Letter from Hattie to Edward, April 24, 1874

Letter from Hattie to Edward, April 24, 1874

Travel; Vacations; Smallpox; Mail Steamers; Letters; Postal Service; Teaching; Language transfer (Language learning)

Harriet tells Edward that heir trip up the "North River" has ended and they got back to Canton two weeks ago. Harriet explains that they did not send any letters before because, according to Lucy, people in United States did not want to receive letters from places that had the smallpox. Dr. Happer offered Lin Sin Shang, a teacher that used to work for him but now works for Henry, three times more money than Harriet for half the work. Harriet is concerned because Lin Sin Shang wants the money to go study in United States. Henry wants ask professors in Wooster to help Lin Sin Shang.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1874-04-24

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_118

"North River"
April 24th 1874.
My dear Edward,
We are getting towards the
end of our trip up the North River
have seen the last of the rocks, and
hills, caves, and waterfalls, and
"come down into the world" again
as the Buddhist monks say. The
country all about Canton is painfully
flat and monotonous and it is quite
a relief to go away into the country
for a few days the air seems so
much fresher and purer Mattie's
journal will tell you about Every
thing that we have seen and
done during our trip of a fortnight
and I presume she will not have
forgotten to mention that it has
[u]rained[/u] Every-day since the first day
out. [u]"Nevertheless"[/u] we have visited all
the places of interest that were
included in our plan for the trip
going out in costumes that were
anything but beautiful. At this
point I laid aside my pen and now

we have been back in Canton
nearly two weeks, Words can hardly
tell our disappointment when we
returned to find that the American
mail which we thought would
be awaiting our return had not
come in and what was still
worse that there was more to come
in and nothing for us but to wait
two weeks more We had felt so
sure that there was an intermediate
steamer that we were wholly
unprepared for the disappointment
Lucy had been dreaming about
her letters nearly every night while
we were away. But we hope our
disappointments in this line are at
an end now for they have got some
more steamers in the line and
hereafter they are to run regularly
every two weeks [u]sure[/u]. I should'nt
wonder if we would find that the
new steamers make better time.
They are screw steamers the side
wheels have proved expensive and
slow. I am afraid you will have

felt anxious at home you will have
to wait so long for letters this time.
We would have sent you letters by
the mail a month since but Lucy
said that in America many people
were afraid of letters that came
from a "house that had the
small pox," and as we thought
there was sure to be an intermediate
mail we thought perhaps we
had better let it go over once.
I expect we have written to you
about our teacher Lin Sin Shang
who had seemed almost like a
member of the family Ever since I
have been here. He used to be
Dr Happer's teacher + when Dr Happer
came back from America he
wanted him back but he would
not leave us, now he is going away
to Hongkong to assist in the
publication of a Chinese newspaper
They have been trying to get him for
a long time and now they offer him
three times as much as we are giving
for about half as much work.

He is so anxious to get hold of funds
so that he can go to America and
study. We have thought a great deal
about how nice it would be if he could
go to America when we do and now
we find he has been thinking about
the same thing . Henry is going to write
to the Professors of Wooster to see if some
thing cannot be done to help him along.
He is trying so hard for an Education
it would seem too bad if no one
could be found to "give him a life"--
Some time since he [u]wrote[/u] out a dictionary
of 36,00 thirty six thousand words to
use in learning English. We have taught
him a little and I feel [u]so sorry[/u] that
we could not teach him more but
we were too busy. He is the [u]nicest
Chinaman[/u] I ever saw and I hope
sometime you may see him.
It seems as if one of the family were
going away and we shall miss him
[u]dreadfully[/u]. He is thirty-five years old
taught the training school for Dr Happer
for six years + has been Henry's teacher
seven years. It would be so nice I think
if he could go to Wooster.
Mattie is asleep and "my eyes want to
[Note: Written sideways on page one]
go shut" so I expect I had better say good-night and follow her
example Your aff sister Hattie.

北江
1874年4月24日
我亲爱的Edward，
我们的北江旅行即将到达尾声了，
/
我们看过最后的岩石、小山、山洞和瀑布，
/
而且如佛教僧人所说
我们再次进入了世界。
广州所以的村子都是平坦而又单一的，
/
而且这几天走在乡间的小路上很轻松，
看起来，
空气很新鲜，
Mattie的日志会写下
我们这次旅行两周
我们看到的、做过的更详细内容，
而且我猜她不会忘记写
自从我们出去的第一天这里天天下雨，
/
但是我们穿特殊的当地服装
参观了我们要去的所有有趣的景点，
这看起来很有趣，
就是不太好看，
/
那时候，我放下了笔

现在我们回广州将近两周了。
/
当我们回来时发现
要来的美国邮包还没有来
/
/
更坏的是，
我们这两周什么都没有收到时，
没有什么语言可以形容我们的失望，
/
我们很确定，
有一艘中型的轮船
我们还没有完全为此次失望准备好。
我们不在的时候，
Lucy基本上每天晚上都梦到她的信。
/
但是我们希望我们的失望即将结束，
他们有更多的轮船了，
然后在那之后，
轮船会有规律地每两周出发一次。
/
我不应该怀疑，
我们是否可以找到新的轮船来加快速度。
轮船是侧轮的，
被证实过价格高、速度慢。
我恐怕你这个时候在家等得着急。

/
/
我上个月的邮包里给你写了信，
/
但是Lucy说，
在美国，
很多人害怕这些信从带有天花病毒的小屋里来
（意味着写信的人携带病毒），
肯定的是，
我们有一个中号的包裹要寄给你。
/
我觉得我们给你写过关于我们老师李先生的事，
/
每一次看到他都觉得，
他基本上是家里的一员。
他过去是Happer医生的老师，
当Happer医生从美国回来的时候，
/
他想让他回来，
但是不想离开我们，
现在他去了香港帮助一个中国的报社。
/
他们努力了很久得到他，
现在他们给他3倍工资，
多一半的工作。
/

他很着急拿这些资金，
以至于他可以去美国读书。
我们认为他能去美国读书是个多好的主意，
/
当我们看到他想到这些和我们想的一样。
/
Henry要给Wooster学院的教授写信
看看他需要不需要帮助。
/
他为了受到更好的教育努力了很久，
看起来很坏，
如果没有人可以帮到他。
有时候他编词典，
写了三万六千（36000）个单词提供学校。
我们教了他很少，
我感觉很遗憾，
我们不能教更多，
但是我们太忙了。
他是我见过最好中国人，
我希望你可以见到他。
看起来其中一个家庭成员要离开了，
我们会很想念他。
他35岁，为Happer医生在职业学校教书六年，
/
教了Henry七年。
如果他能去伍斯特学院的话，
那真的太好了。
Mattie睡着了，
【第一页边缘书写】
我的眼皮也在 “打架”。我最好说晚安，然后和她一起睡了。
爱你的妹妹Hattie

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