Letter from Hattie to Sarah, June 2, 1879
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Sarah, June 2, 1879
Subject
Birthdays; Sabbath; Prayer meetings; Dreams; Homesickness; Flowers
Description
On the day that Harriet is writing to Sarah, it is Sarah's birthday. They recently had a Sabbath service at their house where Dr. Kerr spoke and said he thought the mission had been progressing very well. Harriet goes to bed for the night and finishes her letter the next day, where she says she dreamed about being home for the first time since coming back to Canton.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #2
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1879-06-02
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_197
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China.
June 2nd 1879.
My dear Sarah,
I have been thinking
all day that this is our dear
Sarah's birthday. How quickly
the years pass one after another
but they are bringing us nearer to
our eternal home and happiness
unalloyed. You are still in the
midst of your duties in Columbus
but I hope when this reaches you
you will be having a nice time
in the dear old home. I hope
you [u]three[/u] will enjoy some pleasant
rides in your new carriage,
and perhaps sometimes when
"the cares of the day are over"
the "little [u]school[/u] maam" can
have her turn. I do hope you
will have a very pleasant time
after your year of hard work.
I am glad Aunt Fay and
Cousin Mary are coming to Seville.
How I wish it were possible for
me to add one to your number
sometimes. I can be with you
[u]in spirit[/u] at any rate and it is
so pleasant for us to [u]know so[/u]
surely that we are not forgotten
in the dear home on the hill.
We have had the monthly concert
here this evening the first Monday
of the month. It is a very great
pleasure to us to have this meeting
It was always held in this house
while the Prestons lived here.
Last night the Sabbath service
was here also as Mr & Mrs Henry
are away in the country.
It rained so hard that we
thought no one could come but the
room was very well filled.
Tonight we thought it would be
doubtful whether there would
be any one but not withstanding
the rain there were a good number
of people came. Dr Kerr
led the meeting and we had
such a nice meeting. He
made such good remarks we
all enjoyed them very much.
He spoke particularly of how
since he came back he can
see and [u]feel[/u] signs of progress.
It is very encouraging to hear one
who has been here so long say so.
This is Miss Whilden's birthday.
Mattie thought after the people came
how nice it would have been to have
had them staid after meeting & had
a little visit a "surprise party" for her.
It would have been very nice if we
had thought of it in time and if
our servants had not been so busy
as they are having the VanDykes to
cook for. As it is we do not give them
anything extra to do if we can
help it. Dr Kerr is taking his meals
with them while the Henrys are
away. We would have been very glad
to have had him come over here but it is
more convenient for him to Eat there
June 3d I had
such a delightful dream last
night about being at [u]home[/u] and
going out with you all to the
hill to gather flowers. It all
seemed [u]so natural[/u] and we
had such a nice time talking
together and gathering flowers.
I hav'nt dreamed of having
such a nice time at home since
I came back. I thought at the
North end of the field we gathered
so many beautiful roses and then
all the way down on the hillside
there were a great many varieties
of flowers and at the south end
we found heliotropes and honeysuckle
and woodbine. We gathered some
grasses too for me to bring back to
China but I thought I was not
coming very [u]soon[/u] and we said
we could gather more later in the
season. I could not keep my
flowers however but dropped them
as fast as they were gathered.
I think my dream must have
been the result of commencing this
letter just before I went to bed
so I hope the interpretations thereof
is that your pathway during the
coming year is to be strewn
with flowers and full of happiness.
I hope that it may be so if that
will be best. However that may be
"Light [u]is sown[/u] for the righteous and
[u]gladness[/u] for the upright in heart,"
and if not now the harvest time
will come bye + bye.
[Note: Written vertically on the first page]
With [u]ever[/u]
so much love
and every
good wish
from Your loving
[u]Hattie[/u].
