Letter from Hattie to Em, August 25, 1879

Letter from Hattie to Em, August 25, 1879

Dresses; Laundry

Harriet tells Emily about the dresses they made. She confesses that she likes to stay at home and even refused to visit her friends in Hong Kong. She closes the letter because she needs to pick up her laundry. She explains that doing laundry in Canton is much easier than back home because a "washerman" does it for them. However, they use muddy water so the clothes do not look very nice.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1879-08-25

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_201

Canton China
Aug 25th '79
My dear Em,
ASam has just come
to do my hair and I will
see if I can write you a
letter while she is doing it.
It is very pleasant this morning
the thermometer is only 86°
and there is a pleasant
breeze. Yesterday was the
hottest day we have had
this year the thermometer
in my room was 95°. My
room is toward the west so
in the afternoon the sun makes
it warmer than is would
otherwise be. I hope to get a
lot of letters written to-day.
Saturday I spent after
Mattie got off in the morning
in putting things to rights

and sunning my winter
clothes and got seven letters
written. If I can have a
few days to myself I will
hope to get this burden of letter
writing off my mind. Last
week we made a gauze
dress for Mattie. It looked
very pretty when it was done
an she was perfectly
satisfied. I always feel
when she thinks a thing
is right that is is as right
as it can be. She can tell
a great deal quicker than
I can how she likes things.
We also made a calico
dress I do not know whether
you will remember it or
not it was the one I
bought at Mr Lelands a
kind of tan colored with

a border. It made a
very pretty dress. She had
everything on perfect order
to go away. I hope she will
have a pleasant time and
I am sure she will she
is as she used to be very fond
of company. Lucy and
I agreed much better in our
tastes in this respect as we
both liked to stay at home.
I am growing more & more
so cannot bear to go away
at all. I have been so
[u]persecuted[/u] the last year
by my friends insisting
on my going away for a
visit coming down to Hongkong
or doing something for a
[u]change[/u] that it has made
me very uncomfortable.
I expect the Hongkong friends

will be offended that I will
not come but I feel as though
I [u]could not[/u] go away if I love
every friend that I have
in consequence. If a person
is not well and needs a change
it is different but when a
person is in perfect health
and would [u]infinitely prefer[/u]
being at home I cannot
see the good of a "[u]change[/u]".
Well I must pick up my
washing. It is a little easier
to manage our washing here
than at home we just bundle
it up on Monday and the
washerman comes and
takes it away and brings it
back om Sat. If he would only
wash it nicely as they do in
Hongkonk it would be a great
comfort but they have to use

[Note: The following is written sideways on page one]
such miserable muddy water that they cannot
make the
clothes look
very white.
I would
enjoy helping
them wash
the clothes
at home
to-day,
much better
than writing
letters here.
Ever yr loving
[u]Hattie[/u]



中国广州
1879 年 8 月 25 日
我亲爱的 Em，
ASam 刚来帮我做头发，
我会看看能不能在她做的时候给你写封信。
今天早上非常愉快，
温度计只有86°，
微风宜人。
昨天是我们今年最热的一天，
我房间里的温度计是 95°。
我的房间在西边，
所以下午的太阳使它比其他地方更温暖。
我希望今天能收到很多信。
星期六早上马蒂下班后，
我花了很多时间整理东西，
晒黑我的冬衣，
写了七封信。
如果我能有几天自己的时间，
我希望能忘掉写信的负担。
上周我们为玛蒂做了一件纱裙。
完成后看起来非常漂亮，
她非常满意。
当她认为一件事情是正确的时候，
我总是觉得它是正确的。
她能比我更快地说出她喜欢什么。
我们还做了一件印花布连衣裙，
我不知道你是否还记得它是我在 Lelands 先生那里买的一件带有边框的棕褐色。
它做了一件非常漂亮的衣服。
她的一切都安排妥当，
可以离开。
我希望她会度过愉快的时光，
我相信她会像过去一样喜欢陪伴。
露西和我在这方面的品味一致得多，
因为我们都喜欢呆在家里。
我越来越长，
所以根本不忍心离开。
去年我被朋友逼迫，
坚持要我去香港旅游或者做点改变，
这让我很不舒服。
我希望香港朋友会因为我不来而被冒犯，
但我觉得如果我爱我所拥有的每一个朋友，
我就无法离开。
如果一个人身体不好并且需要改变，
那就不同了，
但是当一个人身体健康并且无限喜欢待在家里时，
我看不到“改变”的好处。
好吧，
我必须拿起我的衣服。
在这里洗衣服比在家里容易一点，
我们星期一把它捆起来，
洗衣工来把它拿走，
然后在星期六把它带回来很舒服，
但他们必须使用[注：以下内容在第一页上横着写]这种可怜的泥水，
他们不能让衣服看起来很白。
今天我会喜欢在家里帮他们洗衣服，
比在这里写信要好得多。
永远属于你，
海蒂

Letter