Letter from Hattie to Mattie, February 27, 1883
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Mattie, February 27, 1883
Subject
Travel; Marriage; Friendly visiting; Birthdays
Description
Harriet writes to her sister Martha and says that they are getting a lot of use out of the grate she had purchased in Swatow. She reflects on how few there are left in Canton who has not come out or had a visit home since she came back. Dr. Happer will be the only one there when Mr. and Mrs. Henry and the Masters leave. Mr. Fulton is going back to Bangkok and Florence will be meeting him there. Harriet thinks Florence is only going because the woman thinks Canton will be more exciting than staying in Chiang Mai. Miss Rowe and Miss Hope are going to attend a picnic to White Cloud and the whole group of them with March birthdays are going to celebrate Mr. Simmons' birthday on the first. Seems that one of the scholars was married to a man with money, and not a Christian man, and the girl is having a hard time.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #3
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1883-02-27
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_311
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
Feb 27th 1883
My dear Mattie,
We three [?"kninenngs"?]
are seated around the table in
the dining room writing letters for the
home mail. We have used this room
for a sitting room this winter. The
grate which you brought from
Swatow which perhaps you will
remember used to smoke I had
reset and now it works perfectly
and warms the room very well.
Tonight we hear quite a murmur
of voices from the circle gathered
around Mrs Henry's festive board.
She has Dr & Mrs Happer Dr & Mrs
Graves & Mr & Mrs Masters there this
evening. I was thinking this morning
how few there are now left in Canton
who have not come out or had a visit
home since I came back. Next year
when Mr & Mrs Henry & the Masters
have gone there will be only Dr Happer
left who has not come out since I
have and we dont count him because
he [u] stays [/u]. I was rather astonished to
learn that he asked the Mission
to send home an application
for two single ladies to be sent
out this year to take Mary & Verdie's
places when they go home [u] two [/u] [u] years [/u]
[u] hence [/u]. That will make only six
years for them. Do you remember
what a lecture he gave you the
day you reached Canton because
you spoke of going home in [u] eight [/u]
years and how determined he
was that I should not go in eight
years. To his mind it makes all
the difference in the world whether
a person's name is Happer or not
although he has kept his wife out here
long enough. Mr & Mrs Henry will
soon be going. The months that remain
will go quickly I am sure.
Mr Fulton is in a great way to know
just [u] when [/u] they will go and they
will not give him any satisfaction.
He is going down to Bangkok in
September and "Florence" is coming
down to meet him there. I have
a presentiment that she will not
be a very desirable addition to our
circle. I cannot make it seem
as though she had much heart in
her work that she could give it all
up on a week's acquaintance with
such a man as Mr Fulton.
It seemed very much as though
she wanted to have a good time
and thought she would be more
likely to get it in Canton than
in Cheing Mai. I hope Dr Peoples
will not break his heart for her
but I presume there is no danger.
Miss Rowe has been up in Canton for
a visit is looking very well indeed
She is coming up tomorrow with
Miss Hope her colleague whom
we have not seen. They are
coming up to attend a picnic
to White Cloud. We have quite a
time talking about a March club
so many of us have birthdays in
March so we are going to celebrate
them all together on Mr Simmons
birthday which comes on the
1st of March. Miss Butler & I
do not like the idea of a "pleasure
exertion" very much. We would
much rather stay at home and it
seems most too bad to have to pay
$3.00 for chairs and as much
more for provisions when we do
not want to go. I think one of Miss
Butlers greatest trials since she
has been here has been that she
has been obliged to [u] visit [/u] so much.
Mrs Graves persecutes us as
unrelentingly as she used to They
do not feel satisfied unless they
come up here once a week and
we go down there as often. Miss
Butler says she does not wonder
at all that you got worn out and
your health broke down under it.
It does seem too bad for so much time
to go in this way when we need it so
much. They wanted very much to
commence the readings again but I
thought I would draw the line
somewhere, and we declared we [u] would [/u]
[u] not [/u] be read to. We were helpless when
we were away on the country trip for
then notwithstanding protests as plainly
put as we well could they would bring
their books into our boat and read to
us [u] whether [/u] [u] or [/u] [u] no [/u]. You know what dear
good friends they are and how much
we think of them but past experience
will enable you to appreciate how
funny and exasperating it is sometimes.
