Letter from Hattie to Mother, April 16, 1874
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Mother, April 16, 1874
Subject
Women--Education (Higher)--United States; Women--Education; Gifts; Travel; Weather; Aging; Weight gain; Kerr, J. G. (John Glasgow), 1824-1901; Happer, A. P. (Andrew Patton), 1818-1894
Description
Since leaving for their trip, the weather has not been great for walking. Lillie Happer is not in great health and will be attempting to recover for the rest of the summer in Japan. If she does not, she will go back to the United States. Harriet is still thinking about being home again. She misses her sisters, including Emily who has just graduated, and Mary and Clara who will be going to school soon. Emily didn't use the money that Henry and Harriet sent her, so she hopes the younger sisters will.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #1
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1874-04-16
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_115
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
North River
April 16th 1874.
My dear Mother,
It is getting almost dark
and the seventh day out from Canton.
They have just anchored for the
night and Henry has come in from
a walk on shore and suggests that
we go on shore for a walk regardless
of the rain and wind, We have
had only one nice day for walking
since we set out on our trip.
I wonder if any one else will tell
you that Lillie Happer is going
to spend the summer in Japan,
She is rather worn out and nervous,
and the Doctor's plan is to have her
go up there for the summer and
if that does not effect a cure to
come back to Canton for the
winter and then go home next
spring with Mary + Verdie.
We have heard some hints of Dr
Happer's going home then himself
but I do not think he contemplates
it. Time will show however.
Dr + Mrs Kerr expect to go home in '76
and I do not suppose they will
return as they intend to remain at
home until their children are
Educated and as Josie is only ten and
Hattie five it will probably be some
time before. their Education will be
completed. We are beginning to think
a good deal about our prospective visit
home. The last mail brought some
little pamphlets from the Mission Rooms
containing new regulations among
others that [u]great caution[/u] should be
used in coming to a decision to
return home when it is not on account
of health or for the education of children.
But I do not think they will refuse
us permission and I tell Henry we
can tell them our decision to return
home has not been made [u]hastily[/u]
but that we have been thinking
of the matter for [u]several years[/u].
I have no idea that they would
think of refusing Henry and as the
ladies attend to the matter of visiting
home for the missionaries they support
I am all right for my ladies wrote
me some time since that they
would be glad to see me when I
felt ready to come home.
"They say" that Henry is growing to
look more like Father and I like
Mother as we grow older. It always
seemed to me that I look more like
you than any of the other [u]"children"[/u].
Lucy says since we have started on this
trip and I am getting fatter that I
remind her sometimes of Em.
I do not know whether I ever wrote
how much pleased we were to see the
new photographs of the dear ones at
home that Mattie brought out with
her . They are a vast improvement on
the old ones we have cherished so
carefully. Our grasp of six sisters
of which we have felt rather proud
Mattie laughs at as being a caricature
of the sisterhood. Please tell Clara
that her picture is [u]very much[/u] admired
by all. We think Mary's is very pretty
indeed and Em's and Sarah's also.
We are very proud of them all.
I do so [u]long[/u] to see you all again.
The girls I know from what Mattie
and Lucy tell us I know must all
have changed very much during the
past six years. Em a graduate of
Wooster University and Sarah's praises
we hear from several sources. Clara
and Mary grown up to ""womanhood's"
estate. I suppose when Em finishes
at Wooster Clara and Mary will be
ready to go will they not? If they can
go I hope they will let us help them
in the matter of funds. Mattie says
she does not think you understand
fully about what we sent home for
Em and which I believe she did not
use. We have always allowed one tenth
of our salary to give away to benevolent
objects and it was that money we
sent her for we felt that it was quite
as good and proper a way of disposing of
it as to give it to the Educational Soc or
any other soc and like so many of
the people at home we [u]prefer[/u] a definite
object. So if Em has not used the
money we hope that Clara and Mary
will, as that is the purpose we would
best like to have it appropriated to.It is
not [u]ours[/u] at any rate and if they will
not have it we must find some other
object to devote it to. The premium on
it belongs with the principal. If however
Father has put it in land never mind
we will send another $100.00 in its place.
