Letter from Hattie to Father, April 10, 1872

Letter from Hattie to Father, April 10, 1872

Travel; Faith; Bible; Missionaries

Harriet jokes with her father about leading a prayer meeting in Henry's absence, which is possibly controversial given her gender and the current debates of the Presbyterian Church. She and Henry and very grateful for the opportunity to travel in Northern China earlier that year. She is sorry about the health concerns of the past year and looks forward to being home in '76. Harriet remains faithful in God's plan, regardless of struggles. She ends the letter but includes another note that they will not be receiving money for the new school building and that the Missionary Conference will again not be held at their home.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1872-4-10

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_078

Canton China
April 10th 1872
My [u] own dear Father [/u]
This was the evening
for our weekly prayer meeting +
our turn to have it. It is always
customary for the one at whose
house it is to lead the meeting
so as Henry is away in the country
they said I would have to take
his place. But I told them that
I had just been reading about
Dr [?Cuyer's?] trouble and as I had
no wish to get the Mission into
trouble I would resign in favor
of one of "the brethren" and stand
by the action of the Gen Assembly
of '32. this was all in fun of
course and perhaps you will
think it was rather a funny
prelude to a prayer meeting but
I expect put it all together we
dont have any more than our
share of fun on this side of the
water. I was so glad to get
your good long letter of Jan 16th
Before this you have received the
letters we went you in January

and have learned what a [u] delightful [/u]
time we had while away on our
trip to the North notwithstanding our
mishaps. We still look back to it
all as we always shall with feelings
of [u] deep pleasure [/u] and thankfulness
that we were permitted to enjoy
such a visit as well as for one
preservation from danger. It
was strange that you felt a
presentiment of it before receiving
the news was it not?! But I have
told Henry often that I believed
if anything dreadful should
happen to any of you at home
I should [u] feel [/u] it here without
receiving any word. My faith in
it was however rather shaken when
I did not know anything of all your
trouble last spring until the letters
came. I heard last eve of another
vessel that has gone down in our
track making the third since
ours struck and all three much
finer layer steamers than the
Eastern Isles. Although all three
went down very soon there was

time in each case for saving all
the passengers. I hope now that
spring is here again you will
entirely recover from the effects of
you illness. I look forward
to seeing you all again I can
hardly imagine what such a
meeting would be it seems as though
it would be almost "a joy too deep
for Earth," and yet I believe that
God will grant it to us some time
If it should be in '76 the years
that intervene would soon be past.
Life is so busy here it seems as though
we can hardly take note of time
as it flies by. I appreciate [?more them/their?]
I used the comparison of a [?weavers?]
shuttle. But I am so glad [u] so
glad [/u] to be here although as the
years go by I do not feel the seperation
from home and friends a [u] particle [/u]
less than I did at first. We
have often [u] longed [/u] during the year
that has past to ve with you and
have a good long talk it would be
so much better than writing. I
know that it has been a sad one
for you but "[u] All Time's shadows Earthward [/u] Cast
are [u] lights [/u] upon the ^ [u] other [/u] shore."

And [u] sometimes [/u] all that is dark [u] now [/u]
will be make plain and we shall
understand better than we do now
[u] why [/u] the Lord [u] chastineth [/u] whom he
[u] [?loveth?] [/u]. I wish you could hear a
sermon Henry preached not long since
from the Next "[u] [?Pant?] [/u] may plant
and [?Apollos?] water but [u] God [/u] giveth
the increase". I hope sometime he
will preach it in the Gilford Church.
He showed [--show--] clearly how [u] wicked [/u] it
is for those who when the Gospel message
is faithfully proclaimed and not
accepted will blame the messenger
instead of those to whom it is preached
for its not having its desired effect.
And also how often times God may
be glorified more by the one who labors
faithfully amid discouragements than
another who has more to [?chus?] him.
God's ways are not as our ways and
he judgeth [u] righteous [/u] judgement.
I often feel [u] so thankful [/u] that we
are to be judged at last by one who
knows [u] all [/u] all our wickedness, and,
failings, all our strivings, and wishes
to do better and more for his haven
+ glory. And now I must close with
ever so much love for my dear Father
from his aff daughter Hattie.

