Letter from Hattie to Mother, January 10, 1872
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Mother, January 10, 1872
Subject
Friendship; Interior decoration; Gifts; Newspapers
Description
Harriet writes to her mother, first apologizing for not writing on New Year's Day and then describing how she walked three miles to and from Mr Gibson's at Henry's encouragement that she take more exercise. She mentions being sad that their new house is too far to host prayer meetings regularly and her fear that being so happy on vacation would lead to only bad news at home. She then discusses the gifts that the other missionaries left in her and Henry's new home as a surprise and how much those gifts will help her and Henry decorate their house now that they can afford non-necessities. She mentions being grateful for the kindness of the other missionaries and contrasts it with the atmosphere in Seville. Harriet closes by asking about the newspapers her mother receives and asking that she send them the Independent if it is convenient and "Woman's work for Woman" as well.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #1
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1872-1-10
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_072
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
JanY 10th 1872
My own dear Mother,
I wrote the last
letter of 1871 to Father and intended
to write to you the first of 1872
on New Year's day but did not
get it done. I suppose however you
will not care much [u]when[/u] the letter
is written if it is only written.
We have just returned from the
meeting which to-day was held
at Mr Gibsons clear down to the
"other end" three miles away and
I walked down and back and
intend to walk down to Mr Prestons
(a mile) and back this eve as it
is prayer meeting evening. Dont
you think I am equal to a pretty
long walk. Henry has set out
with renewed determination since
our return from the North that
I [u]must[/u] take exercise but I dont
like to take the time although
I know it is right. If we could
take our daily exercise on horseback
it would be rather more inviting
This is the week of prayer the
first meeting on Monday was
held in our house and it did
seem [u]so nice[/u] to have a meeting
in our house once more.
I did use[--d--] to enjoy it so much
when we were living down at the
other house and it was one of
our chief regrets in leaving there
that we must give them up as this
is not so central a location.
And now I must tell you how
many things conspired to make
our return from our [u]delightful[/u]
visit to the North happier than
we had dreamed it could be.
In the first place we went right
to Mr Prestons + saw them all
looking so bright and happy, the
McChesneys too were there in our
old house and everybody seemed
so glad to see us back again.
Then when we came up to
our house there was such a nice
lot of letters and all good news.
I had thought many times while
we were away that it seemed as
though we were almost [u]too[/u] happy
and that perhaps ^when we got back +
read our letters they would bring
us some sad news that would
cast a shadow backward over all
those happy weeks, but we found
only sunshine in the letters. I had
not said anything of my feelings
to Henry until afterward and
then found that he had had
the same thoughts. How faithless
we are, almost afraid to take the
happiness God gives us for fear it
may not be lasting and yet it is
not strange for it is all so undeserved.
There was a delightful surprise
in store for us when we reached
our own dwelling. As we opened
the hall door we saw a [u]beautiful[/u]
marble topped table with two large
vases and a letter enclosing [u]thirty[/u]
dollars and asking us to accept
all from the Canton missionary
community as a token of their
appreciation of our kindness in
opening our house for the Sat
eve service. I will copy their letter
and Henry's reply and enclose.
so that you may see what good
friends we have in [u]Canton[/u]
Seville is a very small part of the
wide wide world, and some of its
inhabitants are {I went and asked
Henry whether I had better write
what I wanted to and he said
contemptible was a very strong word
so I will leave you to finish out the
sentence as you like. and I will
return to the other subject which is
a more pleasant one. The articles
that they got for us were [u]exactly[/u] what
we had been wishing for but had
just made up our minds to do without
for a while. The large vases are to stand
on the floor by the mantle we had
sometimes wished for them but did
not expect to get them as they are not
among the "necessaries of life." Then
when we moved into this house which
has a very nice wide hall we needed
very much a table for it but never
dreamed of having anything half
so nice. and then to have it as a
gift from our dear missionary friends
increases its value a [u]thousand[/u] fold.
There were two more articles of furniture
that we wanted very much a
bureau for both our bedrooms.
As we were coming up from Mr Prestons
to our house the eve we returned
I asked Henry if he thought we
could get them this winter and
he said that we had spent so
much this fall that he thought we
must let them go for the present.
