Letter from Harriet to Father, October 12, 1883

Letter from Harriet to Father, October 12, 1883

Poverty--China; China--Foreign relations--France; Sino-French War, 1884-1885; Sickness; Christianity--China

Hattie tells her father that their homes seem like palaces to the poor Chinese that come from the countryside. She writes that this is a time of great anxiety as war might be declared or a rebellion might take place. If that is the case, the Chinese Christians will have a rough time because they cannot go away, unlike the foreign missionaries. Things seem to be going fine at the schools, but most Chinese want the foreigners to leave. Harriet describes the atmosphere at Shameen as warlike due to the presence of foreign gunboats. It is probable that a war with France might take place. If such is the case, the missionaries would have to leave.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1883-10-12

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_337

Sino-French War, 1884-1885

Canton China
Oct 12th 1883
My dear Father,
I wanted to write
you a nice long letter and
tell you all about the
dedication &c &c &c but here
it is quarter to one-oclock time
for dinner and the minute
that is over I must go for I
have promised Mary Happer
to go to one of her school to-day,
and when I get back the
mail will be gone. I wanted
to write to each one in the
family to-day because there
will not be another mail
to America for a month but
there were some other letters
that had to be written so you
were left as usual until the
last and now all the time
has gone and here comes a
Chinese woman to visit and
take up the few minutes that
are left. I have sent her out
on the verandah to look
around and see what a
beautiful place we have to
live in so that will interest
her. Our homes seem like

palaces to these poor people
who come in from the country
and they cannot understand
that it is possible for us ever to
have any trouble having plenty to
eat and wear and such
Nice homes to live in. We certainly
do have everything to be thankful
for. Yesterday was a day of
special prayer for the country
that peace may be preserved
and for protection during this
time of anxiety If war should
be declared or if there should
be rebellion it will be very trying
for the native Christian for of
course it would be impossible
for them to go away. I will
enclose a letter just received
from Henry. Things [u] seem [/u]
pretty quiet, we Mr Henry
& I went out to the villages
where we have schools a few
days ago, and everything
seemed perfectly quiet.
But there is a great deal of
talk and the people are more
or less anxious and do not know
what is going to happen
What most of them would

like to have happen best of
all would be to have the foreigners
all driven away but of course
that is out of the question unless
it may be temporarily. It looks
quite warlike up at Shamin
with all the foreign gunboats
there now. There will not
be likely to be another sudden
outbreak but it seems that
there is some probability of
war with France and
if so we would probably be
obliged to go away. It would
seem such a pity for the
work that is going on so nicely
to be interrupted but if that
should be God's way it will
of course be the best way.
Mrs Hearst has been very
ill for some days there
seemed scarcely any hope
of her recovery. All the
time she has fancied that
she is surrounded and
pushed by the mob. Now
she is getting better but her

mind still seems the
same and the Drs are
beginning to feel anxious about
that. But as soon as she
gets well enough to be
taken away from Canton
I should think she would
get over it. It seems
now such a pity that
they supped here and
did not go right on to
Japan as they intended
at first. The bell has rung
for dinner I am so sorry
I cannot write more this
time I will not write about
the nice box you sent me
in such a hurry. Perhaps
in the month before the next
mail goes I will be able
to write more and
more satisfactorily With
warmest love for all
from your aff daughter
Harriet

中国广州
1883年10月12日
我亲爱的父亲，
我想给你写一封关于开幕式的长信，
但现在已经12:45午餐时间了
/
吃完饭，
我要去参观Mary Happer的一所学校，
/
我答应她我今天会来，
当我回来时，
邮件已发送。
/
因为一个月内不会再有一封寄往美国的邮件，
所以我想写信给家里的每一位成员。
/
/
然而，我需要先写一些其他的信，
所以，
像往常一样，
我直到最后一分钟给你们写信，
现在所有的时间都过去了，
刚才一位中国女客人来了，
现在我必须花最后的时间和她说话，
我让她在我写完信的时候在阳台上等，
她可以看着花园，
欣赏我们住的美丽地方，
我相信她会很感兴趣。
/
/
/

我们的房子对农村的穷人来说就像宫殿
他们无法想象，
当我们有足够的食物、
衣服和漂亮的房子住时，
我们可能会遇到一些麻烦。
/
我们真的有很多要感谢的。
/
昨天我们举行了一个特别的祷告会。
在这个焦虑的时期，
我们祈求和平与庇佑。
/
如果有战争，
或者如果有叛乱
对于中国基督徒来说，
这将是非常困难的，
当然，
他们不可能逃离这个国家。
我会给你寄一封我刚收到Henry的信。
按照Henry的信
在乡下，
一切都非常安静祥和。 
没有干扰。
几天前，
当我和Henry一起参观一所乡村学校时，
一切都显得很安静。
很多人都非常着急，
他们不知道会发生什么。
/
/

当然，
大多数人更愿意让外国人流放，
但这至少暂时是不可能的。
/
看起来像沙面的战时，
港口有许多外国炮舰。
可能不会发生任何暴力事件，
但与法国开战的可能性似乎越来越大。
如果与法国发生战争，
所有外国人可能都不得不离开。
/
/
/
如果我们不得不离开，
那就太可惜了。 
我们的工作进展顺利，
如果不得不中断，
那将是一种耻辱。
但如果这是上帝的旨意，
没什么办法。
Hearst太太病了不短的时间，
不知道有没有康复的希望。
当她真的生病的时候，
幻想自己被一群暴徒包围。
/
即使现在她越来越好，
但还是有同样的妄想。

/
这让医生很紧张。
/
一旦她康复离开广州，
我希望她会康复。
/
/
很可惜，
他们在这里停了下来，
没有按计划直奔日本。
/
/
晚饭铃响了，
很抱歉这次不能写更多了。
我想告诉你你寄给我的漂亮盒子，
但我没有时间。
也许下个月邮件发出前，
我就能写得更详细了。
/
/
/
我爱你们。
您的女儿，
Harriet

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