Letter from Hattie to Mother, August 6, 1883
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Mother, August 6, 1883
Subject
Birthdays; Health; Sickness; Dyspepsia; Varicose veins; Kerosene lamps; Fire; Servants; Property insurance
Description
Harriet wishes her mother a happy birthday. Last evening the monthly concert was held in Canton, but a lot of the missionaries were in Hong Kong. Harriet and Miss Butler decided that they will not go to Lin Chau due to Dr. Kerr's poor health. Dr. Thomson will cover for Dr. Kerr. Henry has been having trouble with the varicose veins on his leg. A kerosene lamp caught fire last night in Harriet's house but nothing major happened. She describes how the servants and their sons helped control the fire.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #3
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1883-08-06
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_330
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
Aug 6th 1883
My dear Mother,
It is the morning of
the 7th of August here but it is
still the 6th with you so I am
in time to remember your
birthday and give you [u] all [/u] good
wishes for the coming year.
Last evening when your birthday
was commencing we were having
the Monthly Concert here. There
were not many here so many have
gone to Hong Kong just now.
Dr Graves led the meeting.
Either he or Henry have to
take it if the one whose turn
it is fails. After meeting Miss
Niles Miss Butler and I
had a final consultation about
going to Lin Chau which
ended in our giving it up.
We would all like to go but
cannot feel easy in going away
from Canton while Dr Kerr
seems in such a critical state
We expect Dr Thomson will
be down from Lin Chau probably
this week as the Mission has
written to ask him to come
down and relieve Dr Kerr
so that he can rest for
awhile. He has dyspepsia
very badly and either his
heart is affected or else in
consequence of that it seems
to be. Mrs Kerr is very homesick
in Hong Kong they have
already been there
for a month. Henry has
been having some trouble
with the varicose veins on his
leg. They have broken but
I hope it is healing up
again. When he was at
home he could wear an
elastic stocking which was
a great help but here the
heat and perspiration spoils
them very quickly.
Last night we had a [u] scare [/u]
about fire After we went up
stairs and had left the boy
to put out the lights and
shut up I came down
again to get out a table cloth
for breakfast and as I
passed the parlor door I saw
that in one of the lamps of
the chandelier the fire was
going down into the lamp.
I called to the boy and he
came and took it out and
I ran to the door to open
it so that he could carry it
out. But it was locked and
I could not get it unfastened
until [?APing?] the cook's boy came
to the rescue. By that time
the lamp was blazing up
fearfully and I was afraid
every moment that it would
explode but it did not. I suppose
the oil was not explosive. When
I first saw it I said Why! Why! Why!
by way of exclamation and
afterwards I heard [?APing?]
describing it to his father and
he said I said Wa! Wa! Wa!
It sounded so funny to hear
him repeating it. We have
always tried to be very careful
with our kerosene lamps but
will be even more so now.
I have a wholesome dread of
them. I was afraid the boy's
hands would be burned but
they were not. If any of our
houses here should get on fire
it would be a very serious matter
there are so many large and
valuable houses here close together.
Dr Kerr's home and the main
hospital building are insured
for $3000.00 but none of the
rest have any insurance
Well I have made a long story
of this and nearly filled up my
paper. I thought of you all a
great deal on the 17th of June
[Continued vertically on the first page]
I would like to see the set of China, & hope I shall before very
long. I have
bought a table
cloth and napkins
to go with it if I
ever get a chance
to send it to you
We sent for it for
Mrs Kerr's silver
wedding and then
concluded to give
her a China [?teaser?]
instead. The table
cloth was so pretty
I did not want to
send it back and
so I bought it
for you.
With much love
and all good
wishes from
Your aff daughter
Hattie.