But the thirty dollars with the
addition of four more made it
all right and so we have our
bureaus after all. I dont know
whether you can imagine how
nice all this seems to us, that they
should have felt like doing it for
us, does us more good than anything
else. Mr Preston told Henry that
"if it had been for some folks
people would perhaps felt very
poor but we were so popular
that as soon as it was suggested
it went like hot cakes." Dont
think me vain, I write this because
I know you will like to read
it and when I think of the
many precious friends that God
has give me both in America
and here I think that my
heart is too full of thankfulness to
leave much room for vanity.
There was one thing more and
that was the box from home.
The next eve we went down to
Mr Nevin and when we came
home and opened it we found
all the nice things that your love
had sent us. The box certainly contained
a great deal that was precious and
valuable to us although we do not [u]need[/u]
such reminders to help us recall the
dear ones at home. The views from
you and Father make quite an addition
to our collection + the gloves you sent
will come in place. I think Henry
wrote to you about the Independent
I dont know whether you will care
for it. or not . If it is'nt worth to you
the cost of postage to send it to
China send us word and we
will have it mailed direct here
next year. What papers are you
taking now. We have the Presbyterian
that seems No [number] one for Presbyterian
families. I wonder if you get
"Woman's work for Woman," published
by the Ladies Society. It is fifty cents
a year if you want it send to
Mrs S C Perkins
1334 Chestnut St
Philadelphia
If I write anything for any paper
it will be for this. I rejoice most
[u]fully entirely + heartily[/u] in the
"woman movement" in our church
with regard to mission , .
Now I must say goodbye with
warmest love for all the home
circle. Your aff [u]daughter[/u]
Hattie
中国广州
1872 年 1 月 10 日
我亲爱的妈妈，
我写了 1871 年的最后一封信给父亲，
打算在 1872 年的第一天元旦写给你，
但没有写完。
但是，
我想如果只是写信，
那么您在写信时不会太在意。
我们刚从今天在吉布森先生举行的会议回来，
到三英里外的“另一端”，
我走来走去，
打算走到普雷斯顿先生（一英里），
并在这个前夜返回晚上是祷告会。
你不觉得我等于走了很长一段路。
自从我们从北方回来后，
亨利再次下定决心，
我必须锻炼，
但我不喜欢花时间，
尽管我知道这是对的。
如果我们可以在马背上进行日常锻炼，
那就更有吸引力了。
这是祈祷的一周，
星期一的第一次会议在我们家举行，
再次在我们家举行会议似乎真是太好了。
当我们住在另一所房子里时，
我确实非常享受它，
这是我们离开那里的主要遗憾之一，
我们必须放弃它们，
因为这不是一个如此中心的位置。
现在我必须告诉你，
有多少事情合谋使我们从愉快的北方之行归来比我们想象的更快乐。
首先，
我们直接去找普雷斯顿先生，
看到他们看起来都那么开朗和快乐，
麦克切斯尼一家也在我们的老房子里，
每个人似乎都很高兴见到我们再次回来。
然后，
当我们来到我们家时，
收到了非常多的信件和所有的好消息。
在我们离开的时候，
我曾多次想过，
我们似乎几乎太幸福了，
也许当我们回来阅读我们的信时，
他们会给我们带来一些悲伤的消息，
这会给那些快乐的几周投下阴影，
但是我们在信件中发现只有阳光。
直到后来我才对亨利说出我的感受，
然后发现他也有同样的想法。
我们是多么的不忠，
几乎不敢接受上帝赐给我们的幸福，
因为害怕它可能不会持久，
但这并不奇怪，
因为这一切都是不应该的。
当我们到达自己的住所时，
有一个惊喜等着我们。
当我们打开大厅的门时，
我们看到一张漂亮的大理石台面桌子，
上面放着两个大花瓶和一封信，
里面装有三十美元，
并要求我们接受广州传教士社区的所有东西，
以表示他们感谢我们在星期六为我们打开房子的善意平安夜服务。
我将抄写他们的信和亨利的回信并附上。
这样您就可以看到我们在塞维利亚州的好朋友只是广阔世界的一小部分，
其中一些居民是{我去问亨利我是否最好写下我想要的东西，
他说可鄙的是一个非常强烈的词，
所以我会让你随心所欲地完成这个句子。
我将回到另一个更令人愉快的主题。
他们为我们提供的文章正是我们一直希望的，
但我们刚刚下定决心暂时放弃。
大花瓶将放在地板上，
我们有时希望得到它们，
但没想到会得到它们，
因为它们不是“生活必需品”。
然后，
当我们搬进这所房子时，
