Letter from Hattie to Mattie, June 1, 1885

Letter from Hattie to Mattie, June 1, 1885

Birthdays; Best friends; Medicine--Study and teaching; Housekeeping; Aging

Harriet wishes Martha a happy birthday. The monthly concert was held this evening. Harriet says that she will miss Mrs. Kerr a lot once she leaves. Josie will study medicine and Hattie Kerr will do the housekeeping as well as studying under Josie's directions. Harriet believes that she has outlived her generation because, from those who were present when Harriet arrived, only Dr. Graves and Henry remain in the mission.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1885-06-01

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_372

Canton China
June 1st 1885.
My dear Mattie -
I am reminded
by the return of June 1st
that you have another
birthday. The next one
we shall doubtless spend
together in Canton again
after all these years.
Does it seem to you
more than four years since
you went away. If you
come in the early Autumn
the time will slip away
quickly now for the [u]end[/u]
of a house visit I am
sure would seem short
however long the stay in
the home land had been.

This was the evening for Monthly
Concert. Mr Fulton was to lead
it but he was late and so
Dr Graves took it. The Fultons
seem to expect fully that
their mother is coming
out in the Autumn to live
with them. Is it so? If
so she will doubtless want
to come with you and
I wonder if you would
enjoy such an arrangement.
Dr Kerr writes that they
may come very soon. The
college year closes the
8th of May and then I
imagine they will feel that
they have nothing to stay
for. I shall miss Mrs Kerr
very much. She has always
been one of my best and

truest friends. I think I
have written to you that
both Josie and Hattie
expect to come back
with Dr Kerr. Josie
to study medicine and
Hattie to keep house and
go on with her studies
under Josie's direction.
I suppose we shall
have another Doctor here
as Dr Swan of Ohio
will no doubt be appointed
as Dr Kerr's assistant .
Unless if Josie really decides
to be a missionary doctor
perhaps he will be Dr
Kerr's successor and if
he will do well nothing
could be better than to
have another Dr Kerr

We shall be glad to see
some of the old missionaries
coming back. I quite begin
to feel that I have outlived
my generation. Only Dr Graves
and Henry of those who are
in [--HongK--] Canton now were
here when I came. At
the Conference next week
of all that were present more
than forty only four Dr Graves
Mr and Mrs Simmons and
I had been here more
than ten years. Dr and
Mrs Graves are in miserable
health and I should nothing
be surprised if they are
obliged to go home soon.
Miss Whilden's return is more
than doubtful. Well now
goodbye for this time Wishing you

[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
many happy returns of the day. Your aff
sister
Hattie -



中国广州
1885 年 6 月 1 日。
我亲爱的玛蒂 - 6 月 1 日的回归提醒我，
你还有另一个生日。
下一次我们无疑会在这么多年之后再次在广州共度。
在你看来，
你离开已经四年多了。
如果你是在初秋来的，
那么现在结束一次家访的时间会很快溜走，
我相信无论在家乡逗留多久，
时间都会显得很短。
这是每月音乐会的晚上。
Fulton 先生将领导它，
但他迟到了，
所以 Graves 博士接了它。
富尔顿一家似乎完全期望他们的母亲会在秋天出来和他们一起生活。
是这样吗？如果是这样，
她无疑会想和你一起去，
我想知道你是否会喜欢这样的安排。
克尔博士写道，
他们可能很快就会到来。
大学学年于 5 月 8 日结束，
然后我想他们会觉得他们没有什么可留下来的。
我会非常想念克尔夫人。
她一直是我最好和最真诚的朋友之一。
我想我已经写信给你，
乔西和海蒂都希望和克尔博士一起回来。
乔西学习医学，
海蒂在家务，
在乔西的指导下继续学习。
我想我们这里应该有另一位医生，
因为俄亥俄州的斯旺博士无疑会被任命为克尔博士的助手。
除非乔西真的决定成为一名传教士医生，
否则他可能会成为克尔博士的继任者，
如果他做得好，
没有什么比拥有另一位克尔博士更好的了。
我们将很高兴看到一些老传教士回来。
我开始觉得我比我这一代人活得更久。
我来的时候，
只有格雷夫斯博士和亨利博士在广州。
在下周的会议上，
出席会议的人数超过 44 人，
只有我和格雷夫斯博士西蒙斯夫妇已经在这里呆了十多年。
格雷夫斯博士和夫人的健康状况很糟糕，
如果他们不得不尽快回家，
我也不会感到惊讶。
怀尔登小姐的回归值得怀疑。
好了，
这次再见了 祝你 [注：信在第一页横向结束] 当天有很多快乐的回报。
你的妹妹，
海蒂——

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