Letter from Hattie to Edward, July 15, 1879
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Edward, July 15, 1879
Subject
Labor; Travel; School buildings
Description
Harriet explains to Edward that labor is cheap in China. For instance, they have a gardener who charges them 50 cents a month. They even give him extra work because the gardener seems happy with his job. Harriet supposes that John Happer is about to reach United States. She hopes that Edward's planters are repaying him for his work and interest. Finally, she infroms that they are hoping to receive letters about the school building.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #2
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1879-07-15
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_199
Coverage
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
July 15th 1879.
My dear Edward,
I am taking you in
turn to-day, so if I do not get
down the list so as to include
Mary she can comfort herself
with thinking "Age before beauty."
It is a delightful summer day for
Canton we congratulate ourselves
much that we have reached
the middle of July and no
oppressively hot weather as yet.
Mr Henry has a little lawn mower
and "our gardener" is cutting the
grass in the yard with it to-day
so I can almost fancy as I
listen to its rattle that I hear
our old mowing machine.
Dont you think we are rather
fine to have a gardener to
keep our grounds in order.
Labor is cheap here. It is an
old man who lives on the
place Mr Henry pays him
[u]fifty cents a month[/u] and we
pay him the same and
in consideration therefor he
waters all the flowers morning
and night and seems to
spend a good share of his
time during the day digging around
in one place or another. We
wonder sometimes if we ought not
to pay him more but he seems
most contented & happy as it
is and never more pleased
than when we give him
some extra work to do.
By this time you are doubtless
getting well on with your
summer work. How the years
do fly one after another.
I do not think they can
ever go too fast for me
unless I get home again
then I am sure I should
want them to go slow.
That sentence will not do to read
at a missionary meeting. Most of
the home people like to feel that
missionaries are so bound up in their
work that they are above all longings
for the home land and the
dear ones there. I am [u]enjoying[/u]
a cold in the head to-day. I
have not been troubled much
with colds the past few years
not nearly so much as formerly,
and this I hope will not amount
to much, but I think a cold
in warm weather is more
uncomfortable if possible than
in the winter. I suppose
John is getting nearly to
America {John Happer}
I hope you will like him
and I feel pretty sure
that you will. I suppose he
will spend his vacations with
his relatives but perhaps you
will see him occasionally. Doubtless
his pater familias will consider
a visit from his boy an honor
to any family. Dont fail to
appreciate it properly.
I hope your planters are
repaying you for your care &
interest in them. The circular
you sent looks decidedly
promising I am glad Prince
bids fair to be a good horse.
Tell Fred from me to take
better care of his four legs &
keep them in [u]running order[/u].
I wish poor old Ned &
Jenny could renew their
youth. Are you coming
over San Francisco to
meet Gen Grant. We see the
15000 has come down to 4000.
[Note: Written vertically on the first page]
I suppose
we told you
that we are
keeping on
our school
through this month
hoping to receive
letters again
about the
building. We
hope they may
come by the
Tokio which
left SF July
1st.
Ever yr aff
[u]Hattie[/u].
中国广州，
1879 年 7 月 15 日。
亲爱的爱德华，
今天我轮流带你去，
所以如果我没有把玛丽列入名单，
她可以用“年龄先于美丽”来安慰自己。
对于广州来说，
这是一个令人愉快的夏日，
我们非常庆幸自己已经到了七月中旬，
还没有酷热的天气。
亨利先生有一台小割草机，
“我们的园丁”今天正在院子里割草，
所以当我听到它的嘎嘎声时，
我几乎可以想象我听到了我们的旧割草机。
你不认为我们有一个园丁来保持我们的场地井井有条吗？这里的劳动力便宜。
一位老人住在亨利先生每月付给他 50 美分的地方，
我们付给他同样的钱，
因此他早晚都给所有的花浇水，
似乎白天大部分时间都在挖在一个地方或另一个地方。
有时我们想知道我们是否应该付给他更多的钱，
但他似乎最满足和快乐，
而且从来没有比我们给他一些额外的工作做更高兴。
到这个时候，
你的暑假工作无疑已经顺利完成了。
岁月如何一年又一年地飞逝。
我不认为他们对我来说太快了，
除非我再次回家，
然后我确定我应该希望他们慢点。
这句话不适合在传教士聚会上阅读。
大多数在家乡的人都喜欢觉得传教士如此专注于他们的工作，
以至于他们首先渴望家乡和那里的亲人。
我今天正在享受感冒。
在过去的几年里，
我对感冒的困扰并不像以前那么大，
我希望这不会有太大的影响，
但我认为如果可能的话，
在温暖的天气里感冒比在冬天更不舒服。
我想约翰快到美国了（约翰哈珀）我希望你会喜欢他，
我很确定你会喜欢的。
我想他会和他的亲戚一起度过假期，
但也许你会偶尔见到他。
毫无疑问，
他的家人会认为他儿子的来访是对任何家庭的荣幸。
不要不正确地欣赏它。
我希望您的种植者能够回报您对他们的关心和关心。
你寄来的通知看起来肯定很有希望，
我很高兴普林斯能公平地成为一匹好马。
告诉我弗雷德要更好地照顾他的四条腿，
并让它们保持正常运转。
我希望可怜的老 Ned 和 Jenny 能重振他们的青春。
你要来旧金山见格兰特将军吗？我们看到 15000 已经下降到 4000。
[注：垂直写在第一页上] 我想我们告诉过你，
我们这个月一直在学校，
希望能再次收到关于大楼的信件。
我们希望他们能从 7 月 1 日离开旧金山的东京来。
真诚的，
海蒂。
July 15th 1879.
