Letter from Hattie to Clara, July 20, 1883

Letter from Hattie to Clara, July 20, 1883

Hot weather conditions; Fruit; Sewing machines; Travel; Clothing and dress--United States

Harriet writes to Clara about the dried flowers she received in the mail. She inquires what kind of flowers they were decided that they smelled like peaches. Harriet says they have lots of fresh fruit, including excellent peaches. She has been making calico dresses with the last of the fabric she brought from home. The sewing woman they now have does not like to use the foot machine so Harriet has been doing much of the work. They had a storm which brought the temperature down a bit last week but the thermometer is now back up to 100 degrees. Miss Butler, Miss Niles, and herself are taking a trip to Lin Chau. Miss Hattie Lewis of San Jose (originally from Ohio) will be coming out soon.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1883-07-20

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_328

Canton China
July 20th 1883
My dear Clara
I will take this little
sheet as this paper is so heavy it
takes very little of it to make a
rate. We will hope to have
letters from home again soon
as the next mail is due on the
28th. I could not tell what kind
of a flower it was you sent me
in your last letter but the
fragrance of it when it reached
here was exactly like dried peaches.
By the way we have had most
excellent peaches this summer
ever since the first of June and
now are enjoying some delicious
Clingstones the last that come
into market. We have a great
variety of fruit have fresh fruit
on the table three times a day
the year round. We have
for breakfast now regularly cracked
wheat, bread + butter preserves, coffee
+ fruit. We have plenty to eat
and if I keep on sewing as I
have done the past month I

shall soon have plenty to wear
I have made up the last of the
calico I brought from home, have
a [u]pair[/u] of black + white striped
dresses. I have also made
five white dresses. I made
them all of victoria lawn which
is quite cheap here. They only
cost about a dollar each
but as I had embroidery and
lace to trime them with and
tucked them more or less I
think they will look very nice.
I have done all the serving on
the machine myself as the
sewing woman we now have
cannot use a foot machine.
I had a handle put on the
machine thinking perhaps she
might use it but it turns it too
slowly to be of any use. I
shall not need to make any
more white dresses at any rate
before I go home. and I have
tried to console myself with
this thought while I have
been spending in sewing the

time I wanted for something
else. I wish you would tell me
of your machine at home is
getting worn out for it is perhaps
it would pay to send this one
home and then Miss Butler
+ I might get a hand machine
I rather think we will at
any rate as she does not feel
like sewing on the machine.
It is a charming moonlight
evening tonight and delightfully
cool. The storm we had
last week cooled the air
very thoroughly The day
preceding the storm was
very hot, thermometer stood
at 100 ° the highest Mr
Henry says that he has ever
seen it in Canton. Did I
write to you that we are
talking of a trip to Lin Chau
Miss Butler is very anxious
to go . She does not seem to
get entirely over the dengue

fever which she had several
weeks since but has had
pain in her bones ever since
and she feels that nothing will
cure her except a sight of the
beautiful Linchau river and
hills. I hope we can go for
I think we all need it at least
Miss Butler + Miss Niles do.
I am quite well but I have
no doubt I should feel better
[u]rested[/u] after a trip. We have
a prospect of another helper
Miss Hattie Lewis of San Jose
California. I rather think she
is originally from Ohio from
what Mrs Nevin wrote, I hope
so for so far as my observation
goes Ohio people make very
good missionaries as well as
Presidents and Generals et cetera et cetera.
She is not young and we are
not sorry for this, I do not know
her age Mrs Kerr knows her and
thinks she is too old to come out
but if she will make such a
[Note: Additional note in the margin]
July 23d I intended to get up early this morning + write some more but
failed of doing so + can only send much love to all. Hattie

[Note: Letter concludes vertically on page one]
missionary as dear Mrs Happer it will be splendid. Mrs Perkins
writes that they
were charmed
with Mrs Happer
+ strangely
drawn to her
I am so glad
I was afraid
they might
not know
how good
she is [u]at
first sight[/u]
My little
sheet is filled
so I must
say good
bye for
this time
Ever yrs lovingly
Hattie -

中国广东
1883年7月20日
我亲爱的Clara，
尽管这张纸小，
还是比较沉，
因为邮费贵，
我就只写几页。
因为下一封邮件要到 28 号，
我们希望我们能尽快收到家里的来信。
我不知道你在上一封信中附上了什么样的花，
但当它到达时，
它闻起来像干桃子。
/
/
今年夏天我们有最好的桃子在六月，
/
/
现在我们可以买到美味的硬核桃子了。
/
这里有很多种水果，
我们一年四季每天三顿新鲜水果。
/
我们每天都吃碎小麦、
面包、黄油、
咖啡和水果。
我们有很多食物可以吃，
如果我继续高速缝纫，
我会有很多衣服可以穿。

/
我用了从家里带来的所有印花布，
/
做了一条黑白条纹连衣裙。
/
我还做了五件白裙
我用“维多利亚草坪”面料做的，
这里很便宜，
它们每个只花了 1 美元，
但我在它们周围放了花边和刺绣，
所以我认为它们会很好看。
/
/
我自己在缝纫机上完成了所有工作，
因为缝纫女工不会使用脚踏板来缝纫机。
/
/
我在机器上放了一个手柄，
但它太慢了没用。
/
在我回家之前我不需要再做任何白色的裙子了。
/
/
每当我想通过制作更多衣服让自己快乐时，
我都会尝试考虑这一点。
/
/

/
我希望你能告诉我
/
家里的缝纫机老化了吗？
如果它坏了，我可以把这台好的缝纫机送回家
然后Butler小姐和我可以买一个
手动缝纫机。
我想无论如何Butler小姐都会得到一个，
因为她不喜欢使用缝纫机。
/
今晚月色很美，
空气很凉爽。
上周，

我们遇到了一场风暴，
空气变冷了。
暴风雨前一天很热，
温度计一整天都是华氏100华氏度，
Henry说风暴前的广州天气是他见过的最热的。
/
我告诉过你我们要去连州旅行吗？
我们要带走Butler小姐，
因为她真的很想去。
/
她还没有完全从登革热中康复。
几周前她得了登革热，
/
/
从那以后她的骨头一直疼痛，
她说唯一能治愈她的就是看到美丽的连州河和山。
/
/
我希望我们可以去
我们所有人都真的需要一个假期，
特别是Butler小姐和Niles小姐需要。
我很好，
但我会在旅行后更好地休息。
我们应该很快就会接待另一位传教士，
一个来自加利福尼亚州圣何塞的女人，
名叫Hattie Lewis小姐。
我认为她最初来自俄亥俄州，
Nevin太太给我写了一封信告诉我了。
对我来说，
来自俄亥俄的人是最好的传教士、
总统、将军、等等。
/
/
我们很遗憾 
Lewis小姐没我们年轻。
Kerr太太认识她，
对她来说Lewis小姐太老了。
/
/
7月23日 本来打算今天早上早点起床再写点东西，结果失败了。 
我给你们发我所有的爱。Hattie

如果Lewis小姐跟Happer太太一样成功的传教士，那会真好。
Perkins太太说
Happer太太很迷人，
他们都被她吸引了。
/
他们都相处融洽，
这让我很高兴，
一开始我怕他们不知道她第一次见面有多好。
/
/
/
/
/
我的页面已满。
我必须说再见。
/
/
/
/
/
Hattie

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