Letter from Hattie to Father and Mother, February 25, 1873

Letter from Hattie to Father and Mother, February 25, 1873

Missionaries; Girls' schools; American Methodist Missions (China); Health

Harriet tells her parents that Mr. and Mrs. Partridge transferred from the Bangkok mission to the one in Swatow. Mr. VanDoven came to visit from Amoy, but he has to abandon the mission due to problems in his eyesight. She informs that the girls' school is nearly full and that the American Methodists will start a mission in Canton in 1873. Harriet asks her parents to keep her posted on Frank's health. She enclosed photos of Lillie, Miss Shaw, and her and tells them that they call themselves Faith, Hope, and Charity.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1873-02-25

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_092

[u]Canton China.[/u] February 25[u]th[/u] 1873.
My dear Father + Mother,
I remember that I
wrote the last letter to you but as
I cannot write but one for this mail
I think must be for you. I have
only written [u]one[/u] letter for this mail
that is to Mrs McChesney Week before
last was the picnic, last week Mr
and Mrs Partridge from Bankok
were here and this week Mr VanDoven
from Amoy has been here.
Whenever we have company I
always feel that I must spend
all the time I can possibly
spare from my work with
them and then I am
obliged to leave them alone
a great deal. It is so different
at Dr Happers where there are
three or four and they can
take turns. Mr + Mrs Partridge
are transferred from the Bankok
mission to the one in Swatow so
that they will seem quite like
neighbors to us now. I am very

glad of the change we count them
among our good friends have kept
up an occasional correspondence
with them since we first met them
on their out four years ago.
They were the [u]first[/u] guests we entertained
after I begun housekeeping in China
but they were the [u]first[/u] of [u]many[/u].
Mr VanDoven is obliged to go home
and give up mission work on
account of the failure of his Eyesight
I am very sorry for him and
also for his sister who will remain
in Amoy. It must be a great
trial for them both. We have
also had a visit from Mr + Mrs
George of our mission in Siam
who stopped while here at Dr
Happer's. They are on their way
to their home in Pittsburgh.
I [u]hope some[/u] of these good
people may [/u]sometime[/u] pay
you a visit but I have about
ceased to [u]expect[/u] it. Last mail
we received a letter from Mr
and Mrs Farnham . He wrote
that he still hopes to pay you a

visit before leaving America.
Henry I hope has written to
you about "the Picnic ." It is so
late tonight that I will not try
to say anything about such a
voluminous subject except that
[u]everybody enjoyed[/u] every moment
of the time most [u]perfectly[/u] and [u]fully[/u]
and that nothing occured from
Monday morning to Sat evening
to mar our [u]perfect pleasure[/u].
It did me a world of good,
before I did not feel that the
vacation had rested me, and
not at all ready to go to work
again,but after our return
I felt "ready for action" ,
The school of girls is nearly
full seventeen and the rest
are promised .We have not
yet the full number of women
Mrs Grier writes that they
are going to be ready to
build our Ladies Home [u]this
year[/u]. which is good news
We learn that the American
Methodists are going to commence

a mission in Canton this
year. If we keep on we shall
have a pretty large missionary
community soon. But there
is work enough for all that
will come.
I feel [u]so sorry[/u] for poor Clara
I hope that her thumb will
get so that she can use it
again. please some one
write [u]very particularly[/u] about it.
We always want to know the
[u]particulars[/u] with regard to any
ailments that any of you
have. and please write about
Frank's health. It is a long [u]long[/u]
time since he has written
to us. We have been hoping
to hear from Matt but have
not for several mails. I enclose
photos of Lillie Miss Shaw + I. I
dont know whether I have ever told
you that we call ourselves Faith Hope
+ Charity. They are taken from two
negatives you will see a slight
difference. Miss Shaw's does not do
her justice. Now I must close with
[u]much[/u] love for all from Your aff daughter
Hattie

中国广东。1873年2月25日
亲爱的父亲母亲，
我记得我之前想过给你们写一封信
但是我没有写
因为这次邮件我只能写一封信，我写给你们。
/
我在这个给McChesney太太的邮件里，
只写了这一封信，
之前的是野餐的事，
上周曼谷的Partridge夫妇来了，
这周厦门的VanDoven先生来了。
/
无论何时，我有人陪伴，
我总觉得我必须尽可能地
从工作中挤出时间
陪陪他们，
然后我就被迫离开他们
自己独处。
在Happer医生那就大不一样，
有三四个
他们可以轮班。
Partridge夫妇从曼谷的传教组织转过来
/
到汕头的一个组织，
所以他们更像是邻居。
我很高兴

我们的账本可以通过好朋友们有所改善，
他们保持回复
/
自从第一次见到他们的时候，
已经有四年了。
他们是我们第一波客人，
自从我开始管理中国的传教组织，
他们是众多客人的第一个。
VanDoven先生背迫回家，
并且放弃了传教组织的工作，
因为他的眼睛坏了。
我对他感到很惋惜，
也对他要留在厦门的姐姐惋惜。
对他们两个来说
是莫大的实验。
在暹罗传教组织的George夫妇
也拜访了我们，
他们在Happer医生这里停留了一段时间。
他们在回匹兹堡的路上。
/
我认为这些人回为你们回家的路费买单，
/
但是我停止期待了。
上一封信，
我们是从Farnham夫妇那里收到的。
他的信里说，
你们走之前，

他还是希望拜访你们一次。
Henry和我希望给你们写一封信
说说野餐的事情。
今天晚上太晚了，
以至于我无法说任何有关冗长的事情
除了所有人喜欢的时候是最好的
/
每时每刻都很充实，
而且周一到周六晚上
什么都没有发生，
让我们很高兴。
让我感觉很好，
之前我不觉得我的假期让我放松了，
/
也完全没有让我准备好去再次开始工作，
但是我们回来以后，
我觉得我准备好了，
学校里的女孩已经满17人了
而且剩下的也有保证。
我们还没有很多女人，
/
Grier太太写道，
她们今年准备好给我们修女人们的房子了。
/
这是个好消息。
我们听说美国的，
卫理公会要在广东

开始一个传教组织。
如果我们坚持，
我们会有一个庞大的社群。
但是有很多事情要做。
/
/
我对可怜的Clara感到很遗憾
我希望她可以快点得到大拇指
这样她就有的用了。
请你们写一些有关于她的事。
/
我们总是想通过一些片面的症状
来确定一些你有的小毛病。
/
请告诉我一些有关于Frank的健康状况。
从他上一次写信已经有很长时间了。
/
我们很想收到Matt的信息
但是还没有。
/
我把Lillie、Shaw小姐，我们三个的照片放进去。
我不知道我有没有告诉过你，
我们称我们自己为信心，希望和慈善。
用胶片洗出来的，
你们会发现不同。
Shaw小姐的照片不如现实中的漂亮，
我现在必须要在我给你们满满的爱中结束这封信了，
你们的女儿
Hattie 

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