Unsigned letter from Harriet to Father, November 8, 1867
Dublin Core
Title
Unsigned letter from Harriet to Father, November 8, 1867
Subject
Travel; Steamboats; Consumption (Disease)
Description
This is a letter from Harriet Noyes to her father from aboard the steamer, the Arizona. Hattie describes her fellow passengers, including the youthful appearance of those from California, as well as the 'consumptives' onboard. She also briefly describes the conditions aboard, such as the weather and meal schedule. Although it is not a complete letter, it is clearly attributable to Harriet when compared to other pieces in the Noyes collection.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #1
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1867-11-08
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_001
Coverage
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Arizona
Nov 8th /67-
My [u]Dear Father[/u]
As we will have an
opportunity of sending letters back
by the Arizona and I know you
will be glad to hear from me as
often as possible. I will write this
morning. I wrote a few lines
some days ^[since] hoping we might send
by the return steamer but we missed
of seeing her so that you will not
get that any sooner than this.
Today is our last day on board
the Arizona- this week has seemed
very short to me and has passed very
pleasantly I would so like to know
how it has been with all at home.
I wish I could look forward to
receiving letters from you at Aspinwall
but that cannot be but I know you
will not let me fail of hearing from
you at San Francisco. The weather
is very warm here - indeed it became
warm the second day out and now
it is quite sultry although we have
had a delightful breeze nearly all
the way which is quite unusual.
We have about 800 passengers on
board about 200 cabin passengers
There is considerable display of dress
I presume many of the passengers are
very wealthy. The table fare is
excellent our meals are breakfast at
1/2 past eight lunch at twelve &
dinner at 1/2 past four. We sit
at dinner from one to two hours
usually. At table I sit next Mr
Butler on one side & a gentleman from
San Francisco on the other & opposite
Dr Kerr Mr Knapp & Rev Mr Williams
from San Francisco. Mr Williams is
an elderly gentleman an OS Presbyterian
minister who founded the first OS
church in San Francisco but I believe
has given up preaching now. Mr Knapp
is a member of his church and a [u]very
pleasant[/u] gentleman reminds me a
little of Mr Beacom - although somewhat
older. I have noticed that the Californians
do not look as old at the same time
of life as people at the east. The lady
rooming with me Mrs Coley of San Francisco
looks very young I would not have guessed
that she was much my superior in years
until she told me that she has a son
of 18. Mr Knapp's oldest son is 26
and the gentleman on my left at table
after I had guessed his age at 35 told
me that he is 46. They account
for it as owing to their easy way of taking
life & I am inclined to think they
are right. There are a number of
invalids on board consumptives
seeking for relief from their disease that
they will never find. There is something
so saddening in seeing any one clinging
so to the life that is so surely slipping
from their grasp. The state room
next ours is occupied by a man & wife
from Ohio taking their only daughter
their last surviving child to California
in hopes that the change may benefit
her. They buried two of her brothers
within [--two--] six months of each other
last year dying with consumption
& it is only too evident that this their
last child cannot be with them
long. I can hardly realize that
it has been a week since I came
on board and that twelve days have
passed since I was with you in my
own dear childhood's home. Everything
seems like a dream, but I expect as
the novelty wears off I shall realize
in its fullest extent our separation
I always watch the stars come out
Nov 8th /67-
My [u]Dear Father[/u]
As we will have an
opportunity of sending letters back
by the Arizona and I know you
will be glad to hear from me as
often as possible. I will write this
morning. I wrote a few lines
some days ^[since] hoping we might send
by the return steamer but we missed
of seeing her so that you will not
get that any sooner than this.
Today is our last day on board
the Arizona- this week has seemed
very short to me and has passed very
pleasantly I would so like to know
how it has been with all at home.
I wish I could look forward to
receiving letters from you at Aspinwall
but that cannot be but I know you
will not let me fail of hearing from
you at San Francisco. The weather
is very warm here - indeed it became
warm the second day out and now
it is quite sultry although we have
had a delightful breeze nearly all
the way which is quite unusual.