中国广州。
1879 年 6 月 2 日。
亲爱的莎拉，
我整天都在想，
这是我们亲爱的莎拉的生日。
岁月匆匆而过，
但它们却让我们更接近我们永恒的家和纯粹的幸福。
您仍在哥伦布执行任务，
但我希望当您收到这些信息时，
您将在亲爱的老房子里度过愉快的时光。
我希望你们三个在新的马车里享受一些愉快的旅程，
也许有时当“一天的烦恼结束”时，
“小学校夫人”可以轮到她了。
我真的希望你在一年的辛勤工作之后会度过一个愉快的时光。
我很高兴费阿姨和玛丽表妹来到塞维利亚。
我多么希望有时我能在你的号码上加一个。
无论如何，
我可以在精神上与您同在，
我们很高兴能够如此确定地知道我们不会被遗忘在山上亲爱的家中。
我们在这个月的第一个星期一晚上在这里举行了每月一次的音乐会。
我们很高兴能有这次会议 当普雷斯顿一家住在这里时，
它总是在这所房子里举行。
昨晚安息日礼拜也在这里，
因为亨利先生和夫人不在乡下。
雨下得太大了，
我们以为没人能来，
但房间里人满为患。
今晚我们认为是否会有任何人值得怀疑，
但尽管下雨了，
但还是有很多人来了。
Kerr 医生主持了这次会议，
我们的会议非常愉快。
他说了这么好的话，
我们都非常喜欢。
他特别谈到，
自从他回来后，
他如何看到并感受到进步的迹象。
听到一个在这里待了这么久的人这么说是非常令人鼓舞的。
这是怀尔登小姐的生日。
马蒂想，
在人们来了之后，
如果让他们在见面后保持冷静，
并为她举办一次“惊喜派对”，
那该多好。
如果我们能及时想到这一点，
如果我们的仆人没有忙到让 VanDykes 做饭，
那就太好了。
事实上，
如果我们能提供帮助，
我们不会给他们任何额外的工作。
亨利一家不在时，
克尔医生正在和他们一起吃饭。
我们本来会很高兴让他来这里，
但他在 6 月 3 日在那里吃饭更方便我昨晚做了一个非常愉快的梦，
关于在家和大家一起去山上采花。
这一切看起来都是那么自然，
我们一起聊天和采花度过了愉快的时光。
自从我回来后，
我做梦都没有想过在家里过得这么愉快。
我以为在田地的北端，
我们采集了许多美丽的玫瑰，
然后一直到山坡上，
有各种各样的花，
在南端，
我们发现了天芥菜、金银花和木槿。
我们也收集了一些草给我带回中国，
但我想我不会很快来，
我们说我们可以在赛季后期收集更多。
然而，
我无法保留我的花，
但在收集它们的同时迅速将它们扔掉。
我想我的梦想一定是在我临睡前开始写这封信的结果，
所以我希望它的解释是你来年的道路是鲜花盛开，
充满幸福。
我希望它可能是这样，
如果那将是最好的。
然而，
这可能是“为义人播种光明，
为心中正直的人播种喜乐”，
如果不是现在，
收获的时间将一去不复返。
[注：垂直写在第一页上]
怀着如此多的爱和来自亲爱的海蒂的每一个美好祝愿。
June 2nd 1879.
My dear Sarah,
I have been thinking
all day that this is our dear
Sarah's birthday. How quickly
the years pass one after another
but they are bringing us nearer to
our eternal home and happiness
unalloyed. You are still in the
midst of your duties in Columbus
but I hope when this reaches you
you will be having a nice time
in the dear old home. I hope
you [u]three[/u] will enjoy some pleasant
rides in your new carriage,
and perhaps sometimes when
"the cares of the day are over"
the "little [u]school[/u] maam" can
have her turn. I do hope you
will have a very pleasant time
after your year of hard work.
I am glad Aunt Fay and
Cousin Mary are coming to Seville.
How I wish it were possible for
me to add one to your number
sometimes. I can be with you
[u]in spirit[/u] at any rate and it is
so pleasant for us to [u]know so[/u]
surely that we are not forgotten
in the dear home on the hill.
We have had the monthly concert
here this evening the first Monday
of the month. It is a very great
pleasure to us to have this meeting
It was always held in this house
while the Prestons lived here.
Last night the Sabbath service
was here also as Mr & Mrs Henry
are away in the country.
It rained so hard that we
thought no one could come but the
room was very well filled.
Tonight we thought it would be
doubtful whether there would
be any one but not withstanding
the rain there were a good number
of people came. Dr Kerr
led the meeting and we had
such a nice meeting. He
made such good remarks we
all enjoyed them very much.
He spoke particularly of how
since he came back he can
see and [u]feel[/u] signs of progress.
It is very encouraging to hear one
who has been here so long say so.
This is Miss Whilden's birthday.
Mattie thought after the people came
how nice it would have been to have
had them staid after meeting & had
a little visit a "surprise party" for her.
It would have been very nice if we
had thought of it in time and if
our servants had not been so busy
as they are having the VanDykes to
cook for. As it is we do not give them
anything extra to do if we can
help it. Dr Kerr is taking his meals
with them while the Henrys are
away. We would have been very glad
to have had him come over here but it is
more convenient for him to Eat there
June 3d I had
such a delightful dream last
night about being at [u]home[/u] and
going out with you all to the
hill to gather flowers. It all
seemed [u]so natural[/u] and we
had such a nice time talking
together and gathering flowers.
