Letter from Hattie to Sarah, January 16, 1869
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Sarah, January 16, 1869
Subject
Mail service; Missionaries; Photographs; Croquet; Moving, Household
Description
In this letter, Harriet writes to her sister, Sarah. She begins by talking about the lack of new mail and the possible loss of their most recently sent letters. She also discusses the new missionaries arriving in China. One of her visitors was a soldier who served near where Hattie worked during the war. Hattie also mentions that Wooster University is beginning to be a success. This letter has some small holes in the paper.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #1
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1869-01-16
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_023
Coverage
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China.
Jany 16th /69.
My [u]dear[/u] Sarah,
It is almost ten o
clock Saturday night and the
mail goes Monday morning &
I feel as though I had nothing
written to send as yet. What do
you think when the steamer came
in this month it did not bring us
anything from [u]home[/u] nor from
Mr Crane's. We could not think
the trouble was at your end of the line
but conclude something must have
happened to the mail. A gentleman
from New York who came over in
the steamer made us a short visit here
and he said that when he came (by
the overland route in 13 days from
N York to San Francisco) several mail
bags were lost off on the road & who
knows but our letters were in them.
I don't believe you can [u]imagine[/u]
just how we feel when steamers
come in & we find there are no letters.
With you it is different for if they do
not come when you expect you say,
Perhaps they will come [u]to-morrow[/u] but
we know there is [u]no hope[/u] of getting a
single word for a whole month
and viewed in that light a month
seems a long time We also expected
the "China" would bring three new
missionaries Mrs Bonney & two young
ladies sent by Mrs Doremus but in
that also were disappointed as instead
of seeing them we received a letter
from Dr Lowrie telling us that they
had decided to go to Pekin. If they
had come here we were expecting to
board them for a while (until they
could ^[get] a house) as there was no other
family that could take them so
conveniently, I had moved all
my things [--moved--] out of my room
and arranged it for them & had
dinner prepared [--for them--] so you
may imagine how complete my
surprise and disappointment were
when I found that they had not
come in the steamer at all.
When I last wrote I believe we were
having company from America
Mr & Mrs Partridge [--from America--]
on their way to join the Baptist
Mission in Bangkok. They were
very nice people and we enjoyed
their stay ever so much. I dont know
but I wrote to you that he was a soldier
and close by Point of Rocks while I
was there. He gave me two photos
of the two signal towers near there
perhaps you will remember them
as among my "[u]lost[/u]" ones. I did
not think I should ever have
any of them replaced here. But
I am afraid I am fated to be
unfortunate in the matter of photos
That dear group of sisters that was
so precious to me has vanished and
I am afraid I shall never see it
again. The Chinese have always
admired it very much and I fear
that some one of them has managed
to get posession of it. I always kept
it in my album and did not
think that they would get it there.
Is'nt it [u]too sad[/u]. We have been
intending to get it framed but
have neglected it. I hope that
the negative is still in Wooster but it
never seems as though after prints
are as good as the first. Have you
ever spoken for some more of my
photographs. We see by the papers
that Wooster University is really
going to be something very grand.
Hope that we may see it some day.
Clara spoke in one of her letters about
playing croquet. I am glad that
you know the game. We got
some balls that were Mr Folsoms
in the fall and have played it a
good deal this winter. We take
them over on Sha-min and play
instead of walking for exercise.
We have had a very nice game
tonight with Mr Selby & Mr Whitehead.
They usually come up Saturday eve
to play are too far away to come
very often. Mr Rogers has played
with us almost always but he is
going home very soon now.
We expect to move pretty soon into
the house Mr Folsom built which
is vastly more comfortable and
pleasant than this one. All the
members of our mission will then
be close together, and all have
as comfortable airy houses as
could be desired. I suppose there
are no houses in Canton more
so. Now [u]dear Sarah[/u] I must say
good-night for it is getting late.
My love to all inquiring friends especially
to Sarah Leitzell. I do want to write
to her, Good-night
Your own loving,
Hattie.