We have about 800 passengers on
board about 200 cabin passengers
There is considerable display of dress
I presume many of the passengers are
very wealthy. The table fare is
excellent our meals are breakfast at
1/2 past eight lunch at twelve &
dinner at 1/2 past four. We sit
at dinner from one to two hours
usually. At table I sit next Mr
Butler on one side & a gentleman from
San Francisco on the other & opposite
Dr Kerr Mr Knapp & Rev Mr Williams
from San Francisco. Mr Williams is
an elderly gentleman an OS Presbyterian
minister who founded the first OS
church in San Francisco but I believe
has given up preaching now. Mr Knapp
is a member of his church and a [u]very
pleasant[/u] gentleman reminds me a
little of Mr Beacom - although somewhat
older. I have noticed that the Californians
do not look as old at the same time
of life as people at the east. The lady
rooming with me Mrs Coley of San Francisco
looks very young I would not have guessed
that she was much my superior in years
until she told me that she has a son
of 18. Mr Knapp's oldest son is 26
and the gentleman on my left at table
after I had guessed his age at 35 told
me that he is 46. They account
for it as owing to their easy way of taking
life & I am inclined to think they
are right. There are a number of
invalids on board consumptives
seeking for relief from their disease that
they will never find. There is something
so saddening in seeing any one clinging
so to the life that is so surely slipping
from their grasp. The state room
next ours is occupied by a man & wife
from Ohio taking their only daughter
their last surviving child to California
in hopes that the change may benefit
her. They buried two of her brothers
within [--two--] six months of each other
last year dying with consumption
& it is only too evident that this their
last child cannot be with them
long. I can hardly realize that
it has been a week since I came
on board and that twelve days have
passed since I was with you in my
own dear childhood's home. Everything
seems like a dream, but I expect as
the novelty wears off I shall realize
in its fullest extent our separation
I always watch the stars come out
在Arizona船上
1867年11月8日
亲爱的父亲
因为我有机会
把信从Arizonah号邮轮寄回，
而且我知道
您愿意
尽可能多收到我的来信。我会在今天早上
写了几行，
希望我们可以在
游轮返航的时候寄出，但是我们错过了
弄得您收不到
比这更早的信了。
今天是我们在船上的最后一天，
我感觉这一周过得很快
而且我很愉快。
我想知道您
和家里的情况。
我真心盼着您可以收到
我从Aspinwall寄来的信，
但是那不会发生，
我也知道你一定会让我收到您从旧金山的信。
在这里，天气和暖和——
当然第二天会变得更暖，
而且现在相当闷热，
即使我们这里有先有的缓缓的清风吹过。
船上，我们有800名乘客200名船员。
相当多的陈列品。
我猜很多乘客都很有钱。
桌游很好玩。
我们早餐8:30吃，
午餐12点吃，
晚餐4:30吃
而且通常一吃就一到两个小时。
餐桌上我旁边坐的是Butler先生，
同一边还有一个来自旧金山的男人，
另一边是Kerr博士
和Knapp先生，
然后另一面是Williams先生。
他来旧金山。Williams先生是
一个教堂老人
他是第一个在旧金山开创OS教堂的人
但是我相信
他已经放弃了传教。
Knapp是教堂成员并且是一个
很快乐的男人，想到
一点点关于Beacom的事情-
即使有一点点老。
我注意到加利福尼亚人民
看起来和他们的岁数不匹配
像东方人那样。这个组给我房子的女人
旧金山的Coley太太
看起来非常年轻。我不会想到
她比我大好多岁
直到她告诉我她有个18岁的儿子。
Knapp最大的儿子26岁
我左边的男人
在我猜他有35岁的时候，他告诉我
他46岁。他们未来让生活简单一点，描述他们欠了
多少
而我却认为他们不对。
在船上，有很多无效的消耗
寻找他们可以从疾病中释放
从没有找到。有很多事情
很让人伤心看到任何一个在生活中
挣扎的人重重的从他们抓紧
中摔倒。我们旁边那部分的房间
住着一个俄亥俄的男人和他的妻子
带着他们唯一的女儿
他们唯一活下来的女儿到了加利福尼亚
希望这个改变可以对她好。
他们（两个）六个月内埋了两个哥哥
相继
在去年大量消耗以后死去
而且非常确定
他们最后的孩子不能陪伴他们很长时间。
我真没想到1
最从我来到甲板上已经一周了
而且12 天已经过去
自从我从我童年的家离开您
已经12天了。所有事
看起来像一场梦，但是我期望
这新颖的消磨让我感觉
在它的完全加长我们的分离
我经常看着星星出来
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Unsigned letter from Harriet to Father, November 8, 1867,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 18, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/1.