Letter from Hattie to Frank, December 31, 1875

Letter from Hattie to Frank, December 31, 1875

Christmas; Gifts; Letters; Cold (Disease); Weather

Harriet recounts to Francis the different gifts they gave and received a few days earlier at Christmas. They recently collected their things for trunks to send ahead of them home. They hope to receive one more set of letters from the US before leaving, and Harriet wants to hear about Frank's health. She looks forward to being home soon.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #2

Unpublished

1875-12-31

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_162

Canton China
Dec 31st 1875.
My dear Frank -
WE have put off
writing for the mail until
this morning so we have
only a few minutes for
writing . Mattie is busy over
a letter to the Superintendent
of the Sabbath School of her
"church"-- Yesterday she
received such a nice
Christmas box from the
Sabbath School of her
Westminster Church - you
know perhaps that she has
too little churches to support
her instead of one large
one as Lucy and I have.
The box was about 2 feet
square and nearly a foot
high and was filled with

the nicest presents for the
school girls - such beautiful
pictures and quite an
army of dolls which will
delight the children I know
Two of them are [u]full grown[/u]
as long as the box which
brought them. They will
make magnificent presents
for the children - quite
grand compared with
what they are accustomed
to receive. The givers
intended the box to reach
here in time for Christmas
but it was a few days
behind and as we
dismissed the school a
little Earlier than usual
it came after the scholars
were gone. We could
not help feeling a
little worry that it did
not get here sooner but

Everything will come in use
just as well by and by -
Mattie had a present of
four neck-ties and some
mats. and some texts which
we have hung up in our room
Two large ones which were already
framed are jung over our manlil
one "Blessed are they that mourn
for they shall be comforted" and
the other Live in Peace --
Then we have one which I
think is such a nice one "Hitherto
hath the Lord helped us-"
and "Be thou Faithful unto Death
and I will give thou a Crown of
Life". Whatever thy hand
findeth to do do it with thy
might"- "Trust in the Lord"-
Yesterday was a busy
day with us - in the morning
we unpacked Mattie's box
and afterwards packed
up our trunks to go to America.

We are Each sending one trunk
and the rest of our baggage we
will take with us. It begins to
seem that we are really going
now that our trunks are on the
way . We expected that we would
have been on our way Ere this
but the Madagascar on which
we expect to sail although expected
in Hongkong for several days
past has not yet made its appearance.
Our good friends here have none
of them any idea of what is taking
us to Bangkok. They will be
surprised enough when they
find out the true state of the
[?case?] I am sure for such
matters are not usually
arranged very quietly out here.
We are hoping now to be here long
enough to get another mail from
America. As we have been
delayed I hope so much now
that we will be here long enough

[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
to hear from you again , for we feel so anxious to know
how the cold weather affects you- and I am afraid after
we get started
on our way it
will be [?uncertain?]
about our getting
home letters.
It seems more
and more impossible
for me to [u]realize[/u]
that I am
really going
[u]home[/u] so soon,
but I hope
when we get
started that I
can [u]feel[/u] that
it is so. With
much love for you
all from
Your aff sister
Hattie -

中国广州
1875年12月31日，
我亲爱的Frank，
我们直到今天早上才有时间写信，
/
所以我们只有几分钟时间写信。
/
Mattie今天忙于给主日学校的负责人写信。
/
/
昨天，
她从主日学校收到一个很好看的圣诞盒子，
/
/
/
也许你知道，
两个小教堂会支持她，
但是Lucy和我有一个大教堂会支持我们。
/
这个盒子大概2码大、1码高
/
/

被给女孩们很好看的礼物填满，
/
这么好看的照片，
还有很多娃娃，
一定会让孩子们高兴，
我知道两个很大，
只要盒子够大就可以。
/
它们会让孩子们很高兴，
/
和他们得到的相比很大的。
/
/
送礼物的人们想让这些盒子在圣诞节前被收到，
/
但是晚了几天，
因为我们几天前学校放假了，
/
/
学生们走了之后它才到，
/
我们就开始遗憾，
/
它为什么不早点来，

但是后来很多东西会来——
/
Mattie的礼物是四个领带，
还有一些垫子，
还有画，
我们挂在房间。
两个大的已经被装进相框
挂了起来，
“哀痛的人们得到了慰藉”
/
并且其她人可以安好的生活——
然后我认为
我们有上帝的帮助——
/
“衷心于死亡，我必赐予你生命的加冕”
/
凡事经过你的手，
都要努力去做，
相信上帝。
昨天很忙，
早上
我们打开了Mattie的盒子，
之后打包我们去美国的箱子。
/

我们每个人都送一个箱子，
剩下的包我们随身带。
/
看起来我们真的要走了，
我们的箱子已经在路上。
我们以为我们早就离开了，
/
但是马达加斯加号船还没有到达香港，
/
/
/
我们的朋友们不知道我们怎么去曼谷。
/
/
他们看到真实情况会很惊讶的，
/
我知道这种情况不常有，
/
他们管理得很好。
我们希望我们可以在这里待久一点，
就可以收到另一个美国来到邮包。
因为我们的时间延后，
我现在特别希望
我们能在这待到你下一次送来信，

【边缘书写】
因为我们很着急想知道坏天气会给你多大影响——
而且我害怕
我们出发以后
会是什么时候能收到家信呢。
/
/
/
我不敢相信
/
/
我确实要回家了，
/
/
但是我希望
我们到家的时间
我能感觉到。
/
/
爱你的妹妹
/
/
Hattie -

Letter