Letter from Hattie to Mother, December 11, 1868

Letter from Hattie to Mother, December 11, 1868

Shipping; Ocean travel; Wounds and injuries; Gifts

Harriet Noyes in this letter writes to her mother to thank her for a package that she received from home, which contained letters, a drawing of the house, and pickled apple. She also discusses some medical news (including a sore on her finger and her mother's sore on her neck). Throughout the letter, Harriet is very thankful for the gifts and her family's kindness.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1868-12-11

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English); chi (B) (Chinese)

Text

noyes_c_cor_020

Canton China
Dec 11th /68.
My [u]own dear Mother[/u],
We have been looking
for the mail every day this week but it did
not come until yesterday but then
how well we were repaid for the days
of waiting for it brought us [u]just think
of it[/u]! [u]sixty two pages[/u] from home being
the letters written in September & October.
I dont believe that ^[there] were [u]ever any missionaries[/u]
that had [u]better[/u] friends at home to send
them [u]nice long[/u] letters. [u]I[/u] think it would
do to say [u]as good[/u] instead of [u]better[/u] friends
but I am afraid Father would say
that was a "little too steep". We were
disappointed in [--not--] getting nothing from
Mr Crane's, It had been two months since
we have heard [u]directly[/u] from them.
Henry & I have both agreed that this mail
from Guilford seems the nicest of any we
have ever got since we have been in China.
I wonder if you are still as busy as ever.
I know the summer is always a hurrying
time in the dear old house on the hill.
For my part I have I believe [u]entirely
given up[/u] all hope of ever having [u]time
enough[/u]. I always used to think that
if I ever came as a missionary on the
long sea voyage I would feel as though for
once I had time enough & to spare but it

was not so at all. I have always been sorry
that I tried to study any on the way
for I feel sure now that it was no use
and it took up my time when I
wanted to be "[u]looking at the sea[/u]".
Mrs Kerr would think that supremely
ridiculous but I actually never felt as
though I had watched it until I was
perfectly satisfied. And now I must
tell you what a nice box we had from
"[u]fa ka kwok[/u]" the other day. We had
been down to Mr Prestons one evening
last week and when we came back
we found it here. It was quite a surprise
as we had heard nothing from it except
that you had sent it to New York. The
wooden box was soon opened but we
were obliged to wait until the next
morning to call a man to open the
tin one. It seemed perfectly dry outside
of the tin & I think very likely would
have come all right without it only the
pictures I would'nt have dared to
risk their safety in any other way.
But I fear it caused you a good
deal of trouble to get everything put up
so nicely. I dont know how you
managed to get in such a small compass
so much that we wanted. I cant tell
you anything about how nice it seemed
to have a box right from home Seville
express mark and all.

Henry said it seemed almost as it did when
I came dont you think the box ought to
feel flattered? We recognized Frank's
hand in the direction and studied the
box & its contents so thoroughly that I think
no hidden meaning of anything was lost.
The letters we enjoyed ever so much. The pictures
all came nicely in [u]Edward's[/u] box, & we are
delighted with the selection. Henry was quite
enthusiastic over Em's drawing of the old
house at home. I think it must have taken
her a long time to draw it so nicely & I
know how hard it would be to find spare
time & appreciate it accordingly.
Thank you for the cans of pickled apple. I
will keep it until Conference comes here
again which will not be very long as
there are only five ladies now to take
their turn in having it. I was [u] ever so
glad[/u] to get the patriotic music, & the
pieces that the girls sent are very pretty.
I thought of sending for the patriotic glee
book but you had no other book that contained
"Tribute to Ellsworth" + I thought you ^[(or the [u]children[/u])] might
want to sing that sometimes. Our warmest
thanks to Mr & Mrs Stoakes for their kind
remembrance. I had been wanting
some new scissors and we cannot get
very good ones here. The book you sent me
I believe is the one you wanted to get for me
before I came away. Thanks to Mr Gray
for the one he sent.

But I must not write any more about the box or
your letter will be all on one subject.
You wanted to know whether the lump has
been taken off my finger. Not yet & I dont
know whether it ever will be. Mrs Kerr
wants it taken off very much but the Dr
seems to be afraid that it will [u]hurt[/u] me.
I am glad you were feeling so well when
you wrote & that that sore had got
well on your neck, hope that it will not
trouble you any more. You speak of
sending a box when you have made apple
butter. I dont know but I have written to you
once but if I have I will tell you again
that we would be [u]very sorry[/u] to have you
inconvenience yoursleves in any way to send
us things and you must [u]never[/u] think that we
are in [u]need[/u] of anything for we can get [u]everything[/u]
that is necessary here. Some things however it seems
best & most of the missionaries do send home for
[--some things--], but if it is not convenient to send
anything we mention you must never think of
us as suffering for the want of it, and do not
hurry about sending. I do not know whether it would
be best to try to send a white straw hat the rainy
season spoils them so, & there are good milliner
stores in Hongkong. Some time perhaps you
will send me a speckled black & white one.
There is no time in the year when a summer
hat cannot be worn here unless it is very
light. And now I see I am almost at
the end of my paper & so much say
good-bye although I have hardly made a
beginning of what I want to say to you.
You own loving Hattie.

