Letter from Hattie to Mary, July 10, 1871

Letter from Hattie to Mary, July 10, 1871

Letters; Post-office boxes; Missionaries; Salaries; Wage differentials; Wages--Men; Wages--Women

In this letter to her sister Mary, Harriet Noyes writes about letters from home, and a box sent from China to home. Harriet also discusses the salaries of the missionaries, including the specific salaries of a single lady, single man, child, and married man. She writes about her hopes to go on a trip now that Henry's salary has been raised. Harriet concludes the letter by discussing the beauty and/or handsomeness of the missionaries in China.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #1

Unpublished

1871-07-10

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_056

Canton China
July 10th 71 -
My dear Mary,
I find that I have
not written to you since last April
so this letter shall be yours. You
are such a good correspondent and
remember us so well it is too bad
so many of your letters go unanswered
The letters that the last mail brought
us were written too near the 24th
of April for me to get any of them
but I had the reading of them
nevertheless. We are so glad and
[u]thankful[/u] to hear that dear Father
was better hope he is quite well and
strong by this time.
I am glad you got the little box
we sent you all right. I wish we
could send you more of the pretty
things they have here some of them
very cheap too. I dont remember
whether I told you at the time
that the expense of the whole box
was almost $10.00 (ten dollars) so you
see we did'nt have to pay several
dollars apiece for the fans. The little
white ones were about 20 cts and the
sandal wood about 14cts apiece

If you could have seen me when I
was packing the box you would perhaps
understand better how we "could get
so many things in so little room".
We thought the box was plenty large
enough but when we came to put
the things in changed our minds
I worked over it from 6 o clock till
10 PM taking the things out and
putting them in again trying them
in every conceivable way until at
last perseverance insured a measure
of success, but I feared some of the
things would be spoiled by being
so crowded. You want to know
about the "salary question". Well
this mail brought the action of the
Board. They have raised the
salary of a married man to $900.00
each child $100.00 a single man
$600.00 and a single lady's is
not [u]lowered[/u] as requested but remains
$400.00. I suppose all will feel pretty
well satisfied with the equalization.
Although it may be some will think
2/3 of a man's salary is not ^[a] small
enough proportion ^[for a lady] I am [u]entirely[/u]
satisfied for it is plenty + I would
much rather feel that I was getting

[Note: Vertically written between page 2 and 3]
Dr Talmage is the brother of T De Witt Talamage and from
all we hear I expect we shall enjoy a visit there much. We feel
quite acquainted now mutual friends and
I have brought a good many things for her.

less than is just than more.
You will see Henry's salary and
mine together now amounts to $1000.00
We have talked a good deal about my
going up to Synod at Ningpo next fall
with Henry but did not how it would
be. Of course I would expect to pay my
own expenses. Now that Henry's salary
is raised $66.00 and mine [u]not lowered[/u]
I think we can easily save the money
I have always wanted to go up the
coast sometime and I feel as though
I would so much rather go this year
than any other time for [--the--] next year
Mrs Ashmore of Swatow and Dr Talmage
+ wife of Amoy the people we want
to visit at those two places are going
home and there I should'nt care
near so much to go. Mrs Goddard
(Fannie Dean) I should stay with
while in Ningpo and I count her a
[u]very dear[/u] friend although I have
known her such a short time.
I am afraid the Happers may
not think it is quite the thing for
me to go but I am sure none of the
rest of the Mission would say anything
about it and very likely they would
not either. Mrs Kerr said she thought
it would be very nice for me to go if I

would be sure and come back.
If I do go I shall expect to [u]enjoy[/u]
it [u]ever so much[/u] it will be so nice
to get acquainted with all the
missionaries. By the way I must
tell you how our Canton Mission
was complimented by the Corbetts
the gentleman part of the Mission
not the [u]ladies[/u] remember. Mrs Corbett
said they were surprised to find
them all such good looking people
each one a [u]fine looking man[/u] said
that no other mission in China could
compare with them in looks.
And better than all she thought
your brother Henry the best looking
one among the Canton missionaries.
Only think of it the Canton Mission
at the head of China in point of [u]beauty[/u]
and Henry at the head of the Canton
mission. Wont it be something to go
to Synod in company with the best
looking man in the whole assemblage.
You will perhaps think that he
must have changed very much since
he left home. You need not think
that and you must not think either
that the Chinese missionaries are remarkably
homely people. If I go to Synod
next fall I will tell you how
it is. With love for all from
Your loving sister Hattie.