It will give us [u]real pleasure[/u] to help the
girls. If they can begin to study at
the commencement of the next school
year. I wonder if they will not be
able to learn [u]Enough[/u] by the time
we come home. Mattie and Lucy
are covering the paper so fast that I
think you will not read anything more
from me. They have both written already
six sheets closely covered.
[Note: Written sideways in the left hand margin]
With much love for all
from Your aff daughter Hattie
April 16th 1874.
My dear Mother,
It is getting almost dark
and the seventh day out from Canton.
They have just anchored for the
night and Henry has come in from
a walk on shore and suggests that
we go on shore for a walk regardless
of the rain and wind, We have
had only one nice day for walking
since we set out on our trip.
I wonder if any one else will tell
you that Lillie Happer is going
to spend the summer in Japan,
She is rather worn out and nervous,
and the Doctor's plan is to have her
go up there for the summer and
if that does not effect a cure to
come back to Canton for the
winter and then go home next
spring with Mary + Verdie.
We have heard some hints of Dr
Happer's going home then himself
but I do not think he contemplates
it. Time will show however.
Dr + Mrs Kerr expect to go home in '76
and I do not suppose they will
return as they intend to remain at
home until their children are
Educated and as Josie is only ten and
Hattie five it will probably be some
time before. their Education will be
completed. We are beginning to think
a good deal about our prospective visit
home. The last mail brought some
little pamphlets from the Mission Rooms
containing new regulations among
others that [u]great caution[/u] should be
used in coming to a decision to
return home when it is not on account
of health or for the education of children.
But I do not think they will refuse
us permission and I tell Henry we
can tell them our decision to return
home has not been made [u]hastily[/u]
but that we have been thinking
of the matter for [u]several years[/u].
I have no idea that they would
think of refusing Henry and as the
ladies attend to the matter of visiting
home for the missionaries they support
I am all right for my ladies wrote
me some time since that they
would be glad to see me when I
felt ready to come home.
"They say" that Henry is growing to
look more like Father and I like
Mother as we grow older. It always
seemed to me that I look more like
you than any of the other [u]"children"[/u].
Lucy says since we have started on this
trip and I am getting fatter that I
remind her sometimes of Em.
I do not know whether I ever wrote
how much pleased we were to see the
new photographs of the dear ones at
home that Mattie brought out with
her . They are a vast improvement on
the old ones we have cherished so
carefully. Our grasp of six sisters
of which we have felt rather proud
Mattie laughs at as being a caricature
of the sisterhood. Please tell Clara
that her picture is [u]very much[/u] admired
by all. We think Mary's is very pretty
indeed and Em's and Sarah's also.
We are very proud of them all.
I do so [u]long[/u] to see you all again.
The girls I know from what Mattie
and Lucy tell us I know must all
have changed very much during the
past six years. Em a graduate of
Wooster University and Sarah's praises
we hear from several sources. Clara
and Mary grown up to ""womanhood's"
estate. I suppose when Em finishes
at Wooster Clara and Mary will be
ready to go will they not? If they can
go I hope they will let us help them
in the matter of funds. Mattie says
she does not think you understand
fully about what we sent home for
Em and which I believe she did not
use. We have always allowed one tenth
of our salary to give away to benevolent
objects and it was that money we
sent her for we felt that it was quite
as good and proper a way of disposing of
it as to give it to the Educational Soc or
any other soc and like so many of
the people at home we [u]prefer[/u] a definite
object. So if Em has not used the
money we hope that Clara and Mary
will, as that is the purpose we would
best like to have it appropriated to.It is
not [u]ours[/u] at any rate and if they will
not have it we must find some other
object to devote it to. The premium on
it belongs with the principal. If however
Father has put it in land never mind
we will send another $100.00 in its place.
It will give us [u]real pleasure[/u] to help the
girls. If they can begin to study at
the commencement of the next school
year. I wonder if they will not be
able to learn [u]Enough[/u] by the time
we come home. Mattie and Lucy
are covering the paper so fast that I
think you will not read anything more
from me. They have both written already
six sheets closely covered.
[Note: Written sideways in the left hand margin]
With much love for all
from Your aff daughter Hattie
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Mother, April 16, 1874,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 26, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/170.