Letter from Hattie to Father, July 1, 1874
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Father, July 1, 1874
Subject
Birthdays; Organ (Musical Instrument); Mail Steamers; Letter writing
Description
Harriet tells her father how she thought of him on his birthday, and how excited she is to hopefully be able to visit home in a year or two. She talks about the Social Meeting hosted in her house and how she broke a lamp while playing organ. She asks her father to tell her brother Edward that anecdote, and to also tell how that particular organ will end up in the school chapel while a new one for which they have raised money will go in the church. She ends discussing the steamship mail, hoping to receive a letter in the next shipment and apologizing for her brevity due to needing to mail the letter she is writing as soon as possible.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #1
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1874-07-01
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_123
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China.
July 1st 1874.
My own dear Father,
The first thing I thought
about when I wakened in the
morning was that this is Father's
birth-day and through the day we
thought and spoke of you very
often. One thought that has been
prominent in my mind is that
perhaps when one birth-day more
has passed we may hope to
spend the next one [u]together[/u].
We cannot help thinking and
speaking often of the visit [u]home[/u]
which begins to seem as though
it were coming near and the hope
of seeing you all again seems
to grow brighter and brighter as
Each day passes by. I presume
Mattie will give you full details
of how the day was spent here.
I must confess here that I am
now writing on the 2nd of July
Yesterday was a very busy day
making arrangements for the Social
Meeting which was held here in the
eve. There were fourty-seven present.
Tell Edward we used on the occasion
the new Cabinet Organ which was
sent out for the school and I made
myself illustrious by playing the
Battle of Waterloo and knocking
the lamp off from the instrument
and breaking it just before I
commenced. I told the other
members of the household in the
day-time that I had a presentiments
that the lamps were going to disturb
my peace of mind in the evening
and sure enough the chandelier
would not half burn and I finished
off one of the lamps in a [?summary?]
manner and every puff of wind
threatened to Extinguish the other
and it was too hot to think of
closing the doors . But nevertheless
we managed to have light Enough
to carry us through and I think
every one felt that they had
spent a very enjoyable .We
thought so many times how
nice it would have been if
you could have been here.
It was not really our turn to
have the Social eve here but as it
happened to come on your
birth-day we thought we would
like to have it here on that
account. Please tell Edward that
our Organ in which he is interested
will probably eventually find its
home in its original destination
the school chapel. It will be
very nice indeed for that and
our new church is going to be such
a grand structure that it will
not be powerful enough for that
Some of the merchants here
have given money for purchasing
one and we are to have a
very nice one $225.00 I think
resonant care & I do not [--think--]
know how many stops. The
chief thing for an instrument
for the Chinese is [u]power[/u]. It
wants to be strong enough to drown
their voices out if you want
the singing to sound well.
We hope after six Sabbaths more
that the new church will be
ready for use and it will be
a grand day of [?rejoicing?] for us all
when it is done.
The 16th of August is appointed
to open it but we are afraid
it may not be finished
so soon . The bell is on
the way out but I presume
it will not reach here for
some time as sailing vessels
seem to move slowly in these
days of [--sailing--] steamers. We see
it is proposed with the new
steamers to make the trip
from San Francisco to
Hongkong in 21 days. In
that case we can hear from
home or [u]go home[/u] in a month.
We were much disappointed
not to get the mail to-day as
we had hoped. Now we
must send these letters out
before receiving yours. I am
sorry to write this letter so
poorly and hastily but it is
the only way I can write to-night.
Give my love to Mother We all feel
that God has been very good
to us in sparing our dear parents to
bless their children and we hope
that he will give you many more
[Note: Written sideways in the margin of page four]
years to serve hime here and that your last days
may be your best days . Your loving daughter
Hattie.