中国广州
1871年7月10日
我亲爱的Mary，
我发现自从去年四月，
我已经很久没有给你写信了，
所以这封信就算写给你的。
你回复得那么好，
也那么清楚地记得我们
我已经有很多没有回复的信了。
之前的信是4月24日写给我的，
/
/
但是我已经读了。
我们很高兴也很感激
/
收到父亲这段时间恢复健康更强壮了。
/
我很高兴你收到了我们给你的小盒子。
/
我希望我们可以寄给你更多，
我们在这边买的，很便宜。
我不记得
我是否告诉你
这个盒子将近10美元，
/
因此你可以看出来，
我们不需要付风扇的钱。
那个小白的20分左右，
那个木头做的凉鞋14分。

如果你能看到我在打包这个盒子，
你也许就会更好的明白，
我们怎么把这么多东西塞进这么小的空间里。
/
我们觉得这个盒子足够大，
但是我们放进去东西以后，
我们改变了主意。
我从早上六点到晚上十点一直在处理这个箱子，
把东西拿出来，
然后放进去，
坚持把所有东西以一个安全的方式保存好，
我们成功了，
但是我担心有些东西会被挤坏。
/
你想知道工资的问题。
/
这个邮包会带给你答案的。
他们的工资涨了
那个已婚男人涨到了900美元，
每个孩子100美元，
一个单身男人600美元，
一个单身女人的工资没有低于她的要求，但是剩下400美元。
我认为他们会很满意这样的平等。
/
即使有些人认为
一个男人工资的2/3不够
我对这数量很满意，
/
我感觉我可以让Talmage医生来参观这个地方，

[Note: Vertically written between page 2 and 3]
【纵向书写】
他是T De Witt医生的哥哥。
/
我们现在很熟悉彼此的朋友，
我给她带来了很多好事，

比坏事少。
你会知道Henry的工资和我的工资总共有1000美元。
/
我们商量了一个很好的主意，
关于我明年秋天和他去宁波的教会会议，
但是没有说怎么办。
当然，我会自己付我的费用。
现在Henry的工资涨了66美元，
我的没有降低。
我认为我们可以攒下来一些钱，
我总是想有时候多花一点，
而且我总是觉得
我今年走比任何时候走都要好。
明年，
汕头的Ashmore太太和厦门的Talmage夫妇
是我们想要拜访的人们，
在这两个地方我们要回家，
而且我不应该觉得太近。
我在宁波的时候，
我应该和Goddard太太(Fannie Dean)待在一起，
而且我把她当成很好的朋友，
即使我和她认识时间很短。
/
我恐怕Happer夫妇不想到我会去，
/
但是我确定组织里没有人会说什么，
/
而且他们也不会。
Kerr太太说她认为
如果我确定回来，

那会很好。
如果我去，我认为我会很享受，
认识所有的传教士是很好的事情。
/
顺便说一下，
我一定要告诉你
广州的组织被一个男士部的人Corbetts称赞，
/
他不是女性组织的人。
Corbett太太说，
她很惊讶看到男士都这么好看
还说了在中国没有其它的组织和我们的比，
因为他们都没有我们的人好看。
/
比这还好的是，
她认为你的哥哥Henry是最好看的驻广州传教士。
/
只是想想广州的组织
在中国处于颜值顶端，
Henry还是广州组织的第一。
这难道不是教会的最好看男士的聚集吗？
/
/
你可能认为，
他离开家以后一定变化很大。
你不需要这么想，
而且一定不要认为驻中国传教士们是多么不好看的人。
/
如果我明年去教会会议，
我会告诉你它怎么样。
送去满满的爱，
爱你的姐姐

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