿下来，
写完信。
/
/

/
我终于完成了去年十二月开始写给Ricketts小姐的一封信。
/
今天Archibald小姐从香港航行到上海，
/
/
昨天Parkes夫妇和他们的孩子去了英国，
/
前天，
Hattie McDonald和姐姐去美国了。
/
昨天我收到Lucy Leaman的一封电报，
上面写着 3 月 1 日，
上面有两个字，“明天离开”
我想这意味着他们将乘坐下一艘轮船回家。
/
也许他们来这里是想通过欧洲回家，
但我想他们不会。
/
我们都希望Whilden小姐坐下一艘轮船回家，
/
但她说她不会。
Graves医生和Graves太太很着急，
希望她快点离开，
但是没有任何效果。

/
一年一度的浸信会大会于 5 月 9 日举行
在加州南方Greenville，
Whilden小姐曾经住在那里，
所以她去就好了。
/
她同意在三月的最后一天离开，
/
而不是像她预期的那样在五月的第一天离开。
/
我们希望她能及时到达那里参加会议。
可惜她不能去，
没有足够的时间去悠闲的旅行。
我想她会喜欢继续做她的工作，
直到她离开
然后她会在会议休会前到达。
/
/
/
曾经，
我可能喜欢这样做，
但现在不再喜欢了。
我猜Butler小姐感觉和你一样，
/
你学会了对这里的事件做出坚忍不拔的反应。

/
然而，
她对我很满意，
我知道我也对她很满意。
她要学医，
她已经开始跟Kerr医生学了，
/
所以我们得找其他人来代替她。
/
她一直想学医，
现在她有机会了。
/
我相信家里的女性会很高兴，
因为她们最近对医学女性很感兴趣。
/
/
我希望很快就会有一整班女性学习医学。
/
你还记得A Kwai， 
/
Henry先生走读学校女子系的那个女孩吗？
/
她要去学医。
你还记得她在学校似乎变得更聪明了吗？
/
/
另一位来自「YanNing」附近的女士也开始学习。
/
/


我希望你在收到这封信时会好起来。
/
我很抱歉你遇到了很多困难。
/
/
/
中国人都对你的康复很感兴趣，
/
/
希望你能回来。
/
/
/
/
/
你的，
Hattie -

Letter