Letter from Mattie to Clara and Mary, March 21, 1881
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Mattie to Clara and Mary, March 21, 1881
Subject
Sewing; Travel; Home; Fees; Women in medicine
Description
Mattie says that one of their servants is making her a wrapper flannel. She wishes that she would become a Christian. She talks about the health of one of the local bible women and wishes that there were more women in the field of medicine. They started asking the pupils to bring $1 at the start of the term. It has worked well but prevents some from applying. She is going to be home in three months.
Creator
Kerr, Martha Noyes
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #5
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1881-03-21
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_500
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton March 21st 1881
My dear Clara & Mary
I will economize
by writing to you both on
one sheet, am a slow letter
writer to day. Asam is ma-
king me a wrapper flannel
[illegible] she does not think is
remarkably pretty and I agree
with her, best she has managed
to interrupt me this afternoon
so often I do not seem to have
done much. I have set her
now to making the button
holes which will keep her
quiet until time to eat rice
Well as Hattie and I say
she saves us a good deal
of time I so wish she would
become a Christian - she is
such a nice woman in
some ways but does not seem
to find her way into the light
One of our bible women
S Yai the one that looks like
Mother is very ill, so ill we
fear she will not live but a
short time. I cannot ever
ask for her life it seems as if
it would be so nice for her to
go. The two medical women are
getting on nicely beginning
regular practise. The other day
a mandarin's wife sent for Dr
Kerr but when he went found
her suffering from something
that required rather a trying
operation to relieve. When she
found out what treatment was
necessary she refused to have
him do it and he sent for one
of there women who under his
instruction was able after three
or four visits to cure the woman
It will be very nice to have
women to practise. I hope there
will be some more bye and bye
who will want to study medicine
Well the "Semmary" is at last in
operation although the number
of pupils owing to various causes
is not yet very large. Did we
tell you we set a new plan on
foot at the beginning of this
term namely that each pupil
should bring$1.00. It has seemed
to work to a charm with those
that have come. almost every
one has paid in promptly
but we hear that it keeps some
from applying. They have the
story exagerated to the tune of
every pupil paying$1.58 per
month one of the missionaries
was telling us the other night
Well they will soon get the
straight of story. You speak of
our second little nephew. I
must confess to the astonishing
fact of having seen the young
gentleman but twice since
his birth, [--and--] but hope to get a
glimpse of him at least once
more before I leave Canton. It
is not a very easy matter to see
the children for some reason or
other, then I was away last Au-
tumn until Oct and have not
been able to go up to Henry's since.
Tuesday of the week of prayer
he is now short dresses. I
think does not greatly resemble
the Noyes family, but was not a
bad looking child by any means
when I last saw him. How strange
it does seem to have you writing
about the snow. Your cold winter
weather makes me shiver. I will
accept your invitation to ride
God willing next summer am
so anxious to see those fine horses
you write about. Tell father &
Mother they must take the very
best of care of themselves so as to
be strong when I come. We have
had two beautiful days yesterday
and to day - seem delightful
after the bitter cold stormy
weather that preceeded I do
not think Mrs Happer will go
home in the Spring although
she would very much like to do so
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
I hope the dear old home on the hill will be large
enough for the five girls this summer I thrill all over
sometimes when
I think that in three
months more I
will be at home
The str which
takes me leaves
San Francisco
in two weeks.
Mary must
not get [u]thin[/u]
with her mis-
sion band.