它有一个非常漂亮的宽敞大厅，
我们非常需要一张桌子，
但从来没有想过有这么好的东西。
然后从我们亲爱的传教士朋友那里得到它作为礼物，
它的价值增加了一千倍。
还有两件家具，
我们非常想为我们的两个卧室提供一个办公室。
当我们从普雷斯顿先生回到我们家的前夜，
我们回到家时，
我问亨利他是否认为我们今年冬天可以买到它们，
他说我们今年秋天花了很多钱，
他认为我们必须暂时让它们走。
但是三十美元加上另外四美元就可以了，
所以我们毕竟有我们的局。
我不知道你是否能想象这一切对我们来说是多么美好，
他们应该愿意为我们做这件事，
这对我们来说比什么都好。
普雷斯顿先生告诉亨利，
“如果是对某些人来说，
人们可能会觉得很穷，
但我们是如此受欢迎，
以至于一旦有人建议它就像热蛋糕一样。
”不要以为我虚荣，
我写这篇文章是因为我知道你会喜欢读它，
当我想到上帝在美国和这里给我的许多珍贵朋友时，
我觉得我的心充满了感恩，
无法留下太多空间为了虚荣。
还有一件事，
那就是家里的盒子。
第二天晚上，
我们去了内文先生那里，
当我们回到家打开它时，
我们发现了您的爱给我们带来的所有美好事物。
这个盒子当然包含很多对我们来说很珍贵和有价值的东西，
尽管我们不需要这样的提醒来帮助我们回忆家中的亲人。
您和父亲的意见为我们的收藏增添了不少乐趣，
您送来的手套也会到位。
我认为亨利写信给你关于独立我不知道你是否会关心它。
如果寄到中国的邮费对您来说不值得，
请给我们留言，
我们将在明年直接邮寄到这里。
你现在拿什么文件。
我们有长老会似乎是长老会家庭的第一名。
我想知道你是否收到了由女士协会出版的“Woman's work for Woman”。
如果你想寄给
1334 Chestnut St Philadelphia 的 S C Perkins 夫人，一年要 50 美分。
我为我们教会在宣教方面的“妇女运动”感到最完全和由衷的高兴。
现在，
我必须以最热烈的爱向所有家庭圈子说再见。
你的女儿，
海蒂
JanY 10th 1872
My own dear Mother,
I wrote the last
letter of 1871 to Father and intended
to write to you the first of 1872
on New Year's day but did not
get it done. I suppose however you
will not care much [u]when[/u] the letter
is written if it is only written.
We have just returned from the
meeting which to-day was held
at Mr Gibsons clear down to the
"other end" three miles away and
I walked down and back and
intend to walk down to Mr Prestons
(a mile) and back this eve as it
is prayer meeting evening. Dont
you think I am equal to a pretty
long walk. Henry has set out
with renewed determination since
our return from the North that
I [u]must[/u] take exercise but I dont
like to take the time although
I know it is right. If we could
take our daily exercise on horseback
it would be rather more inviting
This is the week of prayer the
first meeting on Monday was
held in our house and it did
seem [u]so nice[/u] to have a meeting
in our house once more.
I did use[--d--] to enjoy it so much
when we were living down at the
other house and it was one of
our chief regrets in leaving there
that we must give them up as this
is not so central a location.
And now I must tell you how
many things conspired to make
our return from our [u]delightful[/u]
visit to the North happier than
we had dreamed it could be.
In the first place we went right
to Mr Prestons + saw them all
looking so bright and happy, the
McChesneys too were there in our
old house and everybody seemed
so glad to see us back again.
Then when we came up to
our house there was such a nice
lot of letters and all good news.
I had thought many times while
we were away that it seemed as
though we were almost [u]too[/u] happy
and that perhaps ^when we got back +
read our letters they would bring
us some sad news that would
cast a shadow backward over all
those happy weeks, but we found
only sunshine in the letters. I had
not said anything of my feelings
to Henry until afterward and
then found that he had had
the same thoughts. How faithless
we are, almost afraid to take the
happiness God gives us for fear it
may not be lasting and yet it is
not strange for it is all so undeserved.