We are having some change made in
the home a stairway up into the
garret and some flooring laid
down so that we shall have a
nice lot of room up there for
everything that needs to be kept
out of sight. Sometime I hope we
shall be able to make the chapel
of the school-building a little
larger it is quite crowded now.
There are over one hundred all
together in the school.
[Continued on the first page]
I enclose a
letter which
little [?APing?]
bought for you.
Poor little child
she is married
and is having
a hard time.
We wanted her
so much to
marry a Christian
but her Mother
married her
to this man
because he
has more
[u] "money" [/u] The
[u] love [/u] of money
is the [Illegible] of
all evil.
I must close
with love.
Your aff sister
Hattie.
中国广州
1883 年 2 月 27 日
我亲爱的玛蒂，
我们三个“克尼宁”围坐在餐厅的桌子旁，
为家庭邮件写信。
今年冬天我们把这个房间用作客厅。
你从 Swatow 带来的炉排，
也许你会记得曾经吸烟我已经重置，
现在它工作得很好，
并且很好地温暖了房间。
今晚，
我们听到围绕着亨利夫人的喜庆板的圈子里传来一阵低语。
今晚她有Happer医生和夫人、Graves医生和夫人和Masters先生和夫人在那里。
今天早上我在想，
自从我回来后，
广州现在有多少人没有出来或没有回家。
明年当亨利先生和夫人和大师们离开时，
将只有哈珀博士离开，
自从我离开后，
他就没有出来，
我们不算他，
因为他留下了。
我很惊讶地得知他要求传道部向家里提出申请，
要求今年派出两名单身女士，
在他们两年后回家时接替玛丽和威尔迪的位置。
这对他们来说只有六年的时间。
你还记得你到广州那天他给你讲了什么，
因为你说八年后回家，
他是多么坚决不让我八年后去。
在他看来，
一个人的名字是否是 Happer 对他来说意义重大，
尽管他已经把妻子留在这里足够长的时间了。
亨利先生和夫人很快就要走了。
我敢肯定，
剩下的几个月会很快过去。
富尔顿先生很清楚他们什么时候会走，
他们不会让他满意。
他将于 9 月前往曼谷，
“佛罗伦萨”将在那里与他会面。
我有一种预感，
她不会成为我们圈子里非常受欢迎的补充。
我不能让她看起来好像她对工作很有心，
以至于她可以因为与富尔顿先生这样的男人认识一周而放弃一切。
似乎她很想玩得开心，
并认为她在广州比在清迈更有可能得到它。
我希望人民博士不会为她伤心，
但我认为没有危险。
罗小姐已经到广州访问了，
看起来确实很好。
她明天要和我们没见过的她的同事霍普小姐一起来。
他们要来参加白云的野餐。
我们有很多时间谈论三月俱乐部，
所以我们中的许多人在三月过生日，
所以我们将在 3 月 1 日的西蒙斯先生生日那天一起庆祝他们。
巴特勒小姐和我非常不喜欢“玩得开心”的想法。
我们宁愿呆在家里，
当我们不想去的时候，
不得不为椅子支付 3 美元以及更多的食品费用似乎太糟糕了。
我认为自从巴特勒小姐来到这里以来，
她最大的考验之一就是她不得不去拜访这么多。
格雷夫斯夫人像过去一样无情地迫害我们他们不会感到满意，
除非他们每周来这里一次，
我们也经常去那里。
巴特勒小姐说她一点也不奇怪你已经筋疲力尽，
你的健康也因此而崩溃。
当我们非常需要时，
这么多时间以这种方式进行似乎太糟糕了。
他们非常想重新开始朗读，
但我想我会在某个地方划清界限，
我们宣布我们不会被朗读。
当我们去乡村旅行时，
我们很无助，
因为尽管我们尽可能清楚地表达了抗议，
但他们还是会把他们的书带到我们的船上，
然后给我们朗读。
你知道他们是多么亲爱的好朋友，
以及我们对他们的看法，
但过去的经验会让你体会到它有时是多么有趣和令人恼火。
我们正在家里做一些改变，
一个通往阁楼的楼梯，
铺设了一些地板，
这样我们就可以在上面有很大的空间来放置所有需要远离视线的东西。
有时我希望我们能把教学楼的礼拜堂弄大一点，
现在已经很拥挤了。
全校共有一百多人。
【续第一页】随信附上小APing给你买的一封信。
可怜的小孩，
她结婚了，
过得很艰难。
我们非常想让她嫁给一个基督徒，
但她的母亲把她嫁给了这个男人，
因为他有更多的“钱”。
爱钱是万恶之源。
我必须以爱结束。
你的妹妹，
海蒂。
Feb 27th 1883
My dear Mattie,
We three [?"kninenngs"?]
