Letter from Hattie to Mattie, April 22, 1882
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Mattie, April 22, 1882
Subject
Interpersonal relations--Religious aspects--Wesleyan Church; Missionaries; Missionaries' spouses; Presbyterian Church--Government; Leadership--Religious aspects--Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Description
In this continuation of her previous letter to Martha, Harriet writes that there is so much news about the individual missionaries in China. A few have recently by dismissed by the Board and Harriet doubts their decision-making. Specifically, she feels sorry for Mr. Piercy being dismissed after over thirty years. As he left, Mrs. Henry spoke very lowly of the rest of the Wesleyan mission. Mrs. Henry also updated Harriet on Dr. and Mrs. Carrow. Mrs. Carrow is gaining weight and Dr. Carrow sold his practice and is going home. Harriet writes that she should probably be more careful of the names she's using in her letters.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #3
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1882-04-22
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Relation
noyes_c_cor_274
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_275
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton April 22nd 82
My dear Mattie -
I have had so little
time to write letters that I do
not tell you hardly anything
of what is going on, and I am
very sorry. Yesterday Mr
Piercy left for home. I suppose
there is no prospect that he
will ever return to China
in any case. He was summoned
home by a telegram from the Board
and one was also sent telling
Mr Selby to come home but we
hear that he will not go-
I suppose things have gone to
such a length that the Board
feels that there must be an
investigation. It did seem
too bad to see Mr Piercy leave
so after more than thirty years
of hard missionary work
for whatever his faults
have been he has been
an earnest missionary. It
does seem strange how matters
are managed by these "[u]boards[/u]".
Just think of Mr Faber
one of the best men that
ever lived being dismissed.
and I have just heard of
the recall of a lady in Foochow
of the English Church Mission
Miss Foster. She spent a few
days with me last summer
and I think is a very unusually
earnest + devoted Christian.
She is going to be married
however and come back to
China as a missionary, so
it seems evident that although
her Board objects to her
being a missionary the Lord
does not. Mr Piercy's going
leaves Dr Wenyon alone
at Fatshan. He stands
bu Mr Piercy for which I
am very glad and I
think his judgement and
opinion is worth about ten
times as much as that of the
residue of their mission Messrs
Masters, Marris, + Bone. Dont
you think the Wesleyan mission
in Canton is rather feebly
represented by these three young
brethren. Mr Masters seems
quite as frivolous as ever. It is
to be hoped that they will
feel satisfied at last with
their success in working against
Mr Piercy. After the steamer
sailed away and we had
waved our farewells to the
Piercys Mrs Henry {you know
how she talks} turned to Mrs
Simmons and said that she
wished she would send
Mr Simmons home to get
a revolver and shoot
the rest of the Wesleyan
mission. The other day
she asked us with the most
solemn face if we had heard
the [u]sad[/u] news from Mrs Carrow
and then said that Dr Carrow
had heard that she had gained
a pound a day at that [u]Rest[/u]
Cure where she has been and
then said just [u]think[/u] what
she will be at the end of a
year when she has gained
365 pounds. Dr Carrow
is going home I suppose by
the steamer which will
take these letters. He has sold
his practice to Dr [u]Wales[/u] from
[u]Ireland[/u]. He seems a very
nice man and is to have
his bride come out in
the autumn. I am so
glad Dr Carrow is going
home it will be much better
for him I should think
than here. Dr Lyall
from Swatow has just
[Note: Letter concludes vertically on page one]
been here for a visit we liked him very much. He seemed
to have a very
poor opinion
of Dr Carrow
and rather
so I thought
of Miss Daniels
professionally
viewed.
I do not
know as
I ought to
use names
so freely
in my
letters but
I suppose
you will
be at home
when these
reach
you.
Yours affly
Hattie
My dear Mattie -
I have had so little
time to write letters that I do
not tell you hardly anything
of what is going on, and I am
very sorry. Yesterday Mr
Piercy left for home. I suppose
there is no prospect that he
will ever return to China
in any case. He was summoned
home by a telegram from the Board
and one was also sent telling
Mr Selby to come home but we
hear that he will not go-
I suppose things have gone to
such a length that the Board
feels that there must be an
investigation. It did seem
too bad to see Mr Piercy leave
so after more than thirty years
of hard missionary work
for whatever his faults
have been he has been
an earnest missionary. It
does seem strange how matters
are managed by these "[u]boards[/u]".
Just think of Mr Faber
one of the best men that
ever lived being dismissed.
and I have just heard of
the recall of a lady in Foochow
of the English Church Mission
Miss Foster. She spent a few
days with me last summer
and I think is a very unusually
earnest + devoted Christian.
She is going to be married
however and come back to
China as a missionary, so
it seems evident that although
her Board objects to her
being a missionary the Lord
does not. Mr Piercy's going
leaves Dr Wenyon alone
at Fatshan. He stands
bu Mr Piercy for which I
am very glad and I
think his judgement and
opinion is worth about ten
times as much as that of the
residue of their mission Messrs
Masters, Marris, + Bone. Dont
you think the Wesleyan mission
in Canton is rather feebly
represented by these three young
brethren. Mr Masters seems
quite as frivolous as ever. It is
to be hoped that they will
feel satisfied at last with
their success in working against
Mr Piercy. After the steamer
sailed away and we had
waved our farewells to the
Piercys Mrs Henry {you know
how she talks} turned to Mrs
Simmons and said that she
wished she would send
Mr Simmons home to get
a revolver and shoot
the rest of the Wesleyan
mission. The other day
she asked us with the most
solemn face if we had heard
the [u]sad[/u] news from Mrs Carrow
and then said that Dr Carrow
had heard that she had gained
a pound a day at that [u]Rest[/u]
Cure where she has been and
then said just [u]think[/u] what
she will be at the end of a
year when she has gained
365 pounds. Dr Carrow
is going home I suppose by
the steamer which will
take these letters. He has sold
his practice to Dr [u]Wales[/u] from
[u]Ireland[/u]. He seems a very
nice man and is to have
his bride come out in
the autumn. I am so
glad Dr Carrow is going
home it will be much better
for him I should think
than here. Dr Lyall
from Swatow has just
[Note: Letter concludes vertically on page one]
been here for a visit we liked him very much. He seemed
to have a very
poor opinion
of Dr Carrow
and rather
so I thought
of Miss Daniels
professionally
viewed.
I do not
know as
I ought to
use names
so freely
in my
letters but
I suppose
you will
be at home
when these
reach
you.
Yours affly
Hattie
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Mattie, April 22, 1882,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed May 16, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/331.