Letter from Hattie to Edward, January 2, 1878
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Edward, January 2, 1878
Subject
Travel; Missionaries; Heathenism
Description
Harriet tells Edward that luckily her boxes were not opened during her trip, unlike when she went to San Francisco. Dr. Happer is still trying to negotiate for the land of the building next door and Harriet thinks that he will probably get it. Harriet wishes she could be with her family but she cannot because of the "heathen China". Still, she thinks that their women and girls are not very heathen.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #2
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1878-01-02
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_178
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton
Jan 2nd '78
My dear Edward
Mattie and Lucy
have gone to bed but it is
not very late and I do not
like to send a letter without
filling up a full rate so I
will sit up a little longer.
I was [u]so glad[/u] to get the letters
from home-- I hope you
do not let China seem far
away to you - I am so
anxious that we may [u]feel[/u]
as near as possible to each
other "though distance keep us
far apart"-- The photo of
our house will help me to
keep it in remembrance
and it does not seem
as though my recollections
of it could ever grow dim.
We had or rather "Akwai"
had quite a time getting
the boxes opened. They
certainly showed no traces
of having been opened by
the way -- I think I wrote
you that when I got to
San Francisco I found my
trunk had the lock taken
off and the straps broken but
nothing inside had been
disturbed . These boxes were
nailed up so firmly that
I think no one would have
had courage to attack them.
Akwai set to work armed with
a hatchet + chisel but soon
broke the chisel + then went
+ brought a long iron poker
or something three or four
feet long with which he
pried the covers off -- I told
him when you nailed
them up you wondered
who would unpack them
and I told you it was
sue to be Akwai and he
seemed quite pleased. I
wish more than ever now
that I had got something
nice for him at home but I
did not know what to get +
do not know what would
be the thing . I guess I will
go out and get him a knife
in some of the shops here --
I forgot to say in the other
letter when I was writing
about pictures that if Em
or any of the girls have time
to make some spatter
work pictures and send
out here we would be
very glad to have them.
She thought of working
some "[?mottos?]," if she does
hope she will send us
a specimen. Lucy would
like one very much to
give to Mrs Chalmers --
If they were thoroughly dried
I think this would come all
right. Sarah's came
perfectly. Em's was subled
just a little. We will
not have time to write to
Sarah this mail and so
I hope you sill send
these letters down to her
The building on the lot next
us is going on very fast but
Dr Happer is still negotiating
for the land and I
suppose is likely to get it.
It will be a month tomorrow
since I reached here
two and a half since I left
home ---I would like to be
with you all very much if
it were not for the "heathen
China" [u]Our[/u] women and
girls are not very much like
heathen. Well now I must
say goodnight wishing you
all a very happy New Year
and as many more as you
wish to have I am ever
Your aff sister Hattie --
中国广州
1878 年 1 月 2 日
我亲爱的 Edward Mattie 和 Lucy 已经上床睡觉了，
但现在还不算太晚，
我不喜欢在没有填满全额费用的情况下寄信，
所以我会再坐一会儿。
我很高兴收到家里的来信——我希望你不要让中国在你看来很遥远——我很着急，
希望我们尽可能地接近，
“尽管距离让我们相隔很远”——我们房子的照片将帮助我记住它，
而且我对它的回忆似乎永远不会变得模糊。
我们有或者更确切地说“Akwai”有相当长的时间来打开盒子。
顺便说一句，
它们当然没有被打开的痕迹——我想我写信给你说，
当我到达旧金山时，
我发现我的行李箱的锁被拆了，
带子也断了，
但里面没有任何东西受到干扰。
这些箱子被钉得如此牢靠，
我想没有人有勇气攻击它们。
Akwai 带着斧头和凿子开始工作，
但很快就把凿子弄断了，
然后去拿了一根长铁棒或三四英尺长的东西，
他用它撬开盖子——我告诉他，
当你把它们钉好时，
你想知道谁会打开包装，
我告诉过你是 Akwai，
他似乎很高兴。
我现在比以往任何时候都更希望我能在家里为他买点好东西，
但我不知道该买什么，
也不知道会是什么。
我想我会出去在这里的一些商店给他买一把刀——我在写照片的时候忘记在另一封信中说如果 Em 或任何女孩有时间制作一些泼溅的工作照片和发送到这里我们会很高兴拥有它们。
如果她确实希望给我们寄一份样本，
她会考虑制定一些“座右铭”。
露西非常想送给查尔默斯太太——如果它们彻底晒干了，
我想这一切都会好起来的。
莎拉来得很完美。
艾姆的皱了一点点。
我们没有时间给莎拉写这封邮件，
所以我希望你能把这些信寄给她。
我们旁边的地块上的建筑进展很快，
但哈珀医生仍在谈判土地，
我想很可能得到它。
离家已经两个半月了，
明天到这里还有一个月——要不是“异教中国”，
我很想和你们在一起，
我们的女人和女孩不太像异教徒。
好吧，
现在我必须说晚安，
祝大家新年快乐，
并且尽可能多地祝愿我永远是你的妹妹，
海蒂——
Jan 2nd '78
My dear Edward
Mattie and Lucy
have gone to bed but it is
not very late and I do not
like to send a letter without
filling up a full rate so I
will sit up a little longer.
