Letter from Hattie to Mother, June 17, 1882

Letter from Hattie to Mother, June 17, 1882

Anniversaries; Sleep; Women--China

On the day that Harriet writes to her mother, it is her parents' 49th anniversary. Earlier that day, Harriet oversaw the school, led prayers, and went shopping. They also had many women visit that day, some applying for baptism. Harriet is very tired and says she falls asleep easily. She and Miss Butler go to bed late and wake up early. There are gamblers outside in the street that make a lot of noise late at night.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1882-06-17

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_288

Canton China
June 17th 1882
My dear Mother,
I have just been
thinking that this is the forty
ninth anniversary of your marriage
I thought of it this morning and
many times during the day and
have been thinking too of the
17th of June 1877. Of all the
days that we were at home after
the [u]first one[/u] I think that
perhaps that seems the nicest.
It was the Sabbath that Lillie
Mary + Verdie were with us and
we spent most of the afternoon
on the grass out in the front yard
That was such a nice quiet
[u]restful[/u] day. This has not
been quite so much so.
Shall I tell you what I
have been doing? It is Saturday
and tomorrow will be our Communion

After breakfast I made
my daily tour of inspection in the
school and had morning
prayers. It was then 1/2 past
nine. for we do not have
breakfast until eight and
I am sorry to say I do not
get much time before breakfast
for doing anything. After
prayers I went over to see
about some workmen who are
doing some work on a building
just back of the school building
which the Mission has bought
Then I took a walk of a
mile + a half up to the shops
to get some cord for Mrs Duffus
of Swatow and a bridal gift
for Miss Jackson of Hongkong
who is to be married next week.
I wanted to get a certain kind
of [?fan?] but could not find
any, so I had to buy instead
a silver brooch which the
shopman promised faithfully

to finish off and bring at three
o-clock a promise he did not
keep. I hurried back for
the session meeting at 1/2 past
ten. Three little girls from
the school were to be examined
and I went in with them.
Afterwards I had a talk
with two or three other women
who were thinking of applying
for baptism. Then I came
back and found a company
of about twenty women who
had come for a visit. They
staid until the dinner bell
rang, and then went into
the school. After dinner just
as I was getting ready for
meeting three of the old scholars
who had come back for the
Sabbath came in to see me,
After the meeting staid to the
session meeting and heard
several women examined
and then came back

and got ready to go to the
steamer to see Miss Jackson
off. Then when we came back
found quite a "yard full" of
company and so sat out there
and visited until dark and
then came in and had
tea and so the day has
gone and now it is time
to go to bed, and I am
tired enough to go right to
sleep I do wish you could
sleep as well as I can.
Nothing ever keeps me
awake. Miss Butler and
I are not very good about
going to bed but we make it
up by not getting up very
early -- so we do not get
cheated out of our full
amount of sleep. There are
a lot of gamblers who have
commenced gambling in
the street next here and they
keep up a great noise until after midnight

[Note: Letter concludes vertically on page one]
And now
it is late
and I
must say
goodnight
With much love
Your aff daughter
Hattie -



中国广州
1882 年 6 月 17 日
我亲爱的母亲，
我一直在想，
今天是你结婚 49 周年，
我今天早上和白天想了很多次，
也一直在想 1877 年 6 月 17 日。
在第一次之后我们在家的日子，
我认为这也许是最好的。
这是安息日，
莉莉·玛丽和维迪和我们在一起，
我们下午的大部分时间都在前院的草地上度过。
那真是一个安静而宁静的一天。
这还不是那么回事。
要我告诉你我一直在做什么吗？今天是星期六，
明天是我们的圣餐 早餐后，
我在学校进行了每日巡视，
并进行了晨祷。
那时是九点半。
因为我们要到八点才吃早餐，
我很遗憾地说我在早餐前没有太多时间做任何事情。
祈祷后，
我去看了一些工人，
他们正在教会买下的学校大楼后面的一栋建筑上工作。
Swatow 的 Duffus 和送给下周要结婚的香港小姐 Jackson 的新娘礼物。
我想得到某种扇子，
但找不到，
只好买了一个银胸针，
店员信誓旦旦地承诺完成，
并在三点钟带来他没有兑现的承诺。
十点半，
我赶紧回去参加会议。
学校的三个小女孩要接受检查，
我和她们一起进去。
之后，
我与另外两三个正在考虑申请洗礼的女性进行了交谈。
然后我回来，
发现有大约二十名女性来拜访。
他们一直呆到晚饭铃声响起，
才进了学校。
吃完晚饭，
正准备见三位过安息日回来的老学者来见我，
会后站到会议会议上，
听到几位妇女检查，
然后回来准备走到汽船送杰克逊小姐。
然后，
当我们回来时，
发现有很多“院子里”的人，
所以就坐在那里参观直到天黑，
然后进来喝茶，
一天过去了，
现在该睡觉了，
我累了睡够了我真希望你能睡得像我一样。
没有什么能让我保持清醒。
巴特勒小姐和我不太擅长睡觉，
但我们通过不早起来弥补——这样我们就不会被骗走充足的睡眠。
有很多赌徒开始在旁边的街上赌博，
他们一直吵闹直到午夜之后[注：信在第一页垂直结束]现在已经很晚了，
我必须说晚安，
非常爱你的女儿海蒂——

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