Letter from Mattie to Sarah, September 29, 1875

noyes_c_cor_491.pdf

Dublin Core

Title

Letter from Mattie to Sarah, September 29, 1875

Subject

Health; Physicians; Death; Travel; War; Missionaries

Description

Martha writes to her sister Sarah about Sarah's choice to see a doctor about her throat, Frank's seemingly improving health, the death of one of their cousins, and the rising tensions between England and China. She discusses the health and travels of some other missionaries and notes that Edward's birthday is the next day. She ends by inquiring after Sarah's roommate Jennie and hoping that if Sarah has gotten a new roommate it is one who brings her happiness.

Creator

Kerr, Martha Noyes

Source

The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #5

Publisher

Unpublished

Date

1875-09-29

Contributor

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

Format

PDF

Language

eng (English)

Type

Text

Identifier

noyes_c_cor_491

Text Item Type Metadata

Text

Canton China
Sept 29th /75
My dear Sarah
I suppose this
letter will find you back
in Columbus fairly at work
upon the 6th 7th which is it
year of your labors there.
I am so glad you have
taken the precaution of
having that Cleveland phy-
sician examine your throat
and trust you are already
at least somewhat benefit-
ed by it ere this time. Hattie
says we are all alike the
Noyes family never wanting
to take care of no one but I
tell her I will make an ex-
ception in favor of Em and Frank

We were so rejoiced to hear by
the last mail that Frank
seemed to be really improv
ing. I can not tell you how
happy I was to hear it. You
know it is hard to be so far
away when any of the circle are
ill. One of our Bible women
has made his case a subject
of prayer for some time and
she was so delighted when I
told her he was better. I do
sympathize with dear cousin
Mary in the loss of a loved
sister. How often and sudden-
ly she has been called to part
with the dear members of a
father's household. I am glad
you could go down to Massilon
at the time of the funeral for
I am sure it was a comfort
to her. One of our good earnest
missionaries of the Weslyian
Board is upon the eve of leaving
us on account of the entire

failure of his health and we
feel it is quite doubtful whether
he lives to reach England.
The weather is still very warm
but we look forward with hope
to some future date which we
trust will bring cool breezes
Henry in company with his
brother [u] Mr [/u] [u] Henry [/u] has gone to his
sun in parish to be away a week
and taken our major general
Aquey with him so we feel we
have lost our protectors though
Hattie stands ready to fill the
breach. I suppose Mr Henry
will take charge of these [u] country [/u]
congregations when Henry leaves
for America. Quite a party of
the Mission community are
proposing to take a trip to Lin
Chau leaving in about two
weeks for an absence of a month
I do hope it will do them as
much good as it did the Noyes
family, this part of it I mean

[Continued vertically on the fourth page]
Henry has quite a red face really, and we all feel "no end
better" as the English would say. I am sure I never want
to go to Hong Kong for a change, if I can get into the coun-
try. What a time you had plastering &c while at home
I know how much pleasure you would feel in doing it
thinking next summer would bring you know who back
to the home on the hill. We received letters from Mrs Leyen
berger by the last mail and she spoke in the warmest terms
of her visit to our house. From her account of her
health should not think the prospect of her return to China
was very bright. Mr Leyenberger proposes to be home in
the spring and from letters received we learn Mrs Lyon's
health is quite poor. Mr Lyon writes that his sister Cor-
nelia wanted to come to China but the Board [--I thin--]
declined sending her I think on account of her age. You
see where I would have been had I waited a little lon-
ger, though we sometimes feel our work here maybe
interrupted by a war between China and Great Britain
The political sky is certainly threatening and there is trouble
among the high officials at Peking. I believe the representa-
tive of the British government there drew down his flag
and retired from the city refusing to have any thing farther
to do with this government until proper concessions were
made. The whole difficulty has arisen from the sudden
brutal murder of an Englishman in a distant part of this
province some months since. We hope matters can be

[Continued vertically on the first page]
amicably arranged should not think these people would
dare venture war with England. Well I much say good
night. Tomorrow is Edwards birthday how fast the years
fly. Shall I see the
dear little [--Chro--] Chron-
icle again this year?
Please give my love
to the pupils I may
know still left in
the [?Test?] I wonder if
you still have your
room mate Jennie
if not hope you
have found one
who will [u] add [/u] at
[u] least [/u] in some meas-
ure to you happiness
Please give ever so
much love to the
teachers, and an
especial quantity
to the Sups and his
family, A kiss for my

