Letter from Hattie to Em, October 27, 1889
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Em, October 27, 1889
Subject
Sabbath; Homesickness; Anniversaries; Protestant church buildings; Preaching; Christianity--China; English language--Spoken English; Family names
Description
Harriet writes this letter to Emily from Macau on the day that marks 22 years since the last Sabbath at home before she left the first time. She recalls that day and then tells Em that today they attended the service at the Protestant Chapel in Macau. The service was conducted by Dr. Wenyon of the Wesleyan Mission in Fathsan. He has been in China for 12 years and this is the second time he has preached in English. The Wenyons' original name is Chinese but they changed it to Wenyon by an act of Parliament.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #4
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1889-10-27
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_442
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Macau China
Oct 27th 1889
My dear Em,
It is Sabbath day
and just twenty two years
from the last Sabbath
at home before I left the
first time. How well I
remember that day it
was Communion Sabbath
and I remember so well
how I looked at Father trying
to fix in my mind just
how he looked as he sat
by the table after he came
down from the pulpit. And
I have been able all these
years to recall that time
very distinctly. I seem to
see him even now.
We used to sit in the
gallery then but on
Communion Sabbath the
choir came down and
sat in those seats so long
occupied by your corner
class. After the service
was over the people all
came up to say good-bye
for I was to leave the
next day. I remember
especially Eliza Patton I
do not know why. Three
times I have said goodbye
to come to China. I feel
as though I have been through
the hardest part of dying,
saying goodbye to my dearest
ones three times. I cannot
help wondering tonight where
I shall be twenty two years
from today. If still down
here in this world I shall
be very near the end of
the allotted three score
and ten. Today we
have attended the service
in the little Protestant Chapel
here. I always think of Cynthia
when I go there, and very
frequently at other times
here in Macau. I never
realize that she lived in
Canton it always seems as
though she lived here while
she was in China. How
different it would all have
been if she had lived.
The service today was
conducted by Dr Wenyon of
the Wesleyan Mission in
Fatshan. He came down
for the Sabbath his family
is staying here this month.
He has been in China a
dozen years but this is the
second time he has preached
in English. He preached an
excellent sermon from the
account of Jesus and his
disciples on the sea of Galilee
during the tempest. Mrs Thomson
was telling us this evening some
of his early history. There were in
his family six boys and one
girl. Three of the "boys" became
missionaries, one went to India
and died there and the youngest
has come out here with his brother.
When their sister who was youngest
of the family was two years old
she had diphtheria and the Mother
told the boys one of them must
go for the doctor. All six started
off and when they found the
doctor they begged him to come
and cure their little sister telling
him she was the only one they had
The old doctor said it was quite
pathetic. The sister is alone with
the old mother now that her youngest
boy has come to China. Their
[Continued vertically on the first page]
name originally
was Chinese and
they had it
changed to
Wenyon
by an act
of Parliament,
They are
quite talented
and a little
eccentric
in some ways
With much
love ever
Yours affly
Hattie.
中国澳门
1889 年 10 月 27 日
我亲爱的 Em，
今天是安息日，
距离我第一次离开前的最后一个安息日只有二十二年了。
我多么清楚地记得那天是圣餐安息日，
我多么清楚地记得我看着父亲，
试图在我的脑海中确定他从讲台上下来后坐在桌旁的样子。
这些年来，
我一直能够非常清楚地回忆起那段时间。
我现在似乎也看到了他。
我们过去常常坐在走廊里，
但在圣餐安息日，
唱诗班下来，
坐在你角落班级长期占据的那些座位上。
服务结束后，
人们都上前告别，
因为我第二天就要离开了。
我记得特别是伊丽莎巴顿，
我不知道为什么。
我已经三次告别来中国了。
我觉得我好像经历了最艰难的死亡，
与我最亲爱的人告别了三遍。
今晚我不禁想知道从今天起二十二年后我会在哪里。
如果还在这个世界上，
我将非常接近分配的三分和十分的结束。
今天我们在这里的小新教教堂参加了礼拜。
当我去那里时，
我总是想起辛西娅，
在澳门的其他时间也经常想起。
我从来没有意识到她住在广州，
似乎她在中国时就住在这里。
如果她还活着，
一切都会变得多么不同。
今天的服务由卫斯理会法特山传道部的文扬博士主持。
本月他的家人在这里住的安息日，
他下来了。
他在中国已经十几年了，
但这是他第二次用英语讲道。
在暴风雨中，
他在加利利海上传讲了耶稣和他的门徒的精彩讲道。
汤姆森夫人今晚向我们讲述了他早期的一些历史。
他家有六个男孩和一个女孩。
其中三个“男孩”成为传教士，
一个去了印度并死在那里，
最小的已经和他的兄弟一起来到这里。
当他们最小的妹妹两岁时，
她得了白喉，
母亲告诉男孩们其中一个必须去看医生。
六个人都开始了，
当他们找到医生时，
他们求他来治疗他们的小妹妹，
告诉他她是他们唯一的一个老医生说这很可悲。
现在她最小的儿子已经来到中国，
姐姐和老母亲单独在一起。
他们的[第一页垂直续]名字原本是中文的，
他们通过议会法案将其改为Wenyon，
他们很有才华，
在某些方面有点古怪。
非常爱你，
海底。
Oct 27th 1889
My dear Em,
It is Sabbath day
and just twenty two years
from the last Sabbath
at home before I left the
first time. How well I
remember that day it
was Communion Sabbath
and I remember so well
how I looked at Father trying
to fix in my mind just
how he looked as he sat
by the table after he came
down from the pulpit. And
I have been able all these
years to recall that time
very distinctly. I seem to
see him even now.