There was a delightful surprise
in store for us when we reached
our own dwelling. As we opened
the hall door we saw a [u]beautiful[/u]
marble topped table with two large
vases and a letter enclosing [u]thirty[/u]
dollars and asking us to accept
all from the Canton missionary
community as a token of their
appreciation of our kindness in
opening our house for the Sat
eve service. I will copy their letter
and Henry's reply and enclose.
so that you may see what good
friends we have in [u]Canton[/u]
Seville is a very small part of the
wide wide world, and some of its
inhabitants are {I went and asked
Henry whether I had better write
what I wanted to and he said
contemptible was a very strong word
so I will leave you to finish out the
sentence as you like. and I will
return to the other subject which is
a more pleasant one. The articles
that they got for us were [u]exactly[/u] what
we had been wishing for but had
just made up our minds to do without
for a while. The large vases are to stand
on the floor by the mantle we had
sometimes wished for them but did
not expect to get them as they are not
among the "necessaries of life." Then
when we moved into this house which
has a very nice wide hall we needed
very much a table for it but never
dreamed of having anything half
so nice. and then to have it as a
gift from our dear missionary friends
increases its value a [u]thousand[/u] fold.
There were two more articles of furniture
that we wanted very much a
bureau for both our bedrooms.
As we were coming up from Mr Prestons
to our house the eve we returned
I asked Henry if he thought we
could get them this winter and
he said that we had spent so
much this fall that he thought we
must let them go for the present.
But the thirty dollars with the
addition of four more made it
all right and so we have our
bureaus after all. I dont know
whether you can imagine how
nice all this seems to us, that they
should have felt like doing it for
us, does us more good than anything
else. Mr Preston told Henry that
"if it had been for some folks
people would perhaps felt very
poor but we were so popular
that as soon as it was suggested
it went like hot cakes." Dont
think me vain, I write this because
I know you will like to read
it and when I think of the
many precious friends that God
has give me both in America
and here I think that my
heart is too full of thankfulness to
leave much room for vanity.
There was one thing more and
that was the box from home.
The next eve we went down to
Mr Nevin and when we came
home and opened it we found
all the nice things that your love
had sent us. The box certainly contained
a great deal that was precious and
valuable to us although we do not [u]need[/u]
such reminders to help us recall the
dear ones at home. The views from
you and Father make quite an addition
to our collection + the gloves you sent
will come in place. I think Henry
wrote to you about the Independent
I dont know whether you will care
for it. or not . If it is'nt worth to you
the cost of postage to send it to
China send us word and we
will have it mailed direct here
next year. What papers are you
taking now. We have the Presbyterian
that seems No [number] one for Presbyterian
families. I wonder if you get
"Woman's work for Woman," published
by the Ladies Society. It is fifty cents
a year if you want it send to
Mrs S C Perkins
1334 Chestnut St
Philadelphia
If I write anything for any paper
it will be for this. I rejoice most
[u]fully entirely + heartily[/u] in the
"woman movement" in our church
with regard to mission , .
