Letter from Hattie to Father, February 23, 1880

Letter from Hattie to Father, February 23, 1880

School buildings; Building--Planning; Social life and customs; Rent

Harriet gladly announces that they got the permission to go on with their school building. They expect it to be ready after the summer vacation. Last year the building was rented by a Chinese family so the Mission thought that they would never get it. In Harriet's words, "when the Chinese get settled in a place they do not care to move." Harriet enclosed a drawing of the plans. She explains that in China as long as the tenant pays the rent, the landlord should not ask him to leave.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1880-02-23

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_223

Canton China
Feby 23rd 1880
My dear Father
Martha has written a
letter to you so she will have
told you the good news that
came to us by the last mail
but I feel that I must write
to you too. I do not feel like
writing to any one else until I
have had a little talk with
you. I know there is no one
in America who will be more
glad or more ready to rejoice
with us that at last we have
the long desired permission to go
on with our school-building --
We expect to build at once
and will have if we are
prospered everything finished
in time to have the building
ready for use after the

usual summer vacation .
At first we thought of waiting
until the rainy season is
over but Dr Kerr thinks we
had better commence at once
and we are quite willing .
I received a letter by the last
mail from Dr Ellinwood
and M had one from
Mrs Perkins in which she told
us that we could go on as
soon as we pleased and the
money would be ready for us.
It seems almost too good to
be true - we have been disappointed
so many times . We are
very happy about another
building that we have often
wished that we could rent so
as to have Mr Henry's day school
move into it when we want the
place where it now is --
Last year however it was rented

to a Chinese family and so it
seemed as though the Mission
could not get it. because when
the Chinese get settled in a
place they do not care to move.
and according to Chinese
custom, a landlord does not
ask a tenant to move .
We wished so much for the
house, and a day or two
since we heard that the
family had moved out and
the home was for rent. I went
immediately over to see Mr
Henry and told him about
it and he at once went to
see if he could rent it and
in an hour or two he had it
rented -- We were all so
[u]much[/u] delighted - it is so
convenient just across a little
alley from this lot . so that
his scholars will be just as

near the hospital chapel where
they attend morning prayers as
they have been. I will enclose
a drawing of the plan of their
two lots so that you will see
how it is . Mr Henry asked
the owners how long the Mission
could have the rentel of the building
and they said for ten thousand
years. In China as long as the
tenant pays the rent promptly,
it is not considered right for the
landlord to ask him to give up
his claim . The building is so
large there will be room for the
school and for the families of
three of the assistants. It is so
comforting when things come out
as this has it seems to show us so
plainly that we have planned
rightly and that our Heavenly
Father has given us the seal
of his approval ----

[Note: following written vertically on first page]
We will send
you the plan
of our new
building
when we
have it
drawn
It is so
pleasant to
feel that you
all at home
are so much
interested in
it. While the
first building was being
built I never once looked
towards it without praying
that every one who should ever
study within its walls might be saved at
will. You must all join in this prayers for this
new one now while it is being built. Ever your aff daughter
Hattie

Letter