Letter from Hattie to Father, January 15, 1878

Letter from Hattie to Father, January 15, 1878

Anniversaries; Boarding schools; Spirituality; Religion; School buildings

Harriet tells her father that yesterday marked the eleventh anniversary since she started working as a missionary in Canton. She mentions that they closed the boarding school and even though it was a short term, it was very pleasant. Harriet describes the rewarding system that they employed to recognize the students' efforts. She feels that the school's spirituality has never been better.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1878-01-15

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_179

Canton China.
Jany 15th 1878
My dear Father -
Yesterday was Eleven
years since I first came to
Canton so I am now in my
twelfth year of missionary work.
I remember when I came
here Dr Graves and some
others who had been here
fourteen years seemed like
quite old missionaries to me.
We have closed the Boarding
School and the scholars have
nearly all gone home We
have had a short term but
a very pleasant one. Our
new teacher is such a treasure
She keeps everything going so
nicely that the school is
no care at all compared with
what it used to be ----

Everything has been so very
satisfactory during the past term.
I do not know of anything
having occurred in the slightest
degree unpleasant in any way.
We promised rewards to all
who were perfect in every recitation
and every day in behaviors during
the term. There were thirteen
of the first and fifteen of
the others. that is thirteen [u]perfect[/u]
in recitation & fifteen in conduct.
It obliged us to get a good many
presents but we did not begrudge
the money so spent for we
felt the girls had earned it
& deserved their reward --
For several weeks they have
had an evening meeting
in the teachers room where
after the day was done they
talked it over and "confessed
their sins one to another and
prayed one for another". If

I have not the quotation right
you will know what it should
be We feel that this little meeting
had been wonderfully blessed.
I have never known the
school to seem to have its
spiritual life so well developed
as it is now. I so often wish
that [u]you[/u] could see the
girls. and know all about
them. It always gives us
so [u]much[/u] happiness to think
that you take such a deep
interest in the school and it is
easy to believe that our success
may be in large measure the
answer to your prayers.
We shall [u]know[/u] bye and bye -
and I am sure you will
find then that you have
done a great deal of good
that you never dreamed
of . When we heard some
time since of your having fever

we told the girls for they & the
women always want to know
what news we hear from
home -for some time they prayed
for you to get better and some
of them referred to you as one
who remembered to pray
for this school --- We hope
before very long to receive
answers to the letters we sent
home for the legacy. If we
really cannot have it at
present Mr Henry will give
us his day school building &
then we can do very nicely.
But it seems as though if we
are to have the new building it
would be very nice if we could
have it at once. We feel more
& more thankful every day that
we are [u]here[/u] instead of at the
other end .It is [u]so much[/u]
better for us all - and Henry
is as glad that we are here

[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
as we are.
Mrs Henry told
him when he came that
he must not
lend himself
to any scheme
to move us
back & he
told her that
indeed he
should not
told her that
he was very glad
for many reasons
that we were
down here. Only
think "we look some
for dear old
Dr Kerr [u]this
week[/u]" -----
Ever your loving daughter
Hattie -

中国广东
1878年1月15日，
我亲爱的父亲，
昨天是我来中国十一周年，
现在我在这里开始了我传教工作的第十二个年头。
/
/
我刚来的时候，
其他已经在这里待了 12 年的传教士对我来说似乎很老。
当我第一次来到这里时，
我认为像Graves医生这样在这里呆了 14 年的人都是非常老的传教士。
/
我们在寄宿学校结束了学期，
几乎所有的学生都回家了。
这个学期很短，
但很愉快。
我们的新老师很棒，
她做得很好，
学校比以前容易得多。
/
/
/

上学期一切都非常令人满意，
/
没有什么不愉快的事情发生。
/
/
开学的时候，
我们承诺给背诵好的学生颁奖。
13名学生获得完美背诵奖，
十五名学生因优秀行为而获奖。
/
/
/
我们不得不为学生们买很多礼物，
但我们不介意花钱，
因为女孩们赚到了，
值得他们的回报。
/
几个星期以来，
学生们一直在教师办公室举行晚会，
在那里他们一起交谈他们的罪恶冰儿互相祈祷。
/
/
/
/

我们认为这个小小的学生聚会是给他们带来好运的。
/
/
/
学校拥有有史以来最丰富的精神生活。
/
/
我常常希望您能看到和认识女孩们。
/
/
我们很满意他们对学校感兴趣。 
谢谢你为我们祈祷。
/
/
让我们更容易相信我们的成功
/
/
很快我们就会知道你的祈祷是否得到了回应。
/
/
/
/
当我们听说你发烧时，
我们告诉了一些女孩

（她们总是渴望来自美国的消息）
女孩们为你祈祷，
她们会记得你为她们和学校祈祷。
/
/
/
/
我们希望很快收到信件，
告诉我们我们是否收到了遗产。
如果我们没有收到，
Henry先生会给我们他的走读学校使用。
/
/
/
/
但看起来我们将要建造一座新建筑，
那会非常好。
/
我们感到非常感激，
现在有了希望，
Henry也很感激。
/
/
/

/
Henry太太告诉他他不应该试着往回走，
他告诉她他不会，
他很高兴我们在这里。 
lend himself
但有时我们认为我们应该本周去看望亲爱的老Kerr医生。

您亲爱的女儿，
Hattie -

Letter