中国广州
1883 年 8 月 6 日
我亲爱的母亲，
这里是 8 月 7 日的早晨，
但与您在一起仍然是 6 日，
所以我及时记起您的生日，
并为您送上来年的美好祝愿。
昨晚你生日开始的时候，
我们在这里举行了每月音乐会。
刚才来香港的人不多。
Graves 医生主持了会议。
如果轮到的一方失败，
他或亨利必须接受。
在见到尼尔斯小姐之后，
我和巴特勒小姐就去莲洲进行了最后的协商，
最终我们放弃了。
我们都想去，
但在科尔医生似乎处于如此危急的状态时，
离开广州并不容易 我们预计汤姆森医生可能会在本周从莲洲下来，
因为特派团已经写信要求他下来缓解克尔医生让他可以休息一会儿。
他的消化不良非常严重，
要么他的心脏受到影响，
要么因此似乎受到影响。
克尔夫人在香港很想家，
他们已经在那里待了一个月。
亨利腿上的静脉曲张一直有一些问题。
他们已经坏了，
但我希望它会再次愈合。
当他在家时，
他可以穿弹力袜，
这很有帮助，
但在这里，
热量和汗水很快就会破坏它们。
昨晚我们对火灾感到害怕我们上楼梯离开男孩去熄灯并关闭后，
我再次下来拿出桌布做早餐，
当我经过客厅门时，
我看到一个从枝形吊灯的灯中，
火正在向下进入灯。
我打电话给男孩，
他过来把它拿出来，
我跑到门口打开它，
这样他就可以把它拿出来了。
但它是锁着的，
直到厨师的男孩阿平来救援，
我才解开它。
到那时，
灯已经可怕地燃烧起来，
我每时每刻都害怕它会爆炸，
但它没有。
我想油不会爆炸。
当我第一次看到它时，
我说为什么！为什么！为什么！以感叹的方式，
后来我听到阿平向他父亲描述它，
他说我说哇！哇！哇！听他重复这句话听起来很有趣。
我们一直试图对我们的煤油灯非常小心，
但现在更是如此。
我对他们有一种完全的恐惧。
我担心男孩的手会被烧伤，
但事实并非如此。
如果我们这里的任何房子着火，
那将是非常严重的事情，
这里有这么多大而有价值的房子靠近。
Kerr 医生的家和医院主楼投保了 3000.00 美元，
但其余的都没有任何保险 好吧，
我已经写了很长的故事，
几乎写满了我的论文。
6 月 17 日，
我很想你们 [第一页垂直续] 我想看看中国的那集，
希望不久我就能看到。
我已经买了一块桌布和餐巾纸，
如果我有机会寄给你的话。
我们为克尔夫人的银婚送去了它，
然后决定给她一个中国预告片。
桌布太漂亮了，
我不想寄回去，
所以我给你买了。
带着你女儿的爱和美好的祝愿，
海蒂。
Aug 6th 1883
My dear Mother,
It is the morning of
the 7th of August here but it is
still the 6th with you so I am
in time to remember your
birthday and give you [u] all [/u] good
wishes for the coming year.
Last evening when your birthday
was commencing we were having
the Monthly Concert here. There
were not many here so many have
gone to Hong Kong just now.
Dr Graves led the meeting.
Either he or Henry have to
take it if the one whose turn
it is fails. After meeting Miss
Niles Miss Butler and I
had a final consultation about
going to Lin Chau which
ended in our giving it up.
We would all like to go but
cannot feel easy in going away
from Canton while Dr Kerr
seems in such a critical state
We expect Dr Thomson will
be down from Lin Chau probably
this week as the Mission has
written to ask him to come
down and relieve Dr Kerr
so that he can rest for
awhile. He has dyspepsia
very badly and either his
heart is affected or else in
consequence of that it seems
to be. Mrs Kerr is very homesick
in Hong Kong they have
already been there
for a month. Henry has
been having some trouble
with the varicose veins on his
leg. They have broken but
I hope it is healing up
again. When he was at
home he could wear an
elastic stocking which was
a great help but here the
heat and perspiration spoils
them very quickly.
Last night we had a [u] scare [/u]
about fire After we went up
stairs and had left the boy
to put out the lights and
shut up I came down
again to get out a table cloth
for breakfast and as I
passed the parlor door I saw
that in one of the lamps of
the chandelier the fire was
going down into the lamp.
I called to the boy and he
came and took it out and
I ran to the door to open
it so that he could carry it
out. But it was locked and
I could not get it unfastened
until [?APing?] the cook's boy came
to the rescue. By that time
the lamp was blazing up
fearfully and I was afraid
every moment that it would
explode but it did not. I suppose
the oil was not explosive. When
I first saw it I said Why! Why! Why!
by way of exclamation and
afterwards I heard [?APing?]
describing it to his father and
he said I said Wa! Wa! Wa!
