Letter from Hattie to Sara, May 15, 1889

Letter from Hattie to Sara, May 15, 1889

Education; Marriage; Conversion--Christianity; Presbyterian Church--Missions; Baptists; Heathenism; Tumors; Health

In this letter to Sarah, Harriet writes that she thinks that Mrs. Simmons is creative and talented but she probably did not have many opportunities to get an education. Mr. Graves will be back in China soon together with two ladies and everybody assumes that he will marry one of them. Harriet believes that it is better for close communion Baptists to marry people with their same views. She thinks that the Baptists should focus their energy on targeting heathens instead of Presbyterians. Dr. Kerr has been busy with a wealthy patient who has a tumor and his lungs are failing.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #4

Unpublished

1889-05-15

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_413

Canton China
May 15th 1889
My dear Sara -
I will commence my
home mail this time with a
letter to you . You will surely
be in the "home on the hill" I
hope when this reaches there.
I wonder if you will be all
worn out when you are through
with the school year. We have
just received letters from home
written about the 8th of April. Em
was just returning to Wadsworth
for the spring term . but when you
read this I suppose that she
will be at home again. The weeks
fly very quickly one after another
into "[u]the Past[/u]." they are bringing
us pretty warm days now but
the ones that are coming by and by
will be much warmer . Mr
and Mrs Simmons leave for home in
a few days so they will escape the
summer . They have been able
to remain out nine years. no one
thought she could stay so long when
she came back. The Secretaries
of their Board wrote out about two
years since asking her if she
thought she could live in China
two years longer and she sent

them the reply that she did
not know whether she could
live anywhere two years longer
or not. I imagine they thought
it a very good reply and they
published it in some paper
much to the amusement of
her friends . I suppose it
sounded like her to them.
She quite original and
has a good share of natural
ability . but I imagine had
scarcely any opportunities for
acquiring an education .
They go back to America on
the Oceanic which brings Dr
Graves over I suppose he
will be here this week. As we
have heard nothing to the contrary
I suppose he is coming alone.
There are two very nice elderly
ladies connected with their
mission here Mrs Sanford a
widow lady of [u]thirty six[/u] not
[u]very elderly[/u] Many can tell
you . and a Miss North
who is I suppose a few years
older is quite gray but
her face does not look old.

I suppose every one will expect
him to "take his choice "and marry
one of those ladies. and doubtless
it will be so, it is certainly [u]very[/u]
desirable that close communion
Baptists should marry those
who hold the same views.
The Baptists here have been
very aggressive If they would
direct their energies to [?mining?]
converts from [u]heathenism[/u]
instead of [/u]Presbyterianism[/u]
we feel that it would be very
much better . It really seems
as though they take more
satisfaction in converting a
Presbyterian from the error of
his ways . than in [?mining?]
one from heathenism . perhaps
they find it easier . They
have interfered with Mr
Henry's work in Linchau
in a most injustifiable way.
Mr Henry has just returned
from a trip to Lin Chau was
away about a month .It seems
now as though there is nothing in

the way of any one's going to LinChau
to live but no one is willing to go.
It seems as though it would be nice
if Sophie + Mr Wisner would go there.
but every one seems to think they
would be lonesome . Dr Swan went
once for a trip with Mr Fulton and
he was so lonesome that he would
not stay but came travelling back
and I guess nothing will ever
get him out of Canton again . But
he attends faithfully to his work here.
Dr Kerr has been down to
HongKong and I have been over
to stay with M. for two nights. He
expects to come back this morning and
perhaps they may both go to Japan
with that Chinese patient Dr Kerr
has been doctoring .The patient is
a very wealthy man and so
anxious to get well that he does not
mind spending any amount of
money . But I suppose there is no
hope of his recovery. he is able to go
about but has a tumor and also
trouble with his lungs I think.
I shall hope to hear from you
while you are at home . I have
not been very faithful in writing
to you I fear since I left you.
With love ever Yours affly Hattie -

中国广东
1889 5月15日
我亲爱的Sara
我开始写给家人的信，
先给你写。
你应该到达我们山上的老家，
我希望你在哪里能收到这封信。
/
放学后你们都累了吗？
/
我们刚收到你们4月8日写的信。
/
按照你们写的信
Em刚回Wadsworth开始新学期，
但是现在
我猜你们已经放学回家了。
这几周过得很快，
现在很快成为过去。
现在的天气很热
但是几周后会更热。
/
Simmons夫妇几天后会回国避暑。
/
/
他们在中国生活了九年。
没有人想到她回来后还能待那么久。
/
当传教组织的秘书问她是否可以在中国再住两年时，
/
她说她不知道她是否可以在任何地方再住两年。
/
/

/
/
/
我猜他们认为这是一个非常聪明的回复，
/
所以他们把它发表在报纸上，
/
她的朋友们都被逗乐了。
这是她的一大特色，
虽然她天生就很有原创性，
而且非常聪明机智，
但她没有多少受教育的机会。
/
/
他们会乘Oceanic船回去。
同船将把这里的Graves医生带到中国，
/
他应该在本周到达，
我们认为他是一个人来的，
因为我们没有听到任何相反的消息。
这里有两位漂亮的老传教士女士，
还有Sanford太太
一个三十六岁的寡妇，
而且它不老。
/
North小姐比她老几岁，
她的头发是灰色的，
/
但她的脸看起来并不老。

我猜医生会回来并做出选择并与这两位女士中的一位结婚，
/
每个人都期待这个。
/
浸信会信徒与其他浸信会信徒结婚当然是个好计划。
/
/
这里的浸信会非常激进。
如果他们花时间将异教徒改信浸信会的时间与将长老会教友改信为浸信会的时间一样多，
/
/
他们就会比现在成功得多。
/
似乎他们对将长老会信徒比异教徒转变为浸信会教徒更满意，
/
/
/
/
也许他们认为这更容易。
他们最严重地干扰了Henry先生在连州的工作。
/
/
/
Henry先生刚从连州回来，
他在那里过了一个月。
要是有人去连州住就好了，
但没人想去。

/
/
如果Sophie和Wisner先生可以去那里
那会很好。
但是每个人认为
如果他们搬到连州他们都会很孤独。
又一次Swan医生跟Fulton先生去连州
他回来后他说
他过得这么孤独
他再也不离开广州。
他这里忠实地从事他的工作。
/
Kerr医生去香港了，
他不在的时候
我去了他家，
陪M住了两晚。
有可能他们会去日本
拜访一位Kerr医生的病人。
病人是个有钱的人，
他着急恢复，
所以他不在乎钱。
/
但是看来他已经没有康复的希望了。
他可以四处走动，
但他的肺部有肿瘤和问题。
/
我想我收到的下一封信应该是在你在家的时候写的。
离开你后我就没有忠实地写过。
/
永远爱你，
Hattie

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