Letter from Hattie to Mother, November 25, 1880
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Mother, November 25, 1880
Subject
Thanksgiving Day; Missionaries; School buildings; Mail steamers
Description
It is Thanksgiving Day in the US as Harriet writes to her mother. Harriet is celebrating the dedication of the new school building, which has been a resounding success. She wishes she could write to everyone in the family but is running out of time because the steamer leaves tomorrow. There are new missionaries on their way to Canton.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #2
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1880-11-25
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_226
Coverage
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
Nov 25th 1880
My dear Mother
This is your
Thanksgiving day at home
I hope you have all
had a nice day-
You will know what
a happy day it has
been with us when you
get these letters and
know that it has been
the dedication day for
our new building . How
I wish you could see
it as it looks now ----
Several of the officials
have been here to see
it. The Viceroy was
invited as a matter
of curtesy and he
sent an official out at
once to acknowledge the
invitation and to-day sent
a [?mandarin?] out to
the dedication as his
deputy. We never dreamed
of his showing so much
attention but it is very
nice as it shows every one
that he gives it his
approval-- So many
of our old scholars were
back and they all
seemed so delighted.
Every one approves of the
plan of the building
both foreigners and
Chinese which of course
gives me pleasure -
We have been very
busy for several days
in getting it cleaned -
The workmen dragged
on so with their work
that as fast as it was
cleaned in one place
it would get dirty in
another . They were
putting glass in the
windows the last thing
at night yesterday and
there are still a far
little things to be done .
I never anticipated
having such a fine looking
building but we feel that
it is a very good thing
in every way to show the
people what we propose
to do for the women
and girls here ---
Dr Happer came down
but the light hurt his
eyes so that he did not
stay . I expect that he
did not feel very happy
here either under all
the circumstances. I am
sorry I wish he could
enjoy it as much as we
do. We have only a little
while this evening to write
for the mail as it leaves
tomorrow morning so
we must write very
hurriedly. Tell the girls
and Edward I would
like so much to write to
each one to-day but
cannot. I must write
a few lines to Mrs Perkins.
Miss Ricketts is still here
[Note: The following is written vertically on first page]
but expects to leave in a few dasy. We expect our new
missionaries next
week Mr + Mrs
McClelland +
Mrs Olmsted are
here on their way
to Siam - They
especially Miss
Olmsted. She
is from Oxford
and no "little
girl" has been
a teacher there
for some
years
Your loving daughter
Hattie.
Nov 25th 1880
My dear Mother
This is your
Thanksgiving day at home
I hope you have all
had a nice day-
You will know what
a happy day it has
been with us when you
get these letters and
know that it has been
the dedication day for
our new building . How
I wish you could see
it as it looks now ----
Several of the officials
have been here to see
it. The Viceroy was
invited as a matter
of curtesy and he
sent an official out at
once to acknowledge the
invitation and to-day sent
a [?mandarin?] out to
the dedication as his
deputy. We never dreamed
of his showing so much
attention but it is very
nice as it shows every one
that he gives it his
approval-- So many
of our old scholars were
back and they all
seemed so delighted.
Every one approves of the
plan of the building
both foreigners and
Chinese which of course
gives me pleasure -
We have been very
busy for several days
in getting it cleaned -
The workmen dragged
on so with their work
that as fast as it was
cleaned in one place
it would get dirty in
another . They were
putting glass in the
windows the last thing
at night yesterday and
there are still a far
little things to be done .
I never anticipated
having such a fine looking
building but we feel that
it is a very good thing
in every way to show the
people what we propose
to do for the women
and girls here ---
Dr Happer came down
but the light hurt his
eyes so that he did not
stay . I expect that he
did not feel very happy
here either under all
the circumstances. I am
sorry I wish he could
enjoy it as much as we
do. We have only a little
while this evening to write
for the mail as it leaves
tomorrow morning so
we must write very
hurriedly. Tell the girls
and Edward I would
like so much to write to
each one to-day but
cannot. I must write
a few lines to Mrs Perkins.
Miss Ricketts is still here
[Note: The following is written vertically on first page]
but expects to leave in a few dasy. We expect our new
missionaries next
week Mr + Mrs
McClelland +
Mrs Olmsted are
here on their way
to Siam - They
especially Miss
Olmsted. She
is from Oxford
and no "little
girl" has been
a teacher there
for some
years
Your loving daughter
Hattie.
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Mother, November 25, 1880,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed November 23, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/282.