Letter from Hattie to Mattie, October 4, 1881

Letter from Hattie to Mattie, October 4, 1881

Travel; Swimming, Women missionaries; Social norms; Bathing suits

Harriet is on a trip "up the North River," so in this letter she recalls a trip she had with Martha six years ago. Last night, Harriet, Mrs. Happer, and Miss Whilden went swimming. Mrs. Happer and Miss Whilden did not have swimsuits so they asked the men to leave. Then, Mr. White appeared and he tried teaching Hattie how to swim. Even though according to Hattie her swimsuit is "as proper as possible", she thinks that her father would be terrified if he found out that she was swimming with a man.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1881-10-04

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_261

North River
Oct 4th 1881.
My dear Mattie
You will I know
be glad to hear that I am
really a long way out of Canton
up the North River and enjoying
myself my company and
my surroundings very much
indeed. I think very often of
that nice trip we four had
together six years ago as I see
again the beautiful scenery we
all so much enjoyed seeing
then. How we are scattered
now, you in the dear old home
Lucy in Shanghai, and Henry
"so near and yet so far". I keep
thinking how much he would
enjoy being with all now if it
were possible. Mrs Happer and
Miss Whilden both send
you their love. Miss Whilden
wished you were here with
us and then concluded

that you are probably better
off and enjoying yourself
better than you would be in
China even on a boat trip.
It is nice that she is going
home next year. I do
hope Mrs Happer can go
too. Mrs White says [u]she[/u] is going
to talk to Dr Happer and
get him to go home next spring.
I have the vanity to think
that I would have better success
I dont believe she understands
him as well as I do. I really
believe if everyone else would let
him alone I could get him
to go but perhaps not. I wish
Mrs Happer would go without
him if he will not go. The water
is beautifully clear now. I
have put in practice the plan
we use to talk about of
sitting on the side of the
boat + pouring water over
me It answers very well

for a bath. Last night
however we anchored in
a capital place with shallow
water and such a nice
sandy bottom that we
could not resist the temptation
of going in. I have a proper
bathing costume but Mrs
Happer + Miss Whilden have
some they have extemporized
So the gentlemen were notified
to disappear and we all went
in and had a nice time.
After Miss Whilden + Mrs
Happer had in turn gone in
to the boat and I who had
agreed to wait until the
last was still in the water
Mrs White appeared and
as the result of some conversation
about swimming he came
into the water and gave
me a lesson in swimming.
I think if I were not so afraid

I could learn but I do not think
I would like to swim if I could
ever so well when there were
gentlemen I think he wanted
to give me the same directions Mr
Sedgewick did Mrs Carrow but he
only told me that I kept my
feet too near together. I am
afraid Father would be terrified but
it was not very light and my
bathing suit is as proper as possible.
If we could have such a nice safe
place to anchor every night I
think now I could learn by myself but
I do not think there are many such
nice places and I hav'nt much
courage where water is in the
question, so I shall content myself
with paddling about in a respectable
[u]lady like[/u] way. Little Hattie Kerr
and Julia enjoy getting into the
water immensely and improve every
opportunity day and night. We
have had some trouble with gnats
some are flying about me now. Sabbath
eve while Mr Henry was preaching on of
the boatmen a big fellow without a sham
on got up and rubbed his back and
said with a groan The gnats bite so
I shall have to go down to the river
and [?"sai shau"?] He soon returned
and took his place again in
the congregation. We three

[Note: Letter concludes vertically on page one]
are having a very nice time on "Liberty Barge" -
Now goodbye
for this
time with
much love
for all
from
Hattie



北河
1881 年 10 月 4 日。
我亲爱的玛蒂，
你会知道我很高兴听到我离广州很远，
顺着北河顺流而上，
并且非常享受我的陪伴和周围的环境。
我经常想起六年前我们四个人一起度过的那次愉快的旅行，
因为我再次看到了我们当时非常喜欢看到的美丽风景。
我们现在多么分散，
你在上海亲爱的老家露西，
和亨利“如此近而如此遥远”。
我一直在想，
如果可能的话，
他现在会多么喜欢和所有人在一起。
Happer 夫人和 Whilden 小姐都向您表达了他们的爱意。
怀尔登小姐希望您和我们在一起，
然后得出结论说，
即使乘船旅行，
您也可能比在中国过得更好，
更享受自己。
明年她要回家真是太好了。
我真希望哈珀夫人也能去。
怀特夫人说她要和哈珀医生谈谈，
让他明年春天回家。
我有虚荣心认为我会取得更好的成功我不相信她像我一样了解他。
我真的相信，
如果其他人都让他一个人呆着，
我可以让他离开，
但也许不会。
如果他不去，
我希望哈珀夫人能没有他。
现在水很清澈。
我已经将我们常说的坐在船边倒水倒在我身上的计划付诸实践。
它非常适合洗澡。
然而昨晚我们停泊在一个首都的地方，
那里有浅水和如此漂亮的沙底，
我们无法抗拒进去的诱惑。
我有一套合适的泳衣，
但哈珀夫人和威尔登小姐有一些他们即兴创作的所以先生们通知消失，
我们都进去玩得很开心。
怀尔登小姐和哈珀夫人轮流上船后，
我同意等到最后一个还在水里，
怀特夫人出现了，
经过一番关于游泳的谈话，
他下水给了我一个游泳课。
我想如果我不是那么害怕，
我可以学习，
但我想如果我能游泳那么好，
当有绅士的时候我想他想给我同样的指示，
塞奇威克先生给卡罗夫人，
但他只告诉了我我的脚离得太近了。
恐怕父亲会害怕，
但不是很轻，
我的泳衣尽可能合适。
如果我们每天晚上都能有这么一个安全的好地方停泊，
我想现在我可以自己学习了，
但我不认为有很多这样好的地方，
而且我没有太多勇气在水的问题上，
所以我会满足我自己像一个受人尊敬的女士一样划着。
小 Hattie Kerr 和 Julia 非常喜欢下水，
并日夜改善每一个机会。
我们遇到了一些蚊子的问题，
有些蚊子现在在我身边飞来飞去。
安息日前夕，
亨利先生在给船夫讲道时，
一个毫无伪装的大个子站了起来，
揉了揉他的背，
呻吟着说 蚊虫咬了，
所以我必须下到河边去“sai shau” 他很快就回来了并在会众中再次占据了他的位置。
我们三个 [注：信件在第一页垂直结束] 在“自由驳船”上度过了愉快的时光 -
现在告别这次，
来自海蒂对所有人的爱

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