Letter from Hattie to Edward, September 30, 1883

Letter from Hattie to Edward, September 30, 1883

Birthdays; Chinese calendar; Clergy; Presbyterian Church; Riots; Prison sentences; Inebriates; Death; Firearms; Foreigners; Criminal justice, Administration of--China--History; Leg--wounds and injuries

Harriet wishes Edward a happy 49th birthday. Mr. Henry plans to ordain Cuau Loi and make him a pastor of the second church so as to cover for him when he leaves. Harriet supposes that some of the Chinese Christians must be worried about the present situation because if it gets too serious, the foreign missionaries would be able to leave, but they could not. The trial of the drunk man who shot the Chinese concluded. It is hard for the Chinese to see that a European man may kill one of them and pretty much get away with it. Last night the missionaries packed some of their things in case they have to escape from civil upheavals as a consequence of the sentence. Harriet hopes that Edward's leg is better.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1883-09-30

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_336

Canton China
Sept 30th 1883.
My dear Edward -
The last day of Sept
has come again making
you a year older than you
were yesterday. The Chinese
count time as the Jews used
to counting the smallest faction
of a year as a year as for
instance if a child is born
in Dec the next month JanY
they will call it two years
old. They distress Miss Butler
by telling her that she has
been here three years. Next
Jan they will say she has
been here [u]four[/u] years. although
as we count it will be just
two years in November .
This has been a lovely
Sabbath day here a little
warm like a comfortable

summer day at home. Mr
Henry has gone to one of his country
stations for a few days and
Cuau Loy preached to-day.
You will perhaps remember
his letter + the one Henry wrote
about him in the NY Observer
some years since. It is Mr
Henrys plan to have him
ordained and put him in
as pastor of the 2nd church
or stated supply when he
goes home. He preached
a very good sermon to-day
from 1st Peter I chap + 7th verse.
Mr Simmons preached this
evening about heaven from
Revelations 21st chapter.
Henry had his communion
season to-day in the Third
church. He preached
about the destruction of
Jerusalem and explained
how the Christians were warned
and able to escape from
the destruction which came

upon Jerusalem. I suppose
some of the native Christians
feel rather anxious about the
existing state of things. If there
should be [?serious?] trouble of course
the foreigners would go away
but they could not. The feeling
of hostility I suppose still
continues more or less bitter.
The trial of the man who
killed without any provocation
one Chinaman and wounded
two others was concluded
last week It was proved that
he murdered the boy and that
it was entirely unprovoked but
the jury brought in a verdict of
manslaughter and he was
sentenced to seven years imprisonment
which if he behaves well will
be reduced to four + a half.
This according to Chinese
ideas is no punishment at all.
As they say he will have a
comfortable place to live and
enough to eat and wear which
for them means comfort and is
far more than many of them
have. It seems rather hard

for them to see so clearly that
a European may kill one or more
of them and they have as they
feel no redress whatever. But
I did not mean to fill my letter
with this. It would have seemed
very hard for him to have been
[?hung?] + yet we cannot help feeling
that if he had short foreigners
instead of Chinese that would
have been his fate. Some people
anticipate trouble in consequence of
this for the Chinese all feel very much
dissatisfied. Last night we put
some of our things in trunks so that
they would be together in case we
should have to go away. Every
thing is going on so nicely now
that it would seem very sad
if the work should be broken up
for a while But it will not be
unless it is the Lord's will and
if so it will be what is best.
It is a year now since you were
hurt I hope that your leg is
getting quite strong by this time.
It seems strange to think that
you are forty-nine and I am thirty
nine But I presume you do
not [u]feel[/u] that you are growing
older every day any more than I do.

[Note: Letter concludes vertically on page one]
With much
love and
all good
wishes now
and always
from
Your aff sister
Hattie --

中国广州
1883年9月30日，
我亲爱的Edward
今天是九月的最后一天，
/
意味着你又大了一岁。
中国人像犹太人一样计算时间，
/
他们计算一年中的每一小部分。
/
例如，
如果一个孩子在 12 月出生，
那么他们会在第二年的 1 月说他已经两岁了。
每当他们告诉Butler小姐她已经在这里三年了，
她都很心疼
明年一月，
他们会说她已经在这里四年了，
尽管我们会说十一月才两年。
/
/
我们在家里度过了一个舒适的夏季安息日。
/
/

Henry先生
他去了一个农村基地，
所以今天在教堂Cuau Loy替他传教。
/
你也许还记得，
几年前Henry在《纽约观察家》上写了一封关于他的信。
/
Henry先生计划在他回家前按立他，
并让他成为负责第二个教堂的牧师。
/
/
/
他今天讲了一篇很好的传教。
/
他使用了彼得 1 章 7 节。
今晚Simmons先生从启示录第 21 章传讲天堂。
/
/
Henry今天在第三个教堂领圣餐。
/
Henry宣讲了耶路撒冷的毁灭，
/
并解释了基督徒如何受到警告并能够从城市的毁灭中逃脱。
/
/
/

我想一些中国基督徒最近很紧张。
/
/
如果有严重的麻烦，
外国基督徒可以逃脱，
但他们不能，
他们会受到迫害。
有敌意，
而且同样苦涩。
/
对无故杀害一名中国人并打伤另外两人的外国人的审判结束。
/
/
事实证明，
他是无缘无故谋杀了这个男孩，
但即便如此，
唯一的指控是他过失杀人。
/
他只被判了 7 年徒刑，
而且很可能会减至四年半。
/
按照中国人的观念，
这不是惩罚。
中国人认为我们的监狱概念也不是真正的惩罚。
/
囚犯将有一个舒适的住所和足够的食物，
/
这是许多中国人所没有的。
/

很难接受一个欧洲人可以杀死一个中国人，
而中国人没有伸张正义的手段。
/
很抱歉，
我用这样一个令人不快的话题来写我的信。
我们不禁觉得如果他射杀了一个外国人，
他会被绞死，
是命中注定的。
/
/
有些人认为会因此而有麻烦。
中国人可能会对审判结果非常不满。
/
昨晚我们收拾了一些行李以防万一我们需要逃跑。
/
/
我们的工作现在如此顺利和成功，
/
如果我们不得不离开会很伤心。
/
我们将不得不等待，
/
看看上帝的旨意是什么。
/
你受伤已经一年了。 
我希望你的腿变得非常强壮。
你四十九岁，
我三十九岁，
这很奇怪，
但我敢打赌，
你不会觉得自己变老了。 我也不。



我爱你，
/
永远祝福你。
/
/
/
你妹妹，
Hattie --

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