Letter from Hattie to Mother, November 6, 1873

Letter from Hattie to Mother, November 6, 1873

Postal Service; Missionaries; Methodist Church--Missions; Mail Steamers; Women

Harriet begins by apologizing for the small number of letters she can write before the mail steamer leaves in the morning, and notes that since there is no intermediate steamer that month the next set of letters they receive will likely include some from her sister Mattie (Martha). She also discusses how she intends to surprise Mattie by being in Hong Kong when she arrives, even though Harriet originally told her that she would stay behind. Harriet then describes the various Methodist missionaries that have visited or are visiting, with a focus on Dr. Waugh who has lived near her family around Ohio. Lastly, Harriet discusses Mattie's speech making and Dr. Lowrie's disapproval of women doing much more than mission work.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1873-11-06

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_105

Canton China
Nov 6[u]th[/u] 1873.
My dear Mother,
I have only a little
while this eve to write for the
mail which leaves to-morrow
morning so the number of letters
I send will be very limited
indeed. I am sorry it is so
as there is to be no intermediate
steamer this month so the
next package of letters you
receive from Canton will probably
contain some from Mattie.
We hardly know how to feel now
that the time is coming so
near when we may hope to
welcome them. I wrote to
Mattie that I would not go
down to Hong kong to meet
her but stay here to welcome
her to Canton . but Dr + Mrs
Eitel some good friends down
there have urged us so hard

to come down at that time
and make them a visit and
the prospect is so very inviting that
we have about concluded that
I must go Boarding School +c
to the [?contrary?] notwithstanding.
Lillie Happer is going down
a couple of weeks before for a little
visit and rest and I hope she
will arrange to stay until the
steamer comes in and then
there will be three "Cantonese"
to welcome our new missionaries,
rather unusual to have such
a large deputation to receive
them. I have not written
to Matt of the change in my
plans for I want to surprise
her [u]see if she will know me[/u].
We shall be very glad to have
a visit from Miss McCoffin.
Dr Happer received a letter by
this mail from "Brother Henry",
asking him to make arrangements
for him and his wife to board
for a month or two until

their things come which have
been sent by sailing vessel.
So I presume they will board
at Dr Happers and that will
be very pleasant for us all,so
many together. Their house is
about as far from ours as the
barn from the "house at home",
our house only between.
We have been having a very
pleasant visit from a company
of Methodist ministers. Bishop
Harris is making a tour of
inspection of the Methodist missions
Dr Waugh of the India mission
is on his way back to his field
of labor. Rev Messrs Spencer +
Houghton are making the
tour of [u]the world[/u] with the
Bishop and Mrs Kinsell
is a lady travelling in his care
Messrs Spencer and Houghton
stopped with us and the
rest of the party at Dr Happer's.

We enjoyed their visit [u]very much[/u]
indeed. Dr Waugh used to live
in Hudson + Bishop Harris' native
place is Mansfield. He was settled
in Wooster in '39 and has preached
in Seville remembered the [?Devins?]
family very well. Dr Waugh +
Messrs Spencer + Houghton were
all very fine singers and sang
beautifully together. We were rather
surprised and shall I not say
[u]delighted[/u] to hear of Matts attempts
at speech making in the first
church Cleveland. Are we not
living in "degenerate days". I think
if American women never do any
thing any more than doing all in
their power to help on the mission
work, "the world will be better for
it". I know Dr Lowrie does not much
approve of the new turn things are
taking and though it does not diminish
my love and reverence for him I cannot
help thinking sometimes of our Saviour's
words "Let [u]her alone[/u], why trouble ye
the woman." I am [u]so sorry[/u] the
Cleveland church could not have had
Mattie as their missionary.
[Note: Additional note written sideways in the left hand margin]
I wrote to Mrs Grier nearly two years ago that I hoped so much
if Mattie ever came out here it would be as their missionary

[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
I am so sorry that your ancle troubles you so much
When you
answer
this please
tell us
just how
it is.
Your loving daughter,
[u]Hattie[/u]

中国广东
1873年11月6日
亲爱的母亲，
我今天晚上只有一点点时间给您写信，
明天早上就要寄出了，
/
所以我写给您的信会比较少。
/
我很抱歉，
因为这个月没有区间轮船，
/
所以下一个从广东来的邮包
您很可能收到Mattie的一些东西。
/
现在，快到我们回家的时候了，
我们太兴奋了，
甚至不知道作何感想，
我给Mattie写信说，
我不会去香港见她了
/
但是在广东等她，
但是Eitel医生、Eitel太太
和这里的一些好朋友
都在很急地敦促我们

那个时候去，
并且去看看他们，
希望他们可以邀请我们，
/
我必须去一趟寄宿学校，
/
Lillie Happer几周前去看了看
/
剩下的时间，
我希望她可以好好休息，
直到跟着下一趟船回来，
然后会有3待在广东的传教士，
接待我们的新的传教士，
有这么大的欢迎团队是不寻常的。
/
我还没有给Matt写我改变的计划
/
我想给她一个惊喜，
看看她认不认识我，
我会很高兴McCoffin小姐拜访我们。
/
Happer医生从Henry兄弟那里收到了信，
/
叫他去给他和妻子规整，
他们要去一到两个月
/

直到他们的东西被运河送到。
/
所以我认为他们会到Happer医生家
/
会让我们很高兴，因为大家聚在一起。
他们的家离我们家的距离就像
我们房子离谷仓
那么远，
/
卫理公会的人拜访我们很愉快。
/
/
Harris主教带我们审查了卫理公会组织。
/
在印度传教的Waugh医生在回印度的路上。
/
Messrs Spencer和Houghton牧师
在组织和牧师以及Kinsell太太
环游世界，
她是在Spencer和Houghton的照料下
和我们一起旅游的，
/
她也参加过Happer医生的聚会。
/

我们确实被他们拜访感到很高兴。
Waugh医生过去常常住在Hudson，
Harris牧师是土生土长的Mansfield人。
他在39岁的时候被分配到了Wooster
/
他也在Seville传过教，
也很清楚地记得那边的家庭。
Waugh医生、Messers Spencer还有Houghton
唱歌很好听，
可以很好地合唱。
听到Matts第一次成功在克利夫兰教堂演讲时，
与其说我高兴，
不如说我惊喜。
/
我们没有生活在堕落的日子里。
我认为，
如果美国女人可以多做一点他们能做到的事，
帮助传教组织的发展。
世界就会变得更美好。
我知道Lowrie对于新的转变不是特别的赞同，
/
即使它不会减少我对次的爱和对他的崇拜，
/
我有时也会不受控制地想拯救者说的话，
”让她一个人吧“
我很抱歉，
克利夫兰教堂传教组织，
不能没有Mattie。
【注：剩余笔记，左侧书写】
两年前，我给Grier太太写了这些，
我特别希望Mattie可以过来，成为传教士的一员。

【边缘书写】
我抱歉听说您的脚踝给您的生活带来很大麻烦
当您在看到这封信的时候
请您告诉我们
您的脚踝
现在
情况
怎么样了。
爱您的女儿
Hattie

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