Letter from Hattie to Em, March 23, 1876

Letter from Hattie to Em, March 23, 1876

Death; Grief; Family; Heaven; Future life; Faith

In this letter to her sister Emily, Harriet says she received the news of Frank's passing. They had been talking about how they were looking forward to seeing him. She is leaning heavily on her faith and what the Bible says about life after death.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1876-03-23

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_173

Beirut
Guangzhou

Beirut Syria.
March 23rd 1876.
My own dear Em -
We reached this
place Tuesday morning the 21st
and Bella and I went to the
Hotel to wait until Henry called
on Dr Jessup. When he
came back he brought with
him the letters sent from home
in February. The black lined
envelope told us at once the
sad tidings it brought .
I could not open and read it
there and as Henry and Bella
went to Dr Jessup's and I came
here to the seminary. I carried
it unread for several hours
until he could come over and

read it with me - Mattie had
also written from Canton .
I cannot realize that during
all these weeks since we left Canton
while we have so often spoken and
thought of him [--that--] he has
been at home in heaven and
all that was Earthly laid to
rest beside her whom he and
we loved so dearly.
Since I left Canton I have
dreamed almost every night
of reaching home and nearly
always of meeting Frank -
We would have felt it a great
privilege to have seen him again
on Earth and the tears fall fast
as I think that it can never
never be, Through so many
years I have looked forward to
the home coming in the hope

that we might once more be all
together again - but there will be
two vacant places one for the
dear brother in heaven and
one for the absent sister -
and not until we gather at
the river can we hope to be
all together an unbroken
circle . But I know that
you all feel as we do that
this sure hope that we have
of a meeting then that will
never be followed by the
pain of parting forbids us
to sorrow as those without hope.
It is Everything - Everything -
in the hour when Death
comes to bear away the ones
we love. I feel so far away
and although I know she

will have the deepest sympathy of
the dear friends near I know
she will long for the presence
of some one of the home
circle. But the Saviour will
be with her and I trust
will comfort her in the hour
of sadness. No words can
tell you how much I [u]long[/u]
to be at home - and the
days and weeks that still
intervene seem as I look
forward to them to be so
long - and then I can
never forget for a moment
that everyday spent on this
side of the world is taken
from our visit home. Still
I am determined to spend
all the time of home that I
feel that I possibly can, for
I do not know as I shall Ever

[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
go home again and I do not mean to shorten my visit there
to hurry back to
China. I worked
as hard as I could
while there and
now I feel that
I may take a
good long
rest. When
shall I be
with you.
to talk over all
these years have
brought to us
of joy and sorrow.
We will all be
changed much I am
sure since 1867 -
but our love will be
forever unchangeable
Your aff sister Hattie

叙利亚贝鲁特
1876年3月23日
亲爱的Em
我们21日星期二到了这里，
/
我和Bella去酒店等Henry从Jessup医生回来。
/
/
他回来的时候带了二月份的家信。
/
/
黑线信封立刻告诉我们有不好的事情了。
/
我没有办法在那里拆信阅读，
而且因为Henry和Bella去了Jessup医生那
我回了神学院。
/
我拿着它几个小时没有读，
直到他回来了跟我一起读——

Mattie也从广州寄信来了。
/
我没有意识到
我们离开广州的那几周
我们经常聊天，
而且想到他回到家了
到天堂了，
一切都得到了很好的安置，
跟随他的妻子一同到了天堂
/
自从我离开广州
几乎每个晚上都梦见回家，
/
而且每一次都会见到Frank。
虽然在地球上再次见到Frank会很好，
/
瞬间泪流满面，
因为我知道这不可能的，
/
多少年，我们期盼着回家
/

希望我们可以再一次团聚，
但是会有两个人缺席，
/
一个是我们在天堂的哥哥，
另一个是没有出席妹妹，
直到我们在河边重聚
我们才能希望我们不再失去谁。
/
但是我知道，
你们和我们的感觉一样，
很确定我们会见面的
然后不会被分离的痛苦折磨。
/
/
/
这就是一切，
死亡来临时，
一切都会被爱带走。
我感觉很远，
即使我知道她会为朋友深感同情，

/
/
我知道她会很久以后才能出现在家里。
/
但是救世主会和她同在，
/
我相信他会拯救她的悲伤。
/
没有什么词语可以形容我有多想回家，
/
日复一日，周复一周地流逝，
看起来我们期盼着他们很久了，
/
而且我不能忘记
/
那个时候我们在世界的另一边在一起的时光。
/
/
我仍然确定要花时间回家看看
/
我认为我可以。
我不知道，

【注：边缘书写】
因为我不知道是否还会回家，
所以我不想缩短我的访问时间，早点儿回中国。
/
在这里的时候，
我尽最大努力工作，
现在我觉得我可以好好休息一下。
/
/
我什么时候可以和你见面
/
/
说一说这些年的快乐与痛苦。
/
/
/
我肯定自从1867年开始，
我们都会被时间改变很多，
/
但是我们的爱永恒不变。
/
你的姐姐Hattie

Letter