Now I must say goodbye with
warmest love for all the home
circle. Your aff [u]daughter[/u]
Hattie
中国广州
1872 年 1 月 10 日
我亲爱的妈妈，
我写了 1871 年的最后一封信给父亲，
打算在 1872 年的第一天元旦写给你，
但没有写完。
但是，
我想如果只是写信，
那么您在写信时不会太在意。
我们刚从今天在吉布森先生举行的会议回来，
到三英里外的“另一端”，
我走来走去，
打算走到普雷斯顿先生（一英里），
并在这个前夜返回晚上是祷告会。
你不觉得我等于走了很长一段路。
自从我们从北方回来后，
亨利再次下定决心，
我必须锻炼，
但我不喜欢花时间，
尽管我知道这是对的。
如果我们可以在马背上进行日常锻炼，
那就更有吸引力了。
这是祈祷的一周，
星期一的第一次会议在我们家举行，
再次在我们家举行会议似乎真是太好了。
当我们住在另一所房子里时，
我确实非常享受它，
这是我们离开那里的主要遗憾之一，
我们必须放弃它们，
因为这不是一个如此中心的位置。
现在我必须告诉你，
有多少事情合谋使我们从愉快的北方之行归来比我们想象的更快乐。
首先，
我们直接去找普雷斯顿先生，
看到他们看起来都那么开朗和快乐，
麦克切斯尼一家也在我们的老房子里，
每个人似乎都很高兴见到我们再次回来。
然后，
当我们来到我们家时，
收到了非常多的信件和所有的好消息。
在我们离开的时候，
我曾多次想过，
我们似乎几乎太幸福了，
也许当我们回来阅读我们的信时，
他们会给我们带来一些悲伤的消息，
这会给那些快乐的几周投下阴影，
但是我们在信件中发现只有阳光。
直到后来我才对亨利说出我的感受，
然后发现他也有同样的想法。
我们是多么的不忠，
几乎不敢接受上帝赐给我们的幸福，
因为害怕它可能不会持久，
但这并不奇怪，
因为这一切都是不应该的。
当我们到达自己的住所时，
有一个惊喜等着我们。
当我们打开大厅的门时，
我们看到一张漂亮的大理石台面桌子，
上面放着两个大花瓶和一封信，
里面装有三十美元，
并要求我们接受广州传教士社区的所有东西，
以表示他们感谢我们在星期六为我们打开房子的善意平安夜服务。
我将抄写他们的信和亨利的回信并附上。
这样您就可以看到我们在塞维利亚州的好朋友只是广阔世界的一小部分，
其中一些居民是{我去问亨利我是否最好写下我想要的东西，
他说可鄙的是一个非常强烈的词，
所以我会让你随心所欲地完成这个句子。
我将回到另一个更令人愉快的主题。
他们为我们提供的文章正是我们一直希望的，
但我们刚刚下定决心暂时放弃。
大花瓶将放在地板上，
我们有时希望得到它们，
但没想到会得到它们，
因为它们不是“生活必需品”。
然后，
当我们搬进这所房子时，
它有一个非常漂亮的宽敞大厅，
我们非常需要一张桌子，
但从来没有想过有这么好的东西。
然后从我们亲爱的传教士朋友那里得到它作为礼物，
它的价值增加了一千倍。
还有两件家具，
我们非常想为我们的两个卧室提供一个办公室。
当我们从普雷斯顿先生回到我们家的前夜，
我们回到家时，
我问亨利他是否认为我们今年冬天可以买到它们，
他说我们今年秋天花了很多钱，
他认为我们必须暂时让它们走。
但是三十美元加上另外四美元就可以了，
所以我们毕竟有我们的局。
我不知道你是否能想象这一切对我们来说是多么美好，
他们应该愿意为我们做这件事，
这对我们来说比什么都好。
普雷斯顿先生告诉亨利，
“如果是对某些人来说，
人们可能会觉得很穷，
但我们是如此受欢迎，
以至于一旦有人建议它就像热蛋糕一样。
”不要以为我虚荣，
我写这篇文章是因为我知道你会喜欢读它，
当我想到上帝在美国和这里给我的许多珍贵朋友时，
我觉得我的心充满了感恩，
无法留下太多空间为了虚荣。
还有一件事，
那就是家里的盒子。
第二天晚上，
我们去了内文先生那里，
当我们回到家打开它时，
我们发现了您的爱给我们带来的所有美好事物。
这个盒子当然包含很多对我们来说很珍贵和有价值的东西，
尽管我们不需要这样的提醒来帮助我们回忆家中的亲人。
您和父亲的意见为我们的收藏增添了不少乐趣，
您送来的手套也会到位。
我认为亨利写信给你关于独立我不知道你是否会关心它。
如果寄到中国的邮费对您来说不值得，
请给我们留言，
我们将在明年直接邮寄到这里。
你现在拿什么文件。
我们有长老会似乎是长老会家庭的第一名。
我想知道你是否收到了由女士协会出版的“Woman's work for Woman”。
如果你想寄给
1334 Chestnut St Philadelphia 的 S C Perkins 夫人，一年要 50 美分。
我为我们教会在宣教方面的“妇女运动”感到最完全和由衷的高兴。
现在，
我必须以最热烈的爱向所有家庭圈子说再见。
你的女儿，
海蒂
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Mother, January 10, 1872,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 20, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/127.