Perhaps I
can help
her a little
bye and bye
Lovingly
M. Noyes
坎顿 1881 年 3 月 21 日
我亲爱的克拉拉和玛丽
我会在一张纸上写信给你们，
以节省开支，
今天我是个写信慢的人。
阿萨姆正在给我做一件法兰绒包装[无法辨认]，
她认为这不是非常漂亮，
我同意她的看法，
最好是今天下午她设法打断了我，
所以我似乎没有做太多事情。
我现在让她做扣眼，
这样她就可以安静地吃米饭了有些方法，
但似乎没有找到她的方式进入光明 我们的一位圣经女性 S Yai 看起来像母亲的那个人病得很重，
所以我们担心她不会活不过很短的时间。
我永远不能要求她的生活，
似乎她离开会很好。
两位医学女性开始定期练习，
进展顺利。
前几天，
一位官员的妻子派人去找克尔医生，
但当他去的时候，
发现她患有某种疾病，
需要进行一次艰难的手术才能缓解。
当她发现需要什么治疗时，
她拒绝让他去做，
他派了他们的一个女人，
在他的指导下，
经过三四次就诊，
就能治愈女人。
有女人练习会很好。
希望以后有更多想学医的人再见了嘛，
虽然由于各种原因，
学生人数还不是很多，
但“神学院”终于开学了。
我们有没有告诉过你，
我们在本学期开始时制定了一个新计划，
即每个学生应该带 1.00 美元。
它似乎对那些来的人很有吸引力。
几乎每个人都及时付款，
但我们听说它使一些人无法申请。
他们把故事夸大了，
每个学生每月支付 1.58 美元，
其中一位传教士前几天晚上告诉我们，
他们很快就会明白这个故事的真相。
你说的是我们的第二个小侄子。
我必须承认一个惊人的事实，
自从他出生以来只见过这位年轻的绅士两次，
但希望在我离开广州之前至少能再看一眼他。
由于某种原因，
见到孩子们并不是一件很容易的事，
然后我去年秋天一直离开到 10 月，
从那以后就再也无法去亨利家了。
祈祷周的星期二，
他现在穿着短裙。
我认为与诺耶斯一家没有太大的相似之处，
但我上次见到他时无论如何都不是一个难看的孩子。
你写下雪是多么奇怪啊。
你寒冷的冬天让我不寒而栗。
我会接受你的邀请，
让上帝愿意明年夏天骑马，
我非常渴望看到你写的那些好马。
告诉父亲和母亲，
他们必须照顾好自己，
以便在我来时变得坚强。
昨天和今天我们度过了美好的两天——在之前的寒冷暴风雨天气之后看起来很愉快我不认为哈珀夫人会在春天回家，
尽管她非常想这样做一个]
我希望山上亲爱的老家今年夏天能容纳五个女孩 有时当我想到再过三个月我就会在家的时候，
我会激动不已 带我去的 str 两周后离开旧金山.
玛丽不能因为她的传教带而变得瘦弱。
也许我可以帮助她一点再见和再见可爱的
M. Noyes
My dear Clara & Mary
I will economize
by writing to you both on
one sheet, am a slow letter
writer to day. Asam is ma-
king me a wrapper flannel
[illegible] she does not think is
remarkably pretty and I agree
with her, best she has managed
to interrupt me this afternoon
so often I do not seem to have
done much. I have set her
now to making the button
holes which will keep her
quiet until time to eat rice
Well as Hattie and I say
she saves us a good deal
of time I so wish she would
become a Christian - she is
such a nice woman in
some ways but does not seem
to find her way into the light
One of our bible women
S Yai the one that looks like
Mother is very ill, so ill we
fear she will not live but a
short time. I cannot ever
ask for her life it seems as if
it would be so nice for her to
go. The two medical women are
getting on nicely beginning
regular practise. The other day
a mandarin's wife sent for Dr
Kerr but when he went found
her suffering from something
that required rather a trying
operation to relieve. When she
found out what treatment was
necessary she refused to have
him do it and he sent for one
of there women who under his
instruction was able after three
or four visits to cure the woman
It will be very nice to have
women to practise. I hope there
will be some more bye and bye
who will want to study medicine
Well the "Semmary" is at last in
operation although the number
of pupils owing to various causes
is not yet very large. Did we
tell you we set a new plan on
foot at the beginning of this
term namely that each pupil
should bring$1.00. It has seemed
to work to a charm with those
that have come. almost every
one has paid in promptly
but we hear that it keeps some
from applying. They have the
story exagerated to the tune of
every pupil paying$1.58 per
month one of the missionaries
was telling us the other night
Well they will soon get the
straight of story. You speak of
our second little nephew. I
must confess to the astonishing
fact of having seen the young
gentleman but twice since
his birth, [--and--] but hope to get a
glimpse of him at least once
more before I leave Canton. It
is not a very easy matter to see
the children for some reason or
other, then I was away last Au-
tumn until Oct and have not
been able to go up to Henry's since.