are seated around the table in
the dining room writing letters for the
home mail. We have used this room
for a sitting room this winter. The
grate which you brought from
Swatow which perhaps you will
remember used to smoke I had
reset and now it works perfectly
and warms the room very well.
Tonight we hear quite a murmur
of voices from the circle gathered
around Mrs Henry's festive board.
She has Dr & Mrs Happer Dr & Mrs
Graves & Mr & Mrs Masters there this
evening. I was thinking this morning
how few there are now left in Canton
who have not come out or had a visit
home since I came back. Next year
when Mr & Mrs Henry & the Masters
have gone there will be only Dr Happer
left who has not come out since I
have and we dont count him because
he [u] stays [/u]. I was rather astonished to
learn that he asked the Mission
to send home an application
for two single ladies to be sent
out this year to take Mary & Verdie's
places when they go home [u] two [/u] [u] years [/u]
[u] hence [/u]. That will make only six
years for them. Do you remember
what a lecture he gave you the
day you reached Canton because
you spoke of going home in [u] eight [/u]
years and how determined he
was that I should not go in eight
years. To his mind it makes all
the difference in the world whether
a person's name is Happer or not
although he has kept his wife out here
long enough. Mr & Mrs Henry will
soon be going. The months that remain
will go quickly I am sure.
Mr Fulton is in a great way to know
just [u] when [/u] they will go and they
will not give him any satisfaction.
He is going down to Bangkok in
September and "Florence" is coming
down to meet him there. I have
a presentiment that she will not
be a very desirable addition to our
circle. I cannot make it seem
as though she had much heart in
her work that she could give it all
up on a week's acquaintance with
such a man as Mr Fulton.
It seemed very much as though
she wanted to have a good time
and thought she would be more
likely to get it in Canton than
in Cheing Mai. I hope Dr Peoples
will not break his heart for her
but I presume there is no danger.
Miss Rowe has been up in Canton for
a visit is looking very well indeed
She is coming up tomorrow with
Miss Hope her colleague whom
we have not seen. They are
coming up to attend a picnic
to White Cloud. We have quite a
time talking about a March club
so many of us have birthdays in
March so we are going to celebrate
them all together on Mr Simmons
birthday which comes on the
1st of March. Miss Butler & I
do not like the idea of a "pleasure
exertion" very much. We would
much rather stay at home and it
seems most too bad to have to pay
$3.00 for chairs and as much
more for provisions when we do
not want to go. I think one of Miss
Butlers greatest trials since she
has been here has been that she
has been obliged to [u] visit [/u] so much.
Mrs Graves persecutes us as
unrelentingly as she used to They
do not feel satisfied unless they
come up here once a week and
we go down there as often. Miss
Butler says she does not wonder
at all that you got worn out and
your health broke down under it.
It does seem too bad for so much time
to go in this way when we need it so
much. They wanted very much to
commence the readings again but I
thought I would draw the line
somewhere, and we declared we [u] would [/u]
[u] not [/u] be read to. We were helpless when
we were away on the country trip for
then notwithstanding protests as plainly
put as we well could they would bring
their books into our boat and read to
us [u] whether [/u] [u] or [/u] [u] no [/u]. You know what dear
good friends they are and how much
we think of them but past experience
will enable you to appreciate how
funny and exasperating it is sometimes.
We are having some change made in
the home a stairway up into the
garret and some flooring laid
down so that we shall have a
nice lot of room up there for
everything that needs to be kept
out of sight. Sometime I hope we
shall be able to make the chapel
of the school-building a little
larger it is quite crowded now.
There are over one hundred all
together in the school.
[Continued on the first page]
I enclose a
letter which
little [?APing?]
bought for you.
Poor little child
she is married
and is having
a hard time.
