Letter from Hattie to Mattie, January 28, 1885

Letter from Hattie to Mattie, January 28, 1885

Schools; Sino-French War, 1884-1885; Visitors, Foreign; Roman Catholicism; Baptists; Marriage; Health; Cancer

Harriet thinks that the schools will not very full or that they will not be able to open new ones due to the ongoing war with the French. She tells Martha that a few months ago they could have opened a school in a village but the people there did not want foreigners to come. Harriet expects to open the boarding school on March 4th and tells Mattie that schools and preachers in Macau. However, they fear that their success might lead the Roman Catholics to oppose them because they think it is their field. Miss Daniells was diagnosed with cancer in Yokohama so she had to go back home. Yet, on her way home, according to Dr. Lyall, the tumor "broke and discharged" so she will be fine. The American Board never sends anyone whose health has been poor within five years back to the mission.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1885-01-28

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_364

Sino-French War, 1884-1885

[Note: Additional note on page one]
If you do not
come out
this year
perhaps
you will
see Dr +
Mrs Happer
at home.
I feel sure
Dr Happer
never said
anything about
your coming
back unless
it was on the
ground of health.
The rule of the
American Board
to which they
make no exceptions
is never to send
any one back
whose health has
failed within
five years after
coming out.

Canton China
Jan 28th 1885
My dear Mattie -
I have not written to you
for a long time because I felt
so uncertain about your leaving
USA for China but it is getting
so late in the season now that
I have almost ceased to expect
you until next Autumn which
will no doubt be the best. It does
not seem likely unless the French
and Chinese come to some settlement
of their difficulities that our school
will be very full or that we can
open any new ones. A few months
since there seemed to be such a
good opening in a village north
of the city but now they say they
do not want any foreigners to
come there and disturb the peace.
We expect to open the Boarding
School again March 4th and

I rather expect that we shall
have a good number of scholars.
AYan whose school was broken
up has found a school-room and
started another. USznai and
ATak have gone to Macao and
opened a school there. We
now have there a Boys' school and
a girls' school a room for a
chapel and a native assistant
who preaches daily there, and
seems to find the people very
willing to listen. If there is much
success in the work we fear
the Roman Catholics will make
some opposition as they doubtless
regard it as their field. Miss
Lewis will I presume remain
down through the summer.
Miss Young of the Baptist Mission
is with her now and she would
like very much to stay with her if
she can manage it. But she

lives with Dr and Mrs Graves
and they would be most unwilling
to spare her. I wonder if you
have any communication with
Miss Whilden. The prospect of her
being able to return is not so good
as we wish it might be. Her
speaking so much to societies
at home seems to be "the last
straw that broke the camel's back."
Miss Fielde with her unusual
strength also succumbed to this.
She seemed quite well when
she went home. Have I written
to you that Mr Partridge has
married again a very intimate
friend of his first wifes . They all
like her so very much. A
young lady has come out to their
Mission Miss Bu[u]zz[/u]el, She is
quite young too you some of
them think, By the way Mr
Jones went home a short time

since to find a wife and we
hear that he is engaged to a young
lady of [u]eighteen[/u] very handsome and
highly educated. There will certainly
be a great contrast I hope she will
not be disappointed. Miss Daniells
has been obliged to go home at last.
The Doctors in Yokohama told her
she had a malignant cancer.
On the way home however the
tumor broke and discharged
and Dr Lyall says that is
very hopeful. She feels that
she will recover and come back
to China. I hope to see the
Ashmores in HongKong on their
way home. They have a [u]new[/u] little
grand child. Mrs Ashmore is
very feeble her hands and feet
are so swollen. I feel very anxious
about the long sea voyage. She is
usually so very seasick. They
are very glad to hear that you are coming back.
[Note: written sideways]
With love Hattie --

如果
你今年
不来中国，
也许
你可以
在美国
看到
Happer 夫妇。
他没提
你回中国的事。
/
/
/
/
/
/
美国传教组织
有一个规定，
这条规定没有例外，
如果有人因为身体不好而回家
他们禁止他们五年内返回。
/
/
/
/
/

中国广东
1885年1月28日
我亲爱的 Mattie，
我好久都没给你写信的原因
就是因为
我不知道你是否会离开美国去中国，
但现在，
已经是年底了，
所以我怀疑
我会在明年秋天之前见到你，
但这可能是最好的。
除非法国和中国能解决他们的分歧，
否则很难填补我们的学校或者
开设任何新学校。
/
几个月前
有一个很好的机会
在城北的一个村庄开办学校，
但现在他们说他们不想让任何外国人上来扰乱安宁。
/
/
我们计划在 3 月 4 日重新开放寄宿学校，
我想我们会有很多学生。

/
/
A Yan 的学校被解散了，
但她找到了另一个地方并开始了另一个。
U Sznai 和 A Tak
去澳门开设一所新学校。
现在，
我们那里一所男校、
一所女校、
还有小教堂，
教堂的牧师是本地人，
据他说，
很多人愿意听他传教。
如果我们在澳门太成功，
我们可能会遇到天主教徒的麻烦
因为它们把澳门当他们的领土。
我想Lewis小姐会在澳门度过整个夏天，
浸信会传教士 Young 小姐
现在和Lewis 小姐在一起，
她可能整个夏天都想和她在一起。
/
/
/

在广东，
Young 小姐住在Graves夫妇家
我敢肯定他们整个夏天都不愿意没有她。
你跟Whilden小姐沟通了吗？
她可能回不了中国，
似乎她已经开始与其他组织交谈，
/
/
/
/
Fielde 小姐也因此停止传教工作。
/
Fielde小姐回国之前看起来很好。
我不记得我以前有没有告诉过你，
Partridge 先生丧偶后又结婚了，
他娶了他已故妻子的一个朋友，
他所有的朋友和家人都非常喜欢她。
Partridge 的传教士组织
有一位新来的年轻女士，
名叫Buzzel小姐，
有些人认为她太年轻。
Jones 先生，
他前不久回国找妻子，

他与一个
美丽且受过良好教育的十八岁女孩订婚了，
/
他们两个有很大的区别，
我希望她不会失望。
Daniells 小姐去年不得不回家，
日本的医生告诉她，
她得了恶性肿瘤，
但在回家的路上，
肿瘤破裂了，
Lyall 医生说这是一个很好的迹象，
她希望她能康复并回到中国。
/
/
我希望我能看到Ashmore夫妇
他们在回家的路上经过香港，
他们有了一个新孙子。
Ashmore太太感觉到很虚弱，
她的手脚肿得很厉害，
我担心他们要长途跋涉，
她通常会晕船。
他们很高兴听到你回来。
/
爱你，
Hattie

Letter