中国广州。
1874 年 7 月 1 日。
我亲爱的父亲，
当我早上醒来时，
我首先想到的是今天是父亲的生日，
这一天我们经常想到和谈论您。
一个在我脑海中突出的想法是，
也许当再过一个生日时，
我们可能希望一起度过下一个生日。
我们不禁经常想起和谈论回家的感觉，
它开始似乎越来越近，
随着每一天的过去，
再次见到大家的希望似乎越来越明亮。
我想马蒂会给你完整的一天是如何在这里度过的。
我必须在这里承认，
我现在是在 7 月 2 日写作昨天是非常忙碌的一天，
正在为前夜在这里举行的社交会议做准备。
在场的有四十七人。
告诉爱德华，
我们在那个场合使用了新的内阁风琴，
它被送到学校，
我演奏了滑铁卢战役，
在我开始之前把灯从乐器上敲下来，
把它弄坏了，
从而使自己声名显赫。
我白天告诉家里的其他人，
我有一种预感，
晚上的灯会打扰我的平静，
果然吊灯不会烧到一半，
我把其中一盏灯关掉了。
一个 总结 的 方式，
每一股风都威胁要熄灭另一个，
太热了，
想关上门，
但是尽管如此，
我们还是设法拥有足够的光线来支撑我们，
我想每个人都觉得他们度过了非常愉快的时光。
我们无数次地想，
如果您能在这里，
那该多好。
不是真的轮到我们在这里举行社交前夜，
但因为它恰好在您的生日那天到来，
我们认为我们希望因为这个原因而在这里举行。
请告诉爱德华，
他感兴趣的我们的管风琴最终可能会在其最初的目的地学校教堂找到它的家。
这确实会非常好，
而且我们的新教堂将是一个如此宏伟的结构，
以至于它不会足够强大这里的一些商人已经给钱购买了一个，
我们将有一个非常好的一个 $225.00我认为共振关心和我不知道有多少停止。
对中国人来说，
乐器最重要的是权力。
如果你想让歌声听起来不错，
它想要强大到足以淹没他们的声音。
我们希望在六个安息日之后，
新教堂能够投入使用，
建成后将是我们所有人欢欣鼓舞的大日子。
8 月 16 日已定开，
但恐怕不会这么快完工。
钟声即将消失，
但我想它在一段时间内不会到达这里，
因为在这些蒸汽船时代，
帆船似乎移动缓慢。
我们看到有人提议用新的轮船在 21 天内从旧金山到香港。
在那种情况下，
我们可以在一个月内听到家里的消息或回家。
我们很失望今天没有像我们希望的那样收到邮件。
现在我们必须在收到你的信之前把这些信寄出去。
我很抱歉写这封信这么糟糕和仓促，
但这是我今晚能写的唯一方式。
把我的爱献给母亲 我们都觉得上帝对我们非常好，
不让我们亲爱的父母祝福他们的孩子，
我们希望他会给你更多[注：写在第四页页边空白]年的服务他在这里，
你最后的日子可能是你最好的日子。
你的女儿，
海蒂。
July 1st 1874.
My own dear Father,
The first thing I thought
about when I wakened in the
morning was that this is Father's
birth-day and through the day we
thought and spoke of you very
often. One thought that has been
prominent in my mind is that
perhaps when one birth-day more
has passed we may hope to
spend the next one [u]together[/u].
We cannot help thinking and
speaking often of the visit [u]home[/u]
which begins to seem as though
it were coming near and the hope
of seeing you all again seems
to grow brighter and brighter as
Each day passes by. I presume
Mattie will give you full details
of how the day was spent here.
I must confess here that I am
now writing on the 2nd of July
Yesterday was a very busy day
making arrangements for the Social
Meeting which was held here in the
eve. There were fourty-seven present.
Tell Edward we used on the occasion
the new Cabinet Organ which was
sent out for the school and I made
myself illustrious by playing the
Battle of Waterloo and knocking
the lamp off from the instrument
and breaking it just before I
commenced. I told the other
members of the household in the
day-time that I had a presentiments
that the lamps were going to disturb
my peace of mind in the evening
and sure enough the chandelier
would not half burn and I finished
off one of the lamps in a [?summary?]
manner and every puff of wind
threatened to Extinguish the other
and it was too hot to think of
closing the doors . But nevertheless
we managed to have light Enough
to carry us through and I think
every one felt that they had
spent a very enjoyable .We
thought so many times how
nice it would have been if
you could have been here.
It was not really our turn to
have the Social eve here but as it
happened to come on your
birth-day we thought we would
like to have it here on that
account. Please tell Edward that
our Organ in which he is interested
will probably eventually find its
home in its original destination
the school chapel. It will be
very nice indeed for that and
our new church is going to be such
a grand structure that it will
not be powerful enough for that
Some of the merchants here
have given money for purchasing
one and we are to have a
very nice one $225.00 I think
resonant care & I do not [--think--]
know how many stops. The
chief thing for an instrument
for the Chinese is [u]power[/u]. It
wants to be strong enough to drown
their voices out if you want
the singing to sound well.
