Letter from Hattie to Mattie, May 19, 1882

Letter from Hattie to Mattie, May 19, 1882

Rainstorms; Marriage; Interpersonal relations--Religious aspects--Wesleyan Church; Loneliness

In this letter to Martha, Harriet says that Canton is having a wonderful rainy season. There have been many downpours but fewer muggy warm days. Last night Dr. and Mrs. Hance stayed over at Mrs. Henry's and Mrs. Graves came over and the two of them talked into the morning. Hattie has been talking to Miss Stein who is apparently "a baby in every way." Miss Gittins is getting married to Mr. Pearce and Mr. Marris has returned home where he has a "lover." Mr. Piercy and Mr. Selby were recalled and there is only one person left in the Wesleyan mission in Canton.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #3

Unpublished

1882-05-19

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_282

Canton China
May 19th 1882
My dear Mattie
I have a few moments
before it is time to go to school
and I will give you the benefit
of them. I am going to AYan's
school this afternoon. She always
inquires for you asks me
when I write to send her [illegible]
as does also FungKim AYan Itai
USznai, San Lok, and a host
of others. There seems to be a
terrible storm coming up so
perhaps I cannot go out this
afternoon. We have had the
most delightful rainy season this
year I think that Canton
has ever seen. Not a single
day of that disagreeable warm
mouldy weather that we
often have weeks of. When
it has rained we have just

had a good hard shower.
Last night was a delightful night
it rained and "powered down"
spells all through the night.
Dr + Mrs Graves had come
up to Mrs Henry's to tea and I
wrote over to ask them to come
in here and spend the night
Dr + Mrs Hance were at Mrs
Henry's. Dr Graves did not
come but Mrs Graves came over,
and last night I had a good
visit we talked until nearly
four-o-clock in the morning
the first good long talk we have
had since she came back.
The night before that she was here
I had tooth-ache and so could
not enjoy it much. She says
Dr Graves says our family
realizes his ideal of what a
ministers family should be
and it is the first ministers
family he has ere seen that

did. I am so glad they
had such a nice visit in our
home. I wish they could have
seen Sarah. Mrs Graves seems
to feel very well acquainted with
Em, and fully appreciates her
inestimable worth, for which I
was very glad for Em is so quiet
I always feel afraid strangers
on a short acquaintance will
fail to discover the extent of her
goodness. We had quite the long
talk about Miss Stein. I am very
sorry for them all, she is such a
baby in every way, and seems
to have such a very limited
amount of intellect, and talks
so [illegible] about her ailments
and feelings, symptoms, diet,
etcetera etcetera - that it must be very
tiresome for them all. I know
they would be very glad if
she would go home, but it is
difficult to manage it. Mrs
Graves says she believes it would

kill Miss Whilden if she had
to live with Miss Stein alone.
If Mr Fulton would take a fancy
to her I am sure they would
be glad to give her to our mission
but he has good sense in [u]choosing[/u]
a wife Mr Pearce is to be married
next week to Miss Gittins. You
will be surprised to hear that
little Mr Marris has been obliged
to give up China and go home
he has "lover" as there say out here.
Mrs Graves said when she went
to the steamer to say good-bye
she really felt afraid he
would not live to get home he
looked so badly but I suppose
he was tired out he got ready to
go home in rather a hurry as when
it was decided that he must
go it was getting so late in the
season that he wanted to
get off as soon as possible to
avoid the hear in the Red Sea.
Mr Selby went with him so he

[Note: letter concludes vertically on page one]
will have good
care. I wrote
to you did I
not that both
Mr Piercy +
Mr Selby were
recalled. There
is only left now
of the Wesleyan
mission in
Canton Mr
Masters +
Mr Bone.
Mr Bone says
he feels like
committing
suicide and
I suppose he is
rather lonely +
forlorn all
alone down at
Tsang Sha
Yours affly Hattie --

中国广州
1882年5月19日
我亲爱的Mattie，
离去学校还有几分钟的时间，
我会用它们给你写信。
/
我今天下午要去A Yan的学校。
每当我给她写信时，
她总是问起你，
Fung Kim， A Yan， Itai， U Sznai，
San Lok，
他们也都问起你。
看起来会有一场可怕的风暴，
/
所以也许我今天下午不能去。
/
我们度过了广州有史以来最好的雨季，
/
通常天气感觉发霉，
/
但今年不会。
/
今年，

下雨的时候，
我们只有一场大雨。
昨晚倾盆大雨
/
Graves夫妇去Henry太太家喝茶，
/
我邀请他们来这里过夜。
/
Hance夫妇在Henry太太家过夜。
Graves医生不来
但Graves太太来了。
我们在一起度过了愉快的时光。 
我们一直聊到凌晨四点。
这是她回来后的第一次长篇大论。
/
/
前一天晚上，
她牙疼，
所以她不能很享受。
Graves医生说我们家意识到牧师的家庭应该是什么。
/
他说我们是他见过的最好的牧师家庭。
/
/

我很高兴他们在我们家度过了愉快的时光。
/
我希望他们能遇见Sarah。
我很高兴Graves太太理解和欣赏Em，
她很安静，
/
我总是担心陌生人不会发现她的善良或欣赏她不可估量的价值。
/
/
/
/
我们谈了很久关于Stein小姐的事。
我为他们所有人感到抱歉。
她是那么的不成熟和愚蠢
她不停地唠叨她的疾病、感觉、症状、饮食等等，
其他人一定很累。
/
/
/
/
我知道如果她回家他们会很高兴，
但这很难管理。
/
/
Graves太太说如果Whilden太太必须和Stein小姐一个人住，

她就会死。
/
如果Fulton先生喜欢她，
他可以娶她
然后他们就不用再对付她了。
对他们来说不幸的是，
我认为他比选择她做妻子更明智。
下周Pearce先生和Gittens小姐要结婚。
听说Marris先生必须离开中国你会很惊讶，
他生了重病。
/
/
Graves太太陪他去轮船告别，
她说他看起来太严重了，
她害怕他无法在旅途中幸存下来。
/
但也许他只是累了，
他不得不匆忙准备回家，
/
因为最近决定他应该在赛季后期离开之前离开，
/
以避免红海的炎热。
/
/
Selby先生陪他去，


所以他会照顾她。
我告诉你了吗？
Piercy先生和Selby先生被召回。
/
/
/
广州仅剩两名卫理公会传教士，
/
/
/
Masters先生
和Bone先生。
/
Bone先生说
他这么孤独
他想自杀。
/
/
我猜他在Tsang Sha里真的很孤单很孤单。
/
/
你的
Hattie

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