中国广州。
1869 年 1 月 16 日。
亲爱的莎拉，
周六晚上快十点了，
周一早上邮件就到了，
我觉得我还没有写好要寄的东西。
你觉得这个月轮船来的时候，
它没有给我们带来任何来自家里和克兰先生的东西。
我们不能认为问题出在您的最后，
但得出的结论是邮件一定发生了什么事。
一位乘坐汽船过来的纽约绅士让我们在这里进行了一次短暂的访问，
他说当他来的时候（从纽约到旧金山的陆路 13 天），
几个邮袋在路上丢失了&谁知道，
但我们的信在里面。
我不相信你能想象当轮船进来并且我们发现没有字母时我们的感受。
与你不同的是，
如果他们在你期望的时候不来，
你说，也许他们明天会来，
但我们知道整整一个月都没有希望得到一个字，
从这个角度来看，
一个月似乎很长时间 我们还预计“中国”会带来三位新的传教士邦尼夫人和多雷姆斯夫人派来的两位年轻女士，
但那也很失望，
因为我们没有看到他们，
而是收到了洛瑞医生的信，
告诉我们他们决定去北京。
如果他们来这里，
我们希望能寄宿一段时间（直到他们能得到房子），
因为没有其他家庭可以这么方便地带他们去，
我把我所有的东西都搬出了房间并为他们安排好了并准备好晚餐，
所以您可以想象当我发现它们根本没有进入蒸笼时，
我的惊讶和失望是多么彻底。
当我上次写信时，
我相信我们有来自美国的帕特里奇先生和夫人陪伴，
他们正在前往曼谷加入浸信会传道的路上。
他们是非常好的人，
我们非常喜欢他们的住宿。
我不知道，
但我写信给你说他是一名士兵，
我在那里的时候就在 Point of Rocks 附近。
他给了我两张附近两座信号塔的照片，
也许你会记得它们是我“丢失”的信号塔之一。
我认为我不应该在这里更换它们中的任何一个。
但我怕我在照片这件事上是命中注定的不幸那对我来说如此珍贵的亲爱的姐妹们已经消失了，
我怕我再也见不到它了。
中国人一直非常钦佩它，
我担心他们中的某个人已经成功地拥有了它。
我一直把它保存在我的相册里，
没想到他们会把它放在那里。
是不是太难过了。
我们一直打算把它装裱起来，
但忽略了它。
我希望底片还在 Wooster 中，
但它似乎从来没有像第一个那样好。
你有没有为我的更多照片说话。
我们从论文中看到伍斯特大学真的会成为非常宏伟的大学。
希望有一天我们能看到它。
克拉拉在她的一封信中谈到了打槌球。
我很高兴你知道这个游戏。
我们得到了一些秋天的 Folsoms 先生的球，
今年冬天打得很好。
我们把他们带到沙面上玩，
而不是走路锻炼。
今晚我们与塞尔比先生和怀特黑德先生进行了一场非常精彩的比赛。
他们通常会在周六前夜来玩，
因为距离太远而不能经常来。
罗杰斯先生几乎总是和我们一起玩，
但他现在很快就要回家了。
我们希望很快能搬进福尔松先生建造的房子，
这房子比这栋更舒适宜人。
然后，
我们任务的所有成员将紧密联系在一起，
并且所有人都拥有尽可能舒适通风的房屋。
我想广州没有房子了。
现在亲爱的莎拉，
我必须说晚安，
因为时间不早了。
我爱所有询问的朋友，
尤其是莎拉·莱策尔。
我确实想写信给她，
晚安，
海蒂。
Jany 16th /69.
My [u]dear[/u] Sarah,
It is almost ten o
clock Saturday night and the
mail goes Monday morning &
I feel as though I had nothing
written to send as yet. What do
you think when the steamer came
in this month it did not bring us
anything from [u]home[/u] nor from
Mr Crane's. We could not think
the trouble was at your end of the line
but conclude something must have
happened to the mail. A gentleman
from New York who came over in
the steamer made us a short visit here
and he said that when he came (by
the overland route in 13 days from
N York to San Francisco) several mail
bags were lost off on the road & who
knows but our letters were in them.
I don't believe you can [u]imagine[/u]
just how we feel when steamers
come in & we find there are no letters.
With you it is different for if they do
not come when you expect you say,
Perhaps they will come [u]to-morrow[/u] but
we know there is [u]no hope[/u] of getting a
single word for a whole month
and viewed in that light a month
seems a long time We also expected
the "China" would bring three new
missionaries Mrs Bonney & two young
ladies sent by Mrs Doremus but in
that also were disappointed as instead
of seeing them we received a letter
from Dr Lowrie telling us that they
had decided to go to Pekin. If they
had come here we were expecting to
board them for a while (until they
could ^[get] a house) as there was no other
family that could take them so
conveniently, I had moved all
my things [--moved--] out of my room
and arranged it for them & had
dinner prepared [--for them--] so you
may imagine how complete my
surprise and disappointment were
when I found that they had not
come in the steamer at all.
When I last wrote I believe we were
having company from America
Mr & Mrs Partridge [--from America--]
on their way to join the Baptist
Mission in Bangkok. They were
very nice people and we enjoyed
their stay ever so much. I dont know
but I wrote to you that he was a soldier
and close by Point of Rocks while I
was there. He gave me two photos
of the two signal towers near there
perhaps you will remember them
as among my "[u]lost[/u]" ones. I did
not think I should ever have
any of them replaced here. But
I am afraid I am fated to be
unfortunate in the matter of photos
That dear group of sisters that was
so precious to me has vanished and
I am afraid I shall never see it
again. The Chinese have always
admired it very much and I fear
that some one of them has managed
to get posession of it. I always kept
it in my album and did not
think that they would get it there.