I hav'nt dreamed of having
such a nice time at home since
I came back. I thought at the
North end of the field we gathered
so many beautiful roses and then
all the way down on the hillside
there were a great many varieties
of flowers and at the south end
we found heliotropes and honeysuckle
and woodbine. We gathered some
grasses too for me to bring back to
China but I thought I was not
coming very [u]soon[/u] and we said
we could gather more later in the
season. I could not keep my
flowers however but dropped them
as fast as they were gathered.
I think my dream must have
been the result of commencing this
letter just before I went to bed
so I hope the interpretations thereof
is that your pathway during the
coming year is to be strewn
with flowers and full of happiness.
I hope that it may be so if that
will be best. However that may be
"Light [u]is sown[/u] for the righteous and
[u]gladness[/u] for the upright in heart,"
and if not now the harvest time
will come bye + bye.
[Note: Written vertically on the first page]
With [u]ever[/u]
so much love
and every
good wish
from Your loving
[u]Hattie[/u].
中国广州。
1879 年 6 月 2 日。
亲爱的莎拉，
我整天都在想，
这是我们亲爱的莎拉的生日。
岁月匆匆而过，
但它们却让我们更接近我们永恒的家和纯粹的幸福。
您仍在哥伦布执行任务，
但我希望当您收到这些信息时，
您将在亲爱的老房子里度过愉快的时光。
我希望你们三个在新的马车里享受一些愉快的旅程，
也许有时当“一天的烦恼结束”时，
“小学校夫人”可以轮到她了。
我真的希望你在一年的辛勤工作之后会度过一个愉快的时光。
我很高兴费阿姨和玛丽表妹来到塞维利亚。
我多么希望有时我能在你的号码上加一个。
无论如何，
我可以在精神上与您同在，
我们很高兴能够如此确定地知道我们不会被遗忘在山上亲爱的家中。
我们在这个月的第一个星期一晚上在这里举行了每月一次的音乐会。
我们很高兴能有这次会议 当普雷斯顿一家住在这里时，
它总是在这所房子里举行。
昨晚安息日礼拜也在这里，
因为亨利先生和夫人不在乡下。
雨下得太大了，
我们以为没人能来，
但房间里人满为患。
今晚我们认为是否会有任何人值得怀疑，
但尽管下雨了，
但还是有很多人来了。
Kerr 医生主持了这次会议，
我们的会议非常愉快。
他说了这么好的话，
我们都非常喜欢。
他特别谈到，
自从他回来后，
他如何看到并感受到进步的迹象。
听到一个在这里待了这么久的人这么说是非常令人鼓舞的。
这是怀尔登小姐的生日。
马蒂想，
在人们来了之后，
如果让他们在见面后保持冷静，
并为她举办一次“惊喜派对”，
那该多好。
如果我们能及时想到这一点，
如果我们的仆人没有忙到让 VanDykes 做饭，
那就太好了。
事实上，
如果我们能提供帮助，
我们不会给他们任何额外的工作。
亨利一家不在时，
克尔医生正在和他们一起吃饭。
我们本来会很高兴让他来这里，
但他在 6 月 3 日在那里吃饭更方便我昨晚做了一个非常愉快的梦，
关于在家和大家一起去山上采花。
这一切看起来都是那么自然，
我们一起聊天和采花度过了愉快的时光。
自从我回来后，
我做梦都没有想过在家里过得这么愉快。
我以为在田地的北端，
我们采集了许多美丽的玫瑰，
然后一直到山坡上，
有各种各样的花，
在南端，
我们发现了天芥菜、金银花和木槿。
我们也收集了一些草给我带回中国，
但我想我不会很快来，
我们说我们可以在赛季后期收集更多。
然而，
我无法保留我的花，
但在收集它们的同时迅速将它们扔掉。
我想我的梦想一定是在我临睡前开始写这封信的结果，
所以我希望它的解释是你来年的道路是鲜花盛开，
充满幸福。
我希望它可能是这样，
如果那将是最好的。
然而，
这可能是“为义人播种光明，
为心中正直的人播种喜乐”，
如果不是现在，
收获的时间将一去不复返。
[注：垂直写在第一页上]
怀着如此多的爱和来自亲爱的海蒂的每一个美好祝愿。
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Sarah, June 2, 1879,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 20, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/253.