[Continued written upside down on the first page]
dear Sister God bless her and help her to
undertake great things for him expecting great

[Continued written upside down on the fourth page]
things from him. Your loving sister
Mattie



中国广州
1875年 9 月 29 日
日亲爱的莎拉,
我想这封信会让你在6 日7 日回到哥伦布正常工作,
这是你在那里工作的一年。
我很高兴你采取了预防措施,
让克利夫兰的医生检查你的喉咙,
并相信这次你至少已经从中受益了。
海蒂说我们都像诺伊斯一家从不想照顾任何人但我告诉她我会破例支持艾姆和弗兰克我们很高兴听到最后一封邮件弗兰克似乎真的在进步.我无法告诉你我听到它有多高兴。
你知道,
当任何一个圈子生病时,
很难离得那么远。
我们的一位圣经女性已经将他的案件作为祷告的主题有一段时间了,
当我告诉她他好多了时,
她非常高兴。
我确实同情亲爱的表妹玛丽失去了一个深爱的姐姐。
多么频繁和突然,
她被召唤与父亲家庭中亲爱的成员分开。
我很高兴你能在葬礼的时候去马西隆,
我相信这对她来说是一种安慰。
卫斯理委员会的一位热心传教士由于健康状况不佳而即将离开我们,
我们认为他是否能活着到达英国是非常值得怀疑的。
天气仍然很温暖,
但我们满怀希望地期待未来的某个日期,
我们相信这会带来凉爽的微风亨利和他的兄弟亨利先生已经去教区晒太阳了一周,
并带着我们的少将 Aquey所以我们觉得我们已经失去了我们的保护者,
尽管海蒂已经准备好填补缺口。
我想亨利先生将在亨利前往美国时负责这些乡村会众。
Mission 社区的相当一部分人提议去林洲旅行,
大约两周后离开一个月,
我确实希望这对他们和 Noyes 一家一样好,
我的意思是这部分[第四页垂直续]亨利的脸真的很红,
我们都觉得“没有尽头更好”,
就像英语所说的那样。
我敢肯定,
如果我能进入这个国家,
我永远不想去香港改变。
你在家里抹灰的时候真是太棒了,
我知道你在做这件事时会感到多么高兴,
因为明年夏天你会知道谁会回到山上的家。
我们收到了 Leyenberger 夫人的最后一封信,
她用她访问我们家时最热情的语气讲话。
从她的身体状况来看,
应该不会认为她回国的前景非常光明。
Leyenberger 先生提议在春天回家,
从收到的信件中我们得知 Lyon 夫人的健康状况很差。
里昂先生写道,
他的妹妹科妮莉亚想来中国,
但董事会拒绝送她,
我认为是因为她的年龄。
你知道如果我再等一会儿我会在哪里,
虽然我们有时觉得我们在这里的工作可能会被中英之间的战争打断。
政治天空肯定是威胁,
北京的高级官员之间也有麻烦。
我相信那里的英国政府代表降下他的旗帜并从这座城市退休,
拒绝与这个政府有任何进一步的关系,
直到做出适当的让步。
整个困难源于几个月后在该省偏远地区突然残忍地谋杀了一名英国人。
我们希望事情可以[第一页垂直续]友好地安排,
不要认为这些人敢与英国开战。
好吧,
我说晚安。
明天是爱德华兹的生日,
岁月过得真快。
今年还能再看亲爱的小编年史吗?请把我的爱献给那些我可能知道还留在考试中的学生我想知道你是否还有你的室友珍妮如果没有希望你找到一个至少在某种程度上为你增加幸福的人请给我如此多的爱老师们,
特别是给 Sups 和他的家人,
给我的一个吻 [继续倒写在第一页] 亲爱的姐妹上帝保佑她,
帮助她为他承担伟大的事情,
期待伟大 [继续倒写在第四页]他的事情。
你亲爱的妹妹玛蒂

Original Format

Letter

Citation

Kerr, Martha Noyes, “Letter from Mattie to Sarah, September 29, 1875,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed March 29, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/545.

Output Formats