We used to sit in the
gallery then but on
Communion Sabbath the
choir came down and
sat in those seats so long
occupied by your corner
class. After the service
was over the people all
came up to say good-bye
for I was to leave the
next day. I remember
especially Eliza Patton I
do not know why. Three
times I have said goodbye
to come to China. I feel
as though I have been through
the hardest part of dying,
saying goodbye to my dearest
ones three times. I cannot
help wondering tonight where
I shall be twenty two years
from today. If still down
here in this world I shall
be very near the end of
the allotted three score
and ten. Today we
have attended the service
in the little Protestant Chapel
here. I always think of Cynthia
when I go there, and very
frequently at other times
here in Macau. I never
realize that she lived in
Canton it always seems as
though she lived here while
she was in China. How
different it would all have
been if she had lived.
The service today was
conducted by Dr Wenyon of
the Wesleyan Mission in
Fatshan. He came down
for the Sabbath his family
is staying here this month.
He has been in China a
dozen years but this is the
second time he has preached
in English. He preached an
excellent sermon from the
account of Jesus and his
disciples on the sea of Galilee
during the tempest. Mrs Thomson
was telling us this evening some
of his early history. There were in
his family six boys and one
girl. Three of the "boys" became
missionaries, one went to India
and died there and the youngest
has come out here with his brother.
When their sister who was youngest
of the family was two years old
she had diphtheria and the Mother
told the boys one of them must
go for the doctor. All six started
off and when they found the
doctor they begged him to come
and cure their little sister telling
him she was the only one they had
The old doctor said it was quite
pathetic. The sister is alone with
the old mother now that her youngest
boy has come to China. Their
[Continued vertically on the first page]
name originally
was Chinese and
they had it
changed to
Wenyon
by an act
of Parliament,
They are
quite talented
and a little
eccentric
in some ways
With much
love ever
Yours affly
Hattie.
中国澳门
1889 年 10 月 27 日
我亲爱的 Em，
今天是安息日，
距离我第一次离开前的最后一个安息日只有二十二年了。
我多么清楚地记得那天是圣餐安息日，
我多么清楚地记得我看着父亲，
试图在我的脑海中确定他从讲台上下来后坐在桌旁的样子。
这些年来，
我一直能够非常清楚地回忆起那段时间。
我现在似乎也看到了他。
我们过去常常坐在走廊里，
但在圣餐安息日，
唱诗班下来，
坐在你角落班级长期占据的那些座位上。
服务结束后，
人们都上前告别，
因为我第二天就要离开了。
我记得特别是伊丽莎巴顿，
我不知道为什么。
我已经三次告别来中国了。
我觉得我好像经历了最艰难的死亡，
与我最亲爱的人告别了三遍。
今晚我不禁想知道从今天起二十二年后我会在哪里。
如果还在这个世界上，
我将非常接近分配的三分和十分的结束。
今天我们在这里的小新教教堂参加了礼拜。
当我去那里时，
我总是想起辛西娅，
在澳门的其他时间也经常想起。
我从来没有意识到她住在广州，
似乎她在中国时就住在这里。
如果她还活着，
一切都会变得多么不同。
今天的服务由卫斯理会法特山传道部的文扬博士主持。
本月他的家人在这里住的安息日，
他下来了。
他在中国已经十几年了，
但这是他第二次用英语讲道。
在暴风雨中，
他在加利利海上传讲了耶稣和他的门徒的精彩讲道。
汤姆森夫人今晚向我们讲述了他早期的一些历史。
他家有六个男孩和一个女孩。
其中三个“男孩”成为传教士，
一个去了印度并死在那里，
最小的已经和他的兄弟一起来到这里。
当他们最小的妹妹两岁时，
她得了白喉，
母亲告诉男孩们其中一个必须去看医生。
六个人都开始了，
当他们找到医生时，
他们求他来治疗他们的小妹妹，
告诉他她是他们唯一的一个老医生说这很可悲。
现在她最小的儿子已经来到中国，
姐姐和老母亲单独在一起。
他们的[第一页垂直续]名字原本是中文的，
他们通过议会法案将其改为Wenyon，
他们很有才华，
在某些方面有点古怪。
非常爱你，
海底。
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Em, October 27, 1889,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 29, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/499.