My dear Edward,
I am taking you in
turn to-day, so if I do not get
down the list so as to include
Mary she can comfort herself
with thinking "Age before beauty."
It is a delightful summer day for
Canton we congratulate ourselves
much that we have reached
the middle of July and no
oppressively hot weather as yet.
Mr Henry has a little lawn mower
and "our gardener" is cutting the
grass in the yard with it to-day
so I can almost fancy as I
listen to its rattle that I hear
our old mowing machine.
Dont you think we are rather
fine to have a gardener to
keep our grounds in order.
Labor is cheap here. It is an
old man who lives on the
place Mr Henry pays him
[u]fifty cents a month[/u] and we
pay him the same and
in consideration therefor he
waters all the flowers morning
and night and seems to
spend a good share of his
time during the day digging around
in one place or another. We
wonder sometimes if we ought not
to pay him more but he seems
most contented & happy as it
is and never more pleased
than when we give him
some extra work to do.
By this time you are doubtless
getting well on with your
summer work. How the years
do fly one after another.
I do not think they can
ever go too fast for me
unless I get home again
then I am sure I should
want them to go slow.
That sentence will not do to read
at a missionary meeting. Most of
the home people like to feel that
missionaries are so bound up in their
work that they are above all longings
for the home land and the
dear ones there. I am [u]enjoying[/u]
a cold in the head to-day. I
have not been troubled much
with colds the past few years
not nearly so much as formerly,
and this I hope will not amount
to much, but I think a cold
in warm weather is more
uncomfortable if possible than
in the winter. I suppose
John is getting nearly to
America {John Happer}
I hope you will like him
and I feel pretty sure
that you will. I suppose he
will spend his vacations with
his relatives but perhaps you
will see him occasionally. Doubtless
his pater familias will consider
a visit from his boy an honor
to any family. Dont fail to
appreciate it properly.
I hope your planters are
repaying you for your care &
interest in them. The circular
you sent looks decidedly
promising I am glad Prince
bids fair to be a good horse.
Tell Fred from me to take
better care of his four legs &
keep them in [u]running order[/u].
I wish poor old Ned &
Jenny could renew their
youth. Are you coming
over San Francisco to
meet Gen Grant. We see the
15000 has come down to 4000.
[Note: Written vertically on the first page]
I suppose
we told you
that we are
keeping on
our school
through this month
hoping to receive
letters again
about the
building. We
hope they may
come by the
Tokio which
left SF July
1st.
Ever yr aff
[u]Hattie[/u].
中国广州，
1879 年 7 月 15 日。
亲爱的爱德华，
今天我轮流带你去，
所以如果我没有把玛丽列入名单，
她可以用“年龄先于美丽”来安慰自己。
对于广州来说，
这是一个令人愉快的夏日，
我们非常庆幸自己已经到了七月中旬，
还没有酷热的天气。
亨利先生有一台小割草机，
“我们的园丁”今天正在院子里割草，
所以当我听到它的嘎嘎声时，
我几乎可以想象我听到了我们的旧割草机。
你不认为我们有一个园丁来保持我们的场地井井有条吗？这里的劳动力便宜。
一位老人住在亨利先生每月付给他 50 美分的地方，
我们付给他同样的钱，
因此他早晚都给所有的花浇水，
似乎白天大部分时间都在挖在一个地方或另一个地方。
有时我们想知道我们是否应该付给他更多的钱，
但他似乎最满足和快乐，
而且从来没有比我们给他一些额外的工作做更高兴。
到这个时候，
你的暑假工作无疑已经顺利完成了。
岁月如何一年又一年地飞逝。
我不认为他们对我来说太快了，
除非我再次回家，
然后我确定我应该希望他们慢点。
这句话不适合在传教士聚会上阅读。
大多数在家乡的人都喜欢觉得传教士如此专注于他们的工作，
以至于他们首先渴望家乡和那里的亲人。
我今天正在享受感冒。
在过去的几年里，
我对感冒的困扰并不像以前那么大，
我希望这不会有太大的影响，
但我认为如果可能的话，
在温暖的天气里感冒比在冬天更不舒服。
我想约翰快到美国了（约翰哈珀）我希望你会喜欢他，
我很确定你会喜欢的。
我想他会和他的亲戚一起度过假期，
但也许你会偶尔见到他。
毫无疑问，
他的家人会认为他儿子的来访是对任何家庭的荣幸。
不要不正确地欣赏它。
我希望您的种植者能够回报您对他们的关心和关心。
你寄来的通知看起来肯定很有希望，
我很高兴普林斯能公平地成为一匹好马。
告诉我弗雷德要更好地照顾他的四条腿，
并让它们保持正常运转。
我希望可怜的老 Ned 和 Jenny 能重振他们的青春。
你要来旧金山见格兰特将军吗？我们看到 15000 已经下降到 4000。
[注：垂直写在第一页上] 我想我们告诉过你，
我们这个月一直在学校，
希望能再次收到关于大楼的信件。
我们希望他们能从 7 月 1 日离开旧金山的东京来。
真诚的，
海蒂。
Original Format
Text
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Edward, July 15, 1879,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed May 5, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/255.