We wanted her
so much to
marry a Christian
but her Mother
married her
to this man
because he
has more
[u] "money" [/u] The
[u] love [/u] of money
is the [Illegible] of
all evil.
I must close
with love.
Your aff sister
Hattie.
中国广州
1883 年 2 月 27 日
我亲爱的玛蒂，
我们三个“克尼宁”围坐在餐厅的桌子旁，
为家庭邮件写信。
今年冬天我们把这个房间用作客厅。
你从 Swatow 带来的炉排，
也许你会记得曾经吸烟我已经重置，
现在它工作得很好，
并且很好地温暖了房间。
今晚，
我们听到围绕着亨利夫人的喜庆板的圈子里传来一阵低语。
今晚她有Happer医生和夫人、Graves医生和夫人和Masters先生和夫人在那里。
今天早上我在想，
自从我回来后，
广州现在有多少人没有出来或没有回家。
明年当亨利先生和夫人和大师们离开时，
将只有哈珀博士离开，
自从我离开后，
他就没有出来，
我们不算他，
因为他留下了。
我很惊讶地得知他要求传道部向家里提出申请，
要求今年派出两名单身女士，
在他们两年后回家时接替玛丽和威尔迪的位置。
这对他们来说只有六年的时间。
你还记得你到广州那天他给你讲了什么，
因为你说八年后回家，
他是多么坚决不让我八年后去。
在他看来，
一个人的名字是否是 Happer 对他来说意义重大，
尽管他已经把妻子留在这里足够长的时间了。
亨利先生和夫人很快就要走了。
我敢肯定，
剩下的几个月会很快过去。
富尔顿先生很清楚他们什么时候会走，
他们不会让他满意。
他将于 9 月前往曼谷，
“佛罗伦萨”将在那里与他会面。
我有一种预感，
她不会成为我们圈子里非常受欢迎的补充。
我不能让她看起来好像她对工作很有心，
以至于她可以因为与富尔顿先生这样的男人认识一周而放弃一切。
似乎她很想玩得开心，
并认为她在广州比在清迈更有可能得到它。
我希望人民博士不会为她伤心，
但我认为没有危险。
罗小姐已经到广州访问了，
看起来确实很好。
她明天要和我们没见过的她的同事霍普小姐一起来。
他们要来参加白云的野餐。
我们有很多时间谈论三月俱乐部，
所以我们中的许多人在三月过生日，
所以我们将在 3 月 1 日的西蒙斯先生生日那天一起庆祝他们。
巴特勒小姐和我非常不喜欢“玩得开心”的想法。
我们宁愿呆在家里，
当我们不想去的时候，
不得不为椅子支付 3 美元以及更多的食品费用似乎太糟糕了。
我认为自从巴特勒小姐来到这里以来，
她最大的考验之一就是她不得不去拜访这么多。
格雷夫斯夫人像过去一样无情地迫害我们他们不会感到满意，
除非他们每周来这里一次，
我们也经常去那里。
巴特勒小姐说她一点也不奇怪你已经筋疲力尽，
你的健康也因此而崩溃。
当我们非常需要时，
这么多时间以这种方式进行似乎太糟糕了。
他们非常想重新开始朗读，
但我想我会在某个地方划清界限，
我们宣布我们不会被朗读。
当我们去乡村旅行时，
我们很无助，
因为尽管我们尽可能清楚地表达了抗议，
但他们还是会把他们的书带到我们的船上，
然后给我们朗读。
你知道他们是多么亲爱的好朋友，
以及我们对他们的看法，
但过去的经验会让你体会到它有时是多么有趣和令人恼火。
我们正在家里做一些改变，
一个通往阁楼的楼梯，
铺设了一些地板，
这样我们就可以在上面有很大的空间来放置所有需要远离视线的东西。
有时我希望我们能把教学楼的礼拜堂弄大一点，
现在已经很拥挤了。
全校共有一百多人。
【续第一页】随信附上小APing给你买的一封信。
可怜的小孩，
她结婚了，
过得很艰难。
我们非常想让她嫁给一个基督徒，
但她的母亲把她嫁给了这个男人，
因为他有更多的“钱”。
爱钱是万恶之源。
我必须以爱结束。
你的妹妹，
海蒂。
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Mattie, February 27, 1883,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 23, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/367.