My dear Father
I will enclose here with
the letter Dr. [?Ellinwood?] wrote
us when they sent us word
that we could not have the
money at present for the school.
I do not know whether it will be
of any particular interest to you
or not. I do not think they did
[u] right [/u] in using up the money that
was given for the school for
something else, but I suppose it
only defers the matter for a while.
We have pretty good hope now
that we will have the new building
before the end of 1880 - and
perhaps we will enjoy having it all
the more from having has such
a long spell of "heart sickness"

from "hope deferred" This is a
[?rainny?] day the 4th of Feby
the [?rainny?] season seems to
have fairly commenced-
This eve the Missionary Conference
meets We expected to have
it this time but the Ridges
+ Dr Pairce bachelors in
the London Mission under took
it. It has been some
time since we have had
it- Mr Edge of the London
Mission reads a paper tonight
subject "Are we making progress"?
He is a man of about as
much ability as Mr Folsom
so I do not expect we shall
have a very brilliant paper
Ever your loving daughter
Hattie

中国广东
1872年4月10日
亲爱的父亲，
今天晚上是我们的祈祷会时间
我们准备去祈祷。
因为在谁家谁来领导会议是一个习俗，
/
/
而且Henry不在，
他们让我来领导会议。
但是我跟他们说，
我只是看到了关于Cuyer医生的麻烦，
/
而且我没有想去给传教组织添麻烦，
这一次我放弃了，让一个男人祈祷
/
然后看看32个人怎么样。
这当然会很有趣，
而且也许您会认为，
祈祷会之前，
它是一个很好玩的前奏，
但是我想把他放在一起，
我们这边没有那么多可以分享的乐趣。
/
我很高兴，
收到您在1月16日的时候写的这么长、这么好的信。
这之前您收到的信是我们1月写给您的，
/

而且我们去北方旅行中度过了很快乐的时光，
/
尽管有些倒霉的事。
我们始终都回头看看，
无论如何，我们的内心都充满快乐，
充满感激，
因为我们可以享受这样的参观，
我们被保护着，
不会有危险。
有点奇怪，
您是不是在收到信之前有不祥的预感？
/
但是我经常告诉Henry，
我相信如果有任何不愉快的事
发生在家里任何人身上，
我会感觉到而不需要被告知，
/
我有信心，
但是我不知道您去年春天有多大麻烦的时候，
我很惊讶，我收到信之前没有意识到，
我昨晚从另一条运河得知，
我们之前的三封信
/
比锡利群岛的更快到达。
/
即使那三条船沉的很快，
也有足够的时间拯救乘客。

/
我相信又到了春天了
您会从病痛中完全恢复过来。
/
我期待再一次见到大家，
/
我几乎想象不到，
再一次相见是什么样子，
会给我留下深刻的印象，
但是，
我相信神会准许我们的。
如果我们能在1876年回家，
那时间会过得很快。
这里的生活忙忙碌碌，
我们几乎不能记录下时间的流逝。
我感激，
我过去比较的纺车。
但是我很感激我在这，
即使一年又一年地过去，
我没有感觉到和朋友和家人的分离，
/
比我第一次离开家的时候好多了。
我们经常渴望回到过去的一年，
和家人团聚，
一起说说话，
比写信好多了。
我知道那对您来说很悲伤，
但是：所有影子投射在大地上
是彼岸的光。

有时候，所有灯光暗下来，
会变得寡淡无味，
而我们会更清楚地明白我们做的事，
为什么神保佑他爱的人。
我希望您可以听听说教，
Henry下一周的传教不长，
心灵会得到滋养。
/
我希望他可以在Gilford教堂传教。
/
他展示了不接受福音的人的邪恶，
/
/
/
而传教的人多渴望改变他们。
/
还有神可以多久让人崇拜一次？
/
/
/
神不会像我们一样清楚，
他的审判和公正。
我经常很安心上一次我们被一对一审判，
/
谁会知道我们的邪恶、失败与努力，
/
并且希望变得更好。
我必须要停下写信，
以送给父亲的爱收尾，
您的女儿Hattie。

亲爱的父亲
我要以Ellinwood医生给我们写的东西结束这封信，
/
他们跟我们说，
我们现在得不到钱
给学校。
我不确定您会不会感兴趣。
/
我认为他们没有把钱花在正确的地方，
/
应该花在学校建设蜂蜜，
但是我认为，
很快会有所改变。
我们现在有希望了，
1880年年底之前，
我们会有新楼，
而且我们会很享受新楼，
/
解决了我们的一块儿心病。

2月4日是个雨天，
/
看起来雨季要开始了。
/
今天晚上传教士们开会。
我们想这次开始，
但是Ridges和Parice医生
单独在伦敦组织。
/
我们开会，
已经一段时间了
驻伦敦的Edge先生今天晚上读报纸
/
标题是：“我们在进步吗？”
他的能力和Folsom先生一样，
/
所以我不期待我们会有个很好的论文。
/
爱您的女儿
Hattie

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