Letter from Hattie to Clara, January 27, 1885

Letter from Hattie to Clara, January 27, 1885

Death; Mail steamers; Women missionaries

Harriet writes to her sister Clara about the mail steamers. There is a rumor that the City of New York has arrived in Yokohama towing the San Pablo. She talks about Mr. Hayes and Dr. Matthewson since they came over yesterday evening. She thinks that Mr. Hayes might propose to Miss Butler but half expects to not marry him if the time came. Dr. Matthewson has been living with Mr. and Mrs. Mateer and Miss Archibald. Miss Archibald wrote recently about Mrs. Laughlin's (Annie's) illness and death.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1885-01-27

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_362

Canton China
Jan 27th 1885
My dear Clara.
I have seated myself
to have a good time writing letters
and before I begin on the
"duty letters" as we sometimes call
those for societies and churches
I will have a few minutes with
you. I have letters from you
which I think are still unanswered
of Nov 3rd and 29th.
We are likely to get a lot of
letters all at once as there are
two mails due now. We heard
last night that there is a rumor
that the City of New York has
arrived in Yokohama towing
in the San Pablo which seems
quite probable. If true we
shall probably hear by the
paper tonight. If the San Pablo
did break down on the way

it was fortunate that the
City of New York found it on the
way. The steamers on the
Pacific do not often meet.
Yesterday evening Mr Hayes
from Hong Kong called with
Dr Matthewson. Mr Hayes is
a missionary from America who
is sent out by the American Board
He was born in Switzerland but
came to America when a child
has lived in Ohio been in Medina
more or less knew the minister
who was preaching there while
I was at home very well. I
half expect that when he wants
a wife he will ask Miss Butler
but I do not think she would
marry him. It was fortunate
that he was here to come over
with Dr Matthewson for if Dr
Thomson had brought him
over I am sure we should all

have felt like laughing as we are
so well posted on the state of
Dr M's heart. He made a
beginning yesterday went up at
once and called at Dr Happers
He is a very pleasant good looking
young man we shall be sorry
if his heart gets broken.
He has been living with Mr &
Mrs Mateer, Miss Archibald
We had a long letter from her a few
days since. She had such a sad time
last summer during Mrs Laughlin's
illness and afterwards. I will copy a
little of her letter for you. She writes of
Mrs L. "It was not till a week before
her death that we thought that she
might die Those remaining days
were very precious to us tho much of
the time she was wandering in her
mind. It did seem as if we could
not let her die we needed her so
much Our dear little Annie!

But God wanted her for higher
service and she was anxious to go
not a doubt not a fear troubled
the calm peace of that deathbed
She went triumphant and we
were left sorrowing yet rejoicing.
Her grave was made in [u] our [/u] front
yard. I can see it every time
I look from our south windows
But [u] She [/u] is not there, our angel
Annie. I havent time to tell you
of those days but I was so very tired
it seemed as though I couldn't
get rested and then Jeannie
was so very sick and needed
so much care. I felt too that she
would die and I didn't want any
one to do things for her but myself
Mrs L died in July and we
left for [?Tongchow?] the last week
of September so it was nearly
two months. For three weeks she
didnt notice anything and

[Continued vertically on the first page]
I have copied
part of Sadie's
letter for I know
you would be
interested in it
She is a grand
good woman
a [u] real [/u] missionary
I thought the account of
them
getting ready
for their journey
with their sick
baby was very
pathetic. But
it is good to
know that they
are well and happy again.
With much love
from Hattie.

中国广东
1885年1月27日
我亲爱的Clara，
我开始写我的义务信。 
我必须给支持我们传教工作的社团和教会写信。
/
但在我开始写那些信之前，
/
我会花几分钟给你写一封信。
/
我已经收到你 11 月 3 日和 11 月 29 日写的信，
/
但我还没有回复。
理论上，
既然两封邮件应该同时到达，
我们将同时收到很多邮件。
有传言说City of New York轮船已经抵达横滨，
正在拖着另一艘San Pablo轮船。
这个谣言听起来很可能。
如果确实如此，
/
今晚可能会有报纸文章证实这一点。
如果第一艘轮船真的抛锚了，

/
那第二艘轮船找到它就很幸运了。
/
轮船在太平洋上并不经常相遇。
昨晚Hayes先生和
来自香港Matthewson医生来拜访。
/
Hayes先生是个来自美国的传教士，
传教士组织然他来这里。
最初，
他出生在瑞士，
/
但在他还很小的时候就来到了美国，
一直住在俄亥俄州Medina。
他认识Medina现在的牧师。
我猜他准备结婚的时候，
他会问Butler小姐，
但我不认为她会嫁给他。
他和Matthewson医生一起来是件好事，
/
如果他和Thomson医生一起来，
/
我们都会笑的，

因为我们对医生非常了解。
/
昨天
他去拜访Happer医生。
/
他是一个很好看的年轻人。 
如果他的心碎了，
我们会很难过。
最近他跟Mateer夫妇和Archibald小姐一起住。
/
几天前，
我们收到了她的来信。
去年夏天，
在Laughlin太太生病期间和之后，
她很伤心。
我会为你写一份她的信。
关于Laughlin太太的死：
“直到她死前一周，
没人想到她会死。
她生命的最后几天对我们来说非常宝贵，
但那段时间Laughlin太太神志不清
我们亲爱的Annie，
看来我们不能让她死。

但上帝在呼唤她回家，
我相信她并不害怕，
她感到平静，
当她快要死的时候，
我敢肯定她已经准备好去见上帝了，
即使我们很伤心，
她在天堂也很高兴。
她的坟墓在我们家前院，
我每次从南窗外都能看到。
她的灵魂不在坟墓里，
现在她是天使。
我没有时间告诉你那个时候，
我好累，
好像永远也不会休息。
然后Jaeannie病得很重，
需要很多照顾。
我担心她会死，
我不想别人为她做任何事，
我想自己照顾她。
L太太在 7 月去世，
我们在 9 月的最后一周离开了Tongchow，
所以差不多两个月了，
前三个星期她什么也没注意到。”

我复制了Sadie的部分信件，
/
我知道你会对它感兴趣。
/
/
她是一个有爱的女人，
也是一位伟大的传教士。
/
/
/
他们带着生病的婴儿准备旅行的故事非常可悲，
/
/
/
/
但现在他们又健康快乐了。
/
/
爱你们，
Hattie

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