It sounded so funny to hear
him repeating it. We have
always tried to be very careful
with our kerosene lamps but
will be even more so now.
I have a wholesome dread of
them. I was afraid the boy's
hands would be burned but
they were not. If any of our
houses here should get on fire
it would be a very serious matter
there are so many large and
valuable houses here close together.
Dr Kerr's home and the main
hospital building are insured
for $3000.00 but none of the
rest have any insurance
Well I have made a long story
of this and nearly filled up my
paper. I thought of you all a
great deal on the 17th of June
[Continued vertically on the first page]
I would like to see the set of China, & hope I shall before very
long. I have
bought a table
cloth and napkins
to go with it if I
ever get a chance
to send it to you
We sent for it for
Mrs Kerr's silver
wedding and then
concluded to give
her a China [?teaser?]
instead. The table
cloth was so pretty
I did not want to
send it back and
so I bought it
for you.
With much love
and all good
wishes from
Your aff daughter
Hattie.
中国广州
1883 年 8 月 6 日
我亲爱的母亲，
这里是 8 月 7 日的早晨，
但与您在一起仍然是 6 日，
所以我及时记起您的生日，
并为您送上来年的美好祝愿。
昨晚你生日开始的时候，
我们在这里举行了每月音乐会。
刚才来香港的人不多。
Graves 医生主持了会议。
如果轮到的一方失败，
他或亨利必须接受。
在见到尼尔斯小姐之后，
我和巴特勒小姐就去莲洲进行了最后的协商，
最终我们放弃了。
我们都想去，
但在科尔医生似乎处于如此危急的状态时，
离开广州并不容易 我们预计汤姆森医生可能会在本周从莲洲下来，
因为特派团已经写信要求他下来缓解克尔医生让他可以休息一会儿。
他的消化不良非常严重，
要么他的心脏受到影响，
要么因此似乎受到影响。
克尔夫人在香港很想家，
他们已经在那里待了一个月。
亨利腿上的静脉曲张一直有一些问题。
他们已经坏了，
但我希望它会再次愈合。
当他在家时，
他可以穿弹力袜，
这很有帮助，
但在这里，
热量和汗水很快就会破坏它们。
昨晚我们对火灾感到害怕我们上楼梯离开男孩去熄灯并关闭后，
我再次下来拿出桌布做早餐，
当我经过客厅门时，
我看到一个从枝形吊灯的灯中，
火正在向下进入灯。
我打电话给男孩，
他过来把它拿出来，
我跑到门口打开它，
这样他就可以把它拿出来了。
但它是锁着的，
直到厨师的男孩阿平来救援，
我才解开它。
到那时，
灯已经可怕地燃烧起来，
我每时每刻都害怕它会爆炸，
但它没有。
我想油不会爆炸。
当我第一次看到它时，
我说为什么！为什么！为什么！以感叹的方式，
后来我听到阿平向他父亲描述它，
他说我说哇！哇！哇！听他重复这句话听起来很有趣。
我们一直试图对我们的煤油灯非常小心，
但现在更是如此。
我对他们有一种完全的恐惧。
我担心男孩的手会被烧伤，
但事实并非如此。
如果我们这里的任何房子着火，
那将是非常严重的事情，
这里有这么多大而有价值的房子靠近。
Kerr 医生的家和医院主楼投保了 3000.00 美元，
但其余的都没有任何保险 好吧，
我已经写了很长的故事，
几乎写满了我的论文。
6 月 17 日，
我很想你们 [第一页垂直续] 我想看看中国的那集，
希望不久我就能看到。
我已经买了一块桌布和餐巾纸，
如果我有机会寄给你的话。
我们为克尔夫人的银婚送去了它，
然后决定给她一个中国预告片。
桌布太漂亮了，
我不想寄回去，
所以我给你买了。
带着你女儿的爱和美好的祝愿，
海蒂。
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Mother, August 6, 1883,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 29, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/387.