Letter from Hattie to Mary, June 8, 1885

Letter from Hattie to Mary, June 8, 1885

Typhoons; Gunboats; Sick; Girls' schools; Vacations; Women teachers

Harriet writes to her sister Mary for the first time in what has felt like a while. There was a storm the night before that kept some people up, worrying about a typhoon. Sickness is also spreading very quickly recently. Commander Nelson, of the US Gunboat Palos, visited the school and said Harriet deserved a vacation. They are both planning on returning to the US in two years and might have the chance to travel together. Harriet is happy that Mary is continuing in her teaching position. Many missionaries started as teachers, learning Chinese even in old age.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1885-06-08

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_376

Canton China
June 8th 1885
My dear Mary -
I [u]feel[/u] as though I
have not written to you for
a long time .and I have a
nice long letter from you
written June 1st and several
since. Miss Butler and I
are going to take the day
for writing letters for the mail
which leaves tomorrow.
It is a lovely day, last night
there was quite a storm which
cleared the air and made
it cool. At first it seemed
as though there might be a
typhoon the wind blew so
violently hot soon there
was thunder and lightening

and then we knew there
would not be a typhoon
as they are never accompanied
with thunder and lightening.
The teacher of the girls in
the boarding School who is
a dear good saint Mattie
knows her (San Lok) told
me this morning that at
first she was so frightened
but when she heard the
thunder it seemed to her
like the voice of Jesus telling
her not to be afraid and
then she went to sleep.
Two or three of the girls are
out of sorts to-day. I hope
none of them will get very
sick. There seems to be
a great deal of sickness
about this year. We have

nine weeks more of school
will close on the 11th of
August. A few days ago
Lieut Commander Nelson
of the US Gunboat Palos
called and we took him
over the school with which
he seemed highly pleased.
He says he thinks any one
who looks after such a
school as this ought to have
a good long vacation when
the time comes. I told him
I hoped to go home in
two years at the farthest
and he said that would
be just the time he would
be going and he hoped
we might go on the same
steamer. So you are
going to "teach that school"

again. I congratulate you
on your success as a
"pedagogness" - When you have
graduated as a teacher at
home you will be eligible for
an appointment to the
foreign mission field. Nearly
all the missionaries have
been teacher at home
sometime. Miss Butler
had a long siege ten years
in Newark. It seems almost
a pity she did not come
out sooner. She has got the
language very well and
Miss Lewis too is going to get it
quite well she is most indefatigable
I am especially pleased with
her success for it [u]proves[/u]
my position Never too old to learn
the Chinese language She

[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
will be fifty on her next birthday in October.
I wonder
if you
will have
a visit
from Mrs
Happer
this time
while she
is at home.
With love
ever
yr aff
Hattie -

中国广东
1885年6月8日
我亲爱的Mary，
感觉好久没给你写信了，
我收到了几封你的来信，
一封信是在 6 月 6 日写的，
之后还有几封信。
我和Butler小姐
我们会花一整天写信，
因为邮件明天就会寄出。
/
今天天气很好
昨天暴风雨来了，
风暴如此猛烈，
空气都变凉了，
我们以为可能是台风，
但是有雷电，
所以我们就知道这不是台风，
因为台风从来没有雷电。
/

/
/
/
/
今天早上，
我与寄宿学校教女孩们的老师 San Lok 交谈，
San Lok 是个好人，
Mattie 认识她，
那个老师告诉我她很害怕，
但后来她说雷声听起来像是耶稣的声音，
告诉她不要害怕，
她就去睡觉了。
有两个学生今天感觉不太好，
我希望他们都不会生病，
今年有很多人生了病。
/
/
/
/
/
/

我们还有九个星期的学校，
然后我们将在 8 月 11 日关闭。
几天之前，
美国炮艇 Palos，Nelson 少校
他来拜访，
他似乎对学校很满意，
/
/
他觉得照料这样的学校的人一定很累，
应该放个长假，
/
/
我告诉他我希望两年后回家，
/
/
他说他会那时回家，
希望我们在同一艘轮船上。
/
/
/
/

在你的信中，
你说你要再次教书，
我要恭喜你，在你毕业时，
你将有资格成为一名传教士。
/
/
这里的大多数的传教士以前都是教师。
/
/
Butler 小姐在Newark当了十年的老师，
可惜她没有早点来中国，
她汉语学得很好。
Lewis 小姐
她学中文很快，
而且很努力。
我很高兴她如此成功，
这证明了我的观点：
永远不会因为你领太大，而不能学中文
她10月将迎来50岁生日。
/
/

【纵向书写】
Happer 太太
在家时
可能
会来
拜访你。
/
/
/
/
永远爱你，
/
你亲爱的，
Hattie -

Letter