Tuesday of the week of prayer
he is now short dresses. I
think does not greatly resemble
the Noyes family, but was not a
bad looking child by any means
when I last saw him. How strange
it does seem to have you writing
about the snow. Your cold winter
weather makes me shiver. I will
accept your invitation to ride
God willing next summer am
so anxious to see those fine horses
you write about. Tell father &
Mother they must take the very
best of care of themselves so as to
be strong when I come. We have
had two beautiful days yesterday
and to day - seem delightful
after the bitter cold stormy
weather that preceeded I do
not think Mrs Happer will go
home in the Spring although
she would very much like to do so
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
I hope the dear old home on the hill will be large
enough for the five girls this summer I thrill all over
sometimes when
I think that in three
months more I
will be at home
The str which
takes me leaves
San Francisco
in two weeks.
Mary must
not get [u]thin[/u]
with her mis-
sion band.
Perhaps I
can help
her a little
bye and bye
Lovingly
M. Noyes
坎顿 1881 年 3 月 21 日
我亲爱的克拉拉和玛丽
我会在一张纸上写信给你们，
以节省开支，
今天我是个写信慢的人。
阿萨姆正在给我做一件法兰绒包装[无法辨认]，
她认为这不是非常漂亮，
我同意她的看法，
最好是今天下午她设法打断了我，
所以我似乎没有做太多事情。
我现在让她做扣眼，
这样她就可以安静地吃米饭了有些方法，
但似乎没有找到她的方式进入光明 我们的一位圣经女性 S Yai 看起来像母亲的那个人病得很重，
所以我们担心她不会活不过很短的时间。
我永远不能要求她的生活，
似乎她离开会很好。
两位医学女性开始定期练习，
进展顺利。
前几天，
一位官员的妻子派人去找克尔医生，
但当他去的时候，
发现她患有某种疾病，
需要进行一次艰难的手术才能缓解。
当她发现需要什么治疗时，
她拒绝让他去做，
他派了他们的一个女人，
在他的指导下，
经过三四次就诊，
就能治愈女人。
有女人练习会很好。
希望以后有更多想学医的人再见了嘛，
虽然由于各种原因，
学生人数还不是很多，
但“神学院”终于开学了。
我们有没有告诉过你，
我们在本学期开始时制定了一个新计划，
即每个学生应该带 1.00 美元。
它似乎对那些来的人很有吸引力。
几乎每个人都及时付款，
但我们听说它使一些人无法申请。
他们把故事夸大了，
每个学生每月支付 1.58 美元，
其中一位传教士前几天晚上告诉我们，
他们很快就会明白这个故事的真相。
你说的是我们的第二个小侄子。
我必须承认一个惊人的事实，
自从他出生以来只见过这位年轻的绅士两次，
但希望在我离开广州之前至少能再看一眼他。
由于某种原因，
见到孩子们并不是一件很容易的事，
然后我去年秋天一直离开到 10 月，
从那以后就再也无法去亨利家了。
祈祷周的星期二，
他现在穿着短裙。
我认为与诺耶斯一家没有太大的相似之处，
但我上次见到他时无论如何都不是一个难看的孩子。
你写下雪是多么奇怪啊。
你寒冷的冬天让我不寒而栗。
我会接受你的邀请，
让上帝愿意明年夏天骑马，
我非常渴望看到你写的那些好马。
告诉父亲和母亲，
他们必须照顾好自己，
以便在我来时变得坚强。
昨天和今天我们度过了美好的两天——在之前的寒冷暴风雨天气之后看起来很愉快我不认为哈珀夫人会在春天回家，
尽管她非常想这样做一个]
我希望山上亲爱的老家今年夏天能容纳五个女孩 有时当我想到再过三个月我就会在家的时候，
我会激动不已 带我去的 str 两周后离开旧金山.
玛丽不能因为她的传教带而变得瘦弱。
也许我可以帮助她一点再见和再见可爱的
M. Noyes
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Kerr, Martha Noyes, “Letter from Mattie to Clara and Mary, March 21, 1881,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 20, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/555.