Letter from Hattie to Edward, February 27, 1883

Letter from Hattie to Edward, February 27, 1883

Mail steamers; Finances; Women physicians; Church property; Schoolboys; Church architecture

Harriet was hoping for mail from the Hong Kong steamer but unfortunately, it was only carrying French mail. She says there are now around one hundred students at the boarding school including the teachers and servants, and she talks about the finances involved. Miss Butler has decided to hold off on medicine and spend more time on schoolwork, though she still has great medical knowledge so it could be of use in the future. Harriet talks about the progressive idea of women doctors and that she is strongly in favor of women in general, but says that she would still prefer a male doctor. They finally have enough for the chapel ($5000) so the building should commence soon. There is much talk as to what the design will be, the woman wants a steeple and the men want a bell tower. Mr. Henry has started to teach geography and arithmetic to the Boys' School.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1883-02-27

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_310

Canton China
Feb 27th 1883
My dear Edward,
I have not any
home letters to answer this time
We are hoping for our mail [u] possibly [/u]
tomorrow [u] probably [/u] the next morning.
Just now the Hong Kong Steamer
sailed past with the mail flags
flying but alas it was only the
French mail so it will do us no good.
My day schools commence again
this week. There are over one hundred
now in the Boarding School including
the teachers and servants. I have
asked for a little addition to the
annual allowance for the school for
next year. As yet I have only had
for the Girls' school the $600.00
which was allowed at first for twenty
girls. All told for teachers and
everything for both schools I have
only $1100.00 while Dr Happer has
$600.00 for twenty scholars and hardly
ever has much more than half that
number. Miss Butler has concluded
to spend most of her time in school
work and not attempt to take a
thorough course of medicine We are all
fully satisfied that there is no use in
her attempting it as she is not strong
enough. She says she used to be very
strong but ten years of work in a city
school takes a good deal of one's strength.
She can study medicine enough
to be of great use if she has opportunities

for practicing. It seems very strange
to me how they have taken up the
idea of sending out lady physicians
at home and seem to think that is
ahead of everything else. Here in Southern
China there is no particular need of
such work to "open up the way" for the
way is very thoroughly opened far
beyond the possibility of filling it
apparently. I am as strongly in favor
of [u] women [/u] in general as I used to be
but I am quite ready to admit that
[u] men [/u] make very much the best doctors,
and if I should ever need any
doctoring I hope I can have a [u] man [/u]
to doctor me. I have been busy the
past few days drawing out plans for
the chapel When it is decided
how it will be I will send you
copies. I think I have told
you that enough is contributed now
for the chapel $5000.00.
I hope Shek Lin the man who
built the school-building will get
the job of building. I shall be
so glad if he does, he is a real
good Christian man. And I
hope if he does get it he will
make something [?on?] it for I do
not suppose he did [?on?] the
school-building. If I had
lots of money I would give
him one or two hundred dollars

for he labored over it faithfully
for nearly a year. We ladies
are very anxious to have a steeple
but the men do not seem to care
for it, talk of building a bell tower
outside if a place is wanted for
a bell, which would certainly be
a very ugly arrangement. I
wish I could have it just as I
would like. I hope it will be in
most respects. An architect in
Hong Kong has drawn out plans
for it, but I do not think it
will be followed very closely.
I drew a plan for the front
or rather design I suppose I
should call it one with and
one without a steeple. I suppose
they will take the one without a
steeple. The one I first drew
which we all thought very pretty
had two towers one on each side.
It will be very nice to have
such a large nice chapel
Dr Kerr rather dreads the
trouble of building. I wish I
could attend to it for him.
Mr Henry has not a bit of
architectural skill says he

can not make anything out of a plan
or understand it at all. He is
so good at everything else that it seems
surprising to find something he
cannot understand. The Second
church has taken up the Boy's
Day School, and are going to
take boarders. The Elders are
a "Board of Directors" they have
invited Miss Butler to hear their
recitations in Christian books and
teach singing on Wednesdays.
Mr Henry to teach geography
and arithmetic and one of the
Elders to examine them in Chinese
books and writing. The church
members seem quite interested
and it is certainly a very
good thing for them. Miss Butler
expected to have charge of the
school but it is much better
this way if they will manage
it well for everything the
Chinese can be pushed forward
to do is so much gain. Mr
Henry seems to have a pretty
good faculty of getting his members
to work. I hope the church
will not suffer in his absense.
Mr Fulton will hardly be able
to make his place good but I hope
he will do no harm.