Is'nt it [u]too sad[/u]. We have been
intending to get it framed but
have neglected it. I hope that
the negative is still in Wooster but it
never seems as though after prints
are as good as the first. Have you
ever spoken for some more of my
photographs. We see by the papers
that Wooster University is really
going to be something very grand.
Hope that we may see it some day.
Clara spoke in one of her letters about
playing croquet. I am glad that
you know the game. We got
some balls that were Mr Folsoms
in the fall and have played it a
good deal this winter. We take
them over on Sha-min and play
instead of walking for exercise.
We have had a very nice game
tonight with Mr Selby & Mr Whitehead.
They usually come up Saturday eve
to play are too far away to come
very often. Mr Rogers has played
with us almost always but he is
going home very soon now.
We expect to move pretty soon into
the house Mr Folsom built which
is vastly more comfortable and
pleasant than this one. All the
members of our mission will then
be close together, and all have
as comfortable airy houses as
could be desired. I suppose there
are no houses in Canton more
so. Now [u]dear Sarah[/u] I must say
good-night for it is getting late.
My love to all inquiring friends especially
to Sarah Leitzell. I do want to write
to her, Good-night
Your own loving,
Hattie.
中国广州。
1869 年 1 月 16 日。
亲爱的莎拉，
周六晚上快十点了，
周一早上邮件就到了，
我觉得我还没有写好要寄的东西。
你觉得这个月轮船来的时候，
它没有给我们带来任何来自家里和克兰先生的东西。
我们不能认为问题出在您的最后，
但得出的结论是邮件一定发生了什么事。
一位乘坐汽船过来的纽约绅士让我们在这里进行了一次短暂的访问，
他说当他来的时候（从纽约到旧金山的陆路 13 天），
几个邮袋在路上丢失了&谁知道，
但我们的信在里面。
我不相信你能想象当轮船进来并且我们发现没有字母时我们的感受。
与你不同的是，
如果他们在你期望的时候不来，
你说，也许他们明天会来，
但我们知道整整一个月都没有希望得到一个字，
从这个角度来看，
一个月似乎很长时间 我们还预计“中国”会带来三位新的传教士邦尼夫人和多雷姆斯夫人派来的两位年轻女士，
但那也很失望，
因为我们没有看到他们，
而是收到了洛瑞医生的信，
告诉我们他们决定去北京。
如果他们来这里，
我们希望能寄宿一段时间（直到他们能得到房子），
因为没有其他家庭可以这么方便地带他们去，
我把我所有的东西都搬出了房间并为他们安排好了并准备好晚餐，
所以您可以想象当我发现它们根本没有进入蒸笼时，
我的惊讶和失望是多么彻底。
当我上次写信时，
我相信我们有来自美国的帕特里奇先生和夫人陪伴，
他们正在前往曼谷加入浸信会传道的路上。
他们是非常好的人，
我们非常喜欢他们的住宿。
我不知道，
但我写信给你说他是一名士兵，
我在那里的时候就在 Point of Rocks 附近。
他给了我两张附近两座信号塔的照片，
也许你会记得它们是我“丢失”的信号塔之一。
我认为我不应该在这里更换它们中的任何一个。
但我怕我在照片这件事上是命中注定的不幸那对我来说如此珍贵的亲爱的姐妹们已经消失了，
我怕我再也见不到它了。
中国人一直非常钦佩它，
我担心他们中的某个人已经成功地拥有了它。
我一直把它保存在我的相册里，
没想到他们会把它放在那里。
是不是太难过了。
我们一直打算把它装裱起来，
但忽略了它。
我希望底片还在 Wooster 中，
但它似乎从来没有像第一个那样好。
你有没有为我的更多照片说话。
我们从论文中看到伍斯特大学真的会成为非常宏伟的大学。
希望有一天我们能看到它。
克拉拉在她的一封信中谈到了打槌球。
我很高兴你知道这个游戏。
我们得到了一些秋天的 Folsoms 先生的球，
今年冬天打得很好。
我们把他们带到沙面上玩，
而不是走路锻炼。
今晚我们与塞尔比先生和怀特黑德先生进行了一场非常精彩的比赛。
他们通常会在周六前夜来玩，
因为距离太远而不能经常来。
罗杰斯先生几乎总是和我们一起玩，
但他现在很快就要回家了。
我们希望很快能搬进福尔松先生建造的房子，
这房子比这栋更舒适宜人。
然后，
我们任务的所有成员将紧密联系在一起，
并且所有人都拥有尽可能舒适通风的房屋。
我想广州没有房子了。
现在亲爱的莎拉，
我必须说晚安，
因为时间不早了。
我爱所有询问的朋友，
尤其是莎拉·莱策尔。
我确实想写信给她，
晚安，
海蒂。
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Sarah, January 16, 1869,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed November 21, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/24.