Letter from Hattie to Mary, July 19, 1884

Letter from Hattie to Mary, July 19, 1884

Travel; Vacations; Typhoons; Cemeteries

In this letter to her sister Mary, Harriet talks mostly about how relaxing and nice her trip has been. They are thinking of extending their stay in case things continue to progress badly in Canton. They would possibly rent the place they stayed during the typhoon. Macau is where Henry's first wife Cynthia died, and Harriet is remembering her and all the others buried in Macau.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1884-07-19

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_350

Macau
July 19th 1884
My dear Mary,
Your letter written on
the [u] 17th of May [/u] came a few
days since had been almost
two months on the way. It must
have been just too late for the
preceding steamer I could
almost imagine that I saw
the orchard as you described it
with all the beautiful blossoms. I
remember everything I think that
we did and said on the 17th of May
1876. I am glad you had a
nice visit from Cousin Maria
and I do hope that Sara will
go out to New Hampshire this
summer. It must be so lonely
there at Father's old home in
the summer time. I must tell
you that down here in Macau
we see a pair of [u] real [/u] horses.
The Chinese ponies are such
little spiritless animals that
they hardly seem like horses.
But this pair are very good,
bay horses, and hold up their

heads and trot off as they should
We have too genuine cow's milk
the cow with her calf is brought
to the door every morning and
evening. The milk tastes just
like what we get at home not
at all like that we are accustomed
to in Canton. Then too we
have very nice bread Some
other things we cannot get as
well here as in Canton but we
have no difficultly in getting plenty
to eat. Yesterday Miss Butler
and I almost made up our
minds to go back to Canton so
as to put up our things and
get ready to [?move?] in case it
should be necessary to leave
Canton. But when Miss
Niles came down she said
that no one there seemed to
feel that there was any immediate
danger of such a necessity so
we concluded to remain
and proceed with our
letter writing. We are going

to try and see if we can rent
for a month or two that home
in which we were at the time
of the typhoon. Miss Lewis would
I think like to remain down
for two or three months in any
event. It is not quite so sultry
here as in Canton and there
are such nice walks in the
evening. We took such a long
one a few evenings since
that either with that or writing
so steadily we are quite stiff.
We have a beautiful view of the
harbor and as we write have
only to raise our eyes and look
out upon the deep blue sea, the
mountains beyond, and the
sky above. I always think
so much of Cynthia when
I am down here for it was
here that she spent the last
few months of her life. It will
soon be seventeen years since
she went home to heaven.
Yesterday we went to the
cemetery here. Dr Kerr's first

wife is buried here. The inscription
on her tombstone was chosen by her
parents in [u] New Hampshire [/u].
"As for God His way is perfect."
Dr Morrison the first Protestant
Missionary to China with his
wife and son are buried there.
The little chapel which
perhaps Mattie will remember
it was such a pretty little
chapel is now almost in ruins.
It was very much injured by
that terrible typhoon in 1874
and has never been repaired.
The houses in that vicinity where
the fire raged have never
been repaired and look
desolate enough. Well
it is almost five-o-clock time
to put up my pen for today.
Tomorrow will be the Sabbath
and we hail the day of [u] rest [/u]
with joy. We will have a Chinese
service in the morning and fear
that Mrs Thomson is planning
to read us a long sermon
afterward. Goodbye with much love
Hattie.

Letter