中国广州
1868年12月11日
亲爱的母亲，
我们都昨天为止一直在等待我们期待的包裹，
/
/
我们终于从这几天焦急的等待中得到了结果
因为这个包裹里的东西。
九月份、十月份的62页家信。
/
我不相信有那个传教士有这么多朋友给他们写这么多信。
/
我觉得还是说“好朋友”，
而不是更好的朋友，
但是我恐怕父亲会说“太少了”。
/
我们因为没有从Crane先生那里得到信而失望，
从上一次我们直接收到他的消息，
已经两个月了，
Henry和我都觉得这个邮包是我们来到中国以后收到过最好的。
/
/
我想知道您是不是还那么忙。
我知道夏天在山上的老房子了，
还过得是那么快。
在我看来，
还是放弃有足够时间的希望吧。
我总是在想，
如果我什么时候以一个传教士身份去海上旅行，
我会感觉很轻松，
因为我会有足够时间闲下来，

但是不可能。
我很抱歉我在路上努力学习，
因为我现在很确定那没有用，
也占用我看海的时间。
/
Kerr太太会认为那太搞笑了，
但是我从没有这么感觉到，
也占用我看海的时间。
现在我必须告诉您，
我们前几天得到了一个很好看的箱子。
/
上周的一天晚上，我们去了Prestons医生家
我们回来的时候，在这找到的。
很惊喜，
我们对盒子一无所知，
只知道您是从纽约寄来的。
木箱子很快就打开了，
但是我们被迫等到第二天早上，
请一个男人开那个锡箱子，
锡箱子外面很干燥，
而且我认为都很好，
只是图片，
我不敢去冒险。
/
很抱歉给您打包带来了很多麻烦。
/
我不知道您能不能做我们想要的这么小的罗盘。我不知道您是如何找到我们想要的小指南针的。
/
/
我知道把一个合适的箱子放在Seville的家里会有多好看。
/
/

Henry说，
当我来的时候不该感觉到荣幸吗？
我们在说明书上认出了Frank的笔迹，
研究那个盒子太彻底
/
以至于我认为没有什么隐藏。
我们太喜欢这些信了。
Edward的盒子里的照片太好看了，
我们很喜欢你们选的这些。
Henry很喜欢Em画的老房子。
我认为那一定要花很长时间，
/
我知道有多么困难，
抽出时间来彻底观赏它。
感谢您的那罐腌苹果。
我会再一次把它保存到大型会议，
也不会太久，
因为只有五个女人轮着主持。
/
我很高兴有爱国音乐，
女孩们送来的谱子很好。
我认为送来的都是爱国歌曲的书
但是没有包含“Tribute to Ellsworth”歌曲的书，
我认为您或者孩子们可能想唱。
/
我们很感谢Stoakes夫妇的好记忆力。
我想要一些新的剪刀，
而且这边买不到好的。
这本您送来的书，
我相信是一本您在我走之前就想给我买的。
感谢Gray先生送来的书。
/

但是我不能写太多关于您的邮包和信，
那样太无聊了。
您想知道，
那个我手指上的肿瘤是否被切除了。
还没有，我不知道会不会。
Kerr太太特别希望可以
但是医生担心那会伤到我。
我很高兴您写信的时候告诉我您已经好多了，
您的脖子已经不疼了，
希望您不再被次折磨。
您说过您做苹果奶油的时候，
您要寄来一箱。
我不知道我之前写没写过，
但是如果我说过，我要再说一次，
我们很抱歉，给您添了这些麻烦，
无论您跟我们送来什么，
不要忘记我们可以在这里购买所有必需品。
/
/
有些东西看起来像是传教士寄回家的，
但是有些东西如果不方便邮寄，
您一定不要认为我们特别急着需要，
不要急着寄来。
我觉得在这个雨季就不要寄来白草了
会被天气弄腐烂，
而且在香港有很好的商店。
有时候，
您可以给我带黑点和白点的帽子。
夏天来了，
没有什么不会被弄坏的，除非它很轻。
现在看起来，我已经写到了最后，
也有太多想说的话，
再见了，
我几乎不能用什么来开始我对您说的话。
爱您的女儿Hattie

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