We hope after six Sabbaths more
that the new church will be
ready for use and it will be
a grand day of [?rejoicing?] for us all
when it is done.
The 16th of August is appointed
to open it but we are afraid
it may not be finished
so soon . The bell is on
the way out but I presume
it will not reach here for
some time as sailing vessels
seem to move slowly in these
days of [--sailing--] steamers. We see
it is proposed with the new
steamers to make the trip
from San Francisco to
Hongkong in 21 days. In
that case we can hear from
home or [u]go home[/u] in a month.
We were much disappointed
not to get the mail to-day as
we had hoped. Now we
must send these letters out
before receiving yours. I am
sorry to write this letter so
poorly and hastily but it is
the only way I can write to-night.
Give my love to Mother We all feel
that God has been very good
to us in sparing our dear parents to
bless their children and we hope
that he will give you many more
[Note: Written sideways in the margin of page four]
years to serve hime here and that your last days
may be your best days . Your loving daughter
Hattie.
中国广州。
1874 年 7 月 1 日。
我亲爱的父亲，
当我早上醒来时，
我首先想到的是今天是父亲的生日，
这一天我们经常想到和谈论您。
一个在我脑海中突出的想法是，
也许当再过一个生日时，
我们可能希望一起度过下一个生日。
我们不禁经常想起和谈论回家的感觉，
它开始似乎越来越近，
随着每一天的过去，
再次见到大家的希望似乎越来越明亮。
我想马蒂会给你完整的一天是如何在这里度过的。
我必须在这里承认，
我现在是在 7 月 2 日写作昨天是非常忙碌的一天，
正在为前夜在这里举行的社交会议做准备。
在场的有四十七人。
告诉爱德华，
我们在那个场合使用了新的内阁风琴，
它被送到学校，
我演奏了滑铁卢战役，
在我开始之前把灯从乐器上敲下来，
把它弄坏了，
从而使自己声名显赫。
我白天告诉家里的其他人，
我有一种预感，
晚上的灯会打扰我的平静，
果然吊灯不会烧到一半，
我把其中一盏灯关掉了。
一个 总结 的 方式，
每一股风都威胁要熄灭另一个，
太热了，
想关上门，
但是尽管如此，
我们还是设法拥有足够的光线来支撑我们，
我想每个人都觉得他们度过了非常愉快的时光。
我们无数次地想，
如果您能在这里，
那该多好。
不是真的轮到我们在这里举行社交前夜，
但因为它恰好在您的生日那天到来，
我们认为我们希望因为这个原因而在这里举行。
请告诉爱德华，
他感兴趣的我们的管风琴最终可能会在其最初的目的地学校教堂找到它的家。
这确实会非常好，
而且我们的新教堂将是一个如此宏伟的结构，
以至于它不会足够强大这里的一些商人已经给钱购买了一个，
我们将有一个非常好的一个 $225.00我认为共振关心和我不知道有多少停止。
对中国人来说，
乐器最重要的是权力。
如果你想让歌声听起来不错，
它想要强大到足以淹没他们的声音。
我们希望在六个安息日之后，
新教堂能够投入使用，
建成后将是我们所有人欢欣鼓舞的大日子。
8 月 16 日已定开，
但恐怕不会这么快完工。
钟声即将消失，
但我想它在一段时间内不会到达这里，
因为在这些蒸汽船时代，
帆船似乎移动缓慢。
我们看到有人提议用新的轮船在 21 天内从旧金山到香港。
在那种情况下，
我们可以在一个月内听到家里的消息或回家。
我们很失望今天没有像我们希望的那样收到邮件。
现在我们必须在收到你的信之前把这些信寄出去。
我很抱歉写这封信这么糟糕和仓促，
但这是我今晚能写的唯一方式。
把我的爱献给母亲 我们都觉得上帝对我们非常好，
不让我们亲爱的父母祝福他们的孩子，
我们希望他会给你更多[注：写在第四页页边空白]年的服务他在这里，
你最后的日子可能是你最好的日子。
你的女儿，
海蒂。
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Father, July 1, 1874,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 19, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/179.