[Continues vertically on the first page]
Hoping
to hear
good news
from you
soon.
Ever yr aff
Hattie.

中国广东
1883年2月27日
我亲爱的Edward，
因为我很久没有收到家里的来信了，
我没有回复可写，
我们希望明天早上可以收到。
/
香港轮船刚到，
它在悬挂邮件标志，
但是，
这只是法国邮件。
学校本周开始新学期，
包括包括教师、员工和学生，
寄宿学校里有一百多的。
我已经要求明年增加学校的预算，
我只有 600 美元可以花在女校上，
这笔钱足以资助二十个学生，
/
/
/
我总共只有 1100 美元可以花在两所学校上。
同时，
Happer 医生有 600 美元花在 20 个学生上，
但他很少有超过 10 个学生。
/
Butler 小姐决定在学校工作，
而不是上医学课，
我们都认为这是一个好计划，
因为她不够强壮，
无法学医。
她说她曾经很坚强，
但在城市学校工作了十年，
她的体力耗尽了。
/
她能学医学，
如果有机会联系，

就足以在这里帮助我们。
我觉得很奇怪，
家里的人对女医生有多兴奋。
在中国南方，
不需要女医生。
/
/
/
/
一般来说，
我支持女性，
但我仍然认为男性是最好的医生。
如果我需要去看医生，

我希望是男医生。
/
过去几天我一直忙于为新教堂绘制计划。 
当我完成后，
我会寄给你一份。
/
我们总共有 5000 美元来建造新教堂。
/
/
我希望建造学校的人建造教堂， 
他叫Shek Lin
他是个好人也是一个基督徒。
如果他来建造，我会很高兴
我希望他能从中赚到一些钱，
因为他没有从建学校中赚到钱，
/
/
如果我有很多钱，
我会给他一两百美元，
他努力工作了将近一年。

/
我们女人想为教堂建一个尖塔，
但男人们似乎并不关心它是否有尖塔。
/
他们提议在外面建一座钟楼，
但我认为那会很难看。
/
我希望我们能完全按照我喜欢的方式建造一座教堂。
/
/
香港的一位建筑师为教堂画了蓝图，
但我怀疑建造者会遵循指示。
/
/
我为教堂的正面画了两张蓝图，
一张有尖塔，
一张没有。
我猜他们会使用没有尖塔的蓝图。
/
我画的第一个蓝图很漂亮，
两边各有两座塔。
/
有这么大的教堂会很好。
/
Kerr 医生并不期待管理建筑商，
如果我可以代替他，我会。
/
Henry 先生不是建筑的那块料，
他说他根本不了解蓝图。

/
/
Henry在其他方面都很擅长，
发现一件他做不到的事情真是令人惊讶。
第二个教堂有一所男子走读学校，
他们将开始接收寄宿生。
教会官员邀请Butler 小姐在星期三教唱歌。
/
/
/
/
Henry 先生将向中国教会官员教授地理和算术，
/
/
教会成员似乎也很感兴趣，
似乎对他们有益。
/
/
Butler 小姐应该管理学校，
但如果中国人能自己做，
那就更好了。
/
/
/
Henry 先生非常擅长让他的教会成员工作，
我希望他不在的时候教会不会受苦。
/
/
Fulton 先生会是一个很好的临时替代者，
而且不会有伤害。
/

【纵向书写】
希望听到你的好消息
/
/
/
/
你亲爱的，
Hattie

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