I was [u]so glad[/u] to get the letters
from home-- I hope you
do not let China seem far
away to you - I am so
anxious that we may [u]feel[/u]
as near as possible to each
other "though distance keep us
far apart"-- The photo of
our house will help me to
keep it in remembrance
and it does not seem
as though my recollections
of it could ever grow dim.
We had or rather "Akwai"
had quite a time getting
the boxes opened. They
certainly showed no traces
of having been opened by
the way -- I think I wrote
you that when I got to
San Francisco I found my
trunk had the lock taken
off and the straps broken but
nothing inside had been
disturbed . These boxes were
nailed up so firmly that
I think no one would have
had courage to attack them.
Akwai set to work armed with
a hatchet + chisel but soon
broke the chisel + then went
+ brought a long iron poker
or something three or four
feet long with which he
pried the covers off -- I told
him when you nailed
them up you wondered
who would unpack them
and I told you it was
sue to be Akwai and he
seemed quite pleased. I
wish more than ever now
that I had got something
nice for him at home but I
did not know what to get +
do not know what would
be the thing . I guess I will
go out and get him a knife
in some of the shops here --
I forgot to say in the other
letter when I was writing
about pictures that if Em
or any of the girls have time
to make some spatter
work pictures and send
out here we would be
very glad to have them.
She thought of working
some "[?mottos?]," if she does
hope she will send us
a specimen. Lucy would
like one very much to
give to Mrs Chalmers --
If they were thoroughly dried
I think this would come all
right. Sarah's came
perfectly. Em's was subled
just a little. We will
not have time to write to
Sarah this mail and so
I hope you sill send
these letters down to her
The building on the lot next
us is going on very fast but
Dr Happer is still negotiating
for the land and I
suppose is likely to get it.
It will be a month tomorrow
since I reached here
two and a half since I left
home ---I would like to be
with you all very much if
it were not for the "heathen
China" [u]Our[/u] women and
girls are not very much like
heathen. Well now I must
say goodnight wishing you
all a very happy New Year
and as many more as you
wish to have I am ever
Your aff sister Hattie --
中国广州
1878 年 1 月 2 日
我亲爱的 Edward Mattie 和 Lucy 已经上床睡觉了，
但现在还不算太晚，
我不喜欢在没有填满全额费用的情况下寄信，
所以我会再坐一会儿。
我很高兴收到家里的来信——我希望你不要让中国在你看来很遥远——我很着急，
希望我们尽可能地接近，
“尽管距离让我们相隔很远”——我们房子的照片将帮助我记住它，
而且我对它的回忆似乎永远不会变得模糊。
我们有或者更确切地说“Akwai”有相当长的时间来打开盒子。
顺便说一句，
它们当然没有被打开的痕迹——我想我写信给你说，
当我到达旧金山时，
我发现我的行李箱的锁被拆了，
带子也断了，
但里面没有任何东西受到干扰。
这些箱子被钉得如此牢靠，
我想没有人有勇气攻击它们。
Akwai 带着斧头和凿子开始工作，
但很快就把凿子弄断了，
然后去拿了一根长铁棒或三四英尺长的东西，
他用它撬开盖子——我告诉他，
当你把它们钉好时，
你想知道谁会打开包装，
我告诉过你是 Akwai，
他似乎很高兴。
我现在比以往任何时候都更希望我能在家里为他买点好东西，
但我不知道该买什么，
也不知道会是什么。
我想我会出去在这里的一些商店给他买一把刀——我在写照片的时候忘记在另一封信中说如果 Em 或任何女孩有时间制作一些泼溅的工作照片和发送到这里我们会很高兴拥有它们。
如果她确实希望给我们寄一份样本，
她会考虑制定一些“座右铭”。
露西非常想送给查尔默斯太太——如果它们彻底晒干了，
我想这一切都会好起来的。
莎拉来得很完美。
艾姆的皱了一点点。
我们没有时间给莎拉写这封邮件，
所以我希望你能把这些信寄给她。
我们旁边的地块上的建筑进展很快，
但哈珀医生仍在谈判土地，
我想很可能得到它。
离家已经两个半月了，
明天到这里还有一个月——要不是“异教中国”，
我很想和你们在一起，
我们的女人和女孩不太像异教徒。
好吧，
现在我必须说晚安，
祝大家新年快乐，
并且尽可能多地祝愿我永远是你的妹妹，
海蒂——
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Edward, January 2, 1878,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed May 3, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/234.