Letter from Hattie to Edward, September 30, 1885

Letter from Hattie to Edward, September 30, 1885

Prayer meetings; Missionaries' spouses; Floods; Rice; Aging

Harriet writes to her brother Edward about the recent prayer meeting led by Dr. Swan, noting that Dr. Swan's wife is just twenty-three, the same age that Harriet was when she came to China. Harriet then details how the recent floods have destroyed multiple rice crops, and expresses sadness at how many Chinese people will perhaps starve and are selling their children. She then adds that Henry is going bald.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

Unpublished

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_383

Canton China
Sept 30th 1885
My dear Edward -
We have nearly finished
off Sept 30th over here but
it is only beginning with you.
We have just come home
from prayer meeting which
tonight was at Mr Whites.
Last week we had such
a nice meeting, the first time
we had all met together
since Dr Kerr's return Dr
Swan led the meeting
There were twenty two in all
four from the Baptist mission
I like Dr Swan very much
he seems quite like a brother
because I know his home
is so much like ours. I
think I wrote to you
that Dr Kerr said it seemed

when he visited there almost
like being in our family.
When I come home I
must go and see how nearly
the correspond. Mrs
Swan is a farmer's daughter
I think one of the Doctor's
father's flock. She is twenty
three just the age that
I was when I came out.
The new missionaries begin
to look upon me as being
very venerable and I
cannot wonder when I
remember that when I
came those who had been
here fourteen years Dr
Graves + others I thought
had been here such a
[u]long[/u] time. The time
since I came back does
not seem very long. It

has been rather broken up.
First moving down here
and building, then the
riot and the war.
The poor people who
suffered from the floods
this year seem in
danger of having still
harder times. Much
of their land is so under
water that it is inreclaimable
As soon as they could
after the great flood they
put it another crop of
rice but the heavy rains
and consequent flood destroyed
that. Now they have a
third crop in but it is so late
in the season that it seems
almost certain that that
will perish for want of
rain. If it does they
will be in a sad state

as they cannot hope for
another crop before next
July and during all these
months they will have [u]nothing[/u]
Many of the people are
selling their children both
boys and girls. The Chinese
seems so many of them so
wretchedly poor when the
times are good that "hard
times" for them is dreadful
to contemplate. Well I
must send you "[u]heaps[/u]"
of good wishes for this new
year of your life. How
strange it seems that we
are getting on in years.
I noticed last night that
Henry is getting quite bald
Otherwise I do not think
he looks much older
I dreamed last night that
I had a little visit with him.
[Note: Written sideways in the left margin]
With much love and all good wishes from Your aff sister
Hattie.



中国广州
1885 年 9 月 30 日
我亲爱的爱德华 -
我们在这里几乎结束了 9 月 30 日，
但它才从你开始。
我们刚从今晚在怀特先生举行的祷告会回来。
上周我们举行了一次非常愉快的会议，
这是克尔博士回来后我们第一次见面我知道他的家和我们家很像。
我想我写信给你，
克尔博士说，
当他访问那里时，
几乎就像在我们家一样。
当我回到家时，
我必须去看看信函有多接近。
天鹅夫人是一个农夫的女儿，
我想是医生父亲的羊群中的一员。
她二十三岁，
跟我刚出道时的年龄差不多。
新的传教士开始认为我非常可敬，
我不知道什么时候我记得当我来的时候，
那些在这里已经十四年的格雷夫斯博士和其他我认为已经在这里很长时间的人了。
我回来的时间似乎并不长。
它已经被打破了。
首先搬到这里建造，
然后是暴动和战争。
今年遭受洪水侵袭的穷人似乎面临着更加艰难的时刻。
他们的大部分土地都被水淹没了，
以至于无法开垦。
大洪水过后，
他们一有机会就在土地上种植了另一种水稻，
但大雨和随之而来的洪水摧毁了它。
现在他们有第三季作物了，
但这个季节太晚了，
几乎可以肯定，
这会因为缺少雨水而死亡。
如果是这样，
他们将处于悲哀的状态，
因为他们无法指望在明年 7 月之前再次收成，
而且在这几个月里，
他们将一无所有。
许多人正在卖掉他们的孩子，
包括男孩和女孩。
很多中国人在好景气的时候似乎穷得可怜，
以至于“困难时期”对他们来说是可怕的。
好吧，
我必须为你生命中的新一年送上“一堆”美好的祝福。
多年来，
我们似乎越来越奇怪。
昨晚我注意到亨利的头发越来越秃了，
否则我认为他看起来不会老很多。
我昨晚梦见我和他有过一次接触。
[注：写在左边空白处] 怀着你姐姐的爱和美好的祝愿，
海蒂。

Letter