Letter from Hattie to Mary, May 17, 1889
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Mary, May 17, 1889
Subject
Steamboats; Postal service; Cemeteries--United States; Christianity; Second Advent; Death; Heaven
Description
Harriet writes about the missionary conferences and describes the food they serve. Harriet hopes that the most disadvantaged find refuge in Christianity. She mentions Edward impersonating Mr. Notestein and remarks that Notestein's face will be even longer if the young people go astray. She also writes about the Noyes's lot and monument in Mound Hill Cemetery and how she wishes to be buried there. The other day she found a letter from her father about the Second coming and she cannot help but wonder whether her father now knows when it is going to happen.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #4
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1889-05-17
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_414
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
May 17th 1889
My dear Mary,
Your letter written
April 8th came a few days
since. It seems nice to receive
answers to letters sent from this
side of the world but I am
sorry my letters reached you so
late in the day that you were
obliged to sit up nearly all night
to read them. I am glad I
could send letters from Hong Kong
so did not miss a mail. The
City of Sydney went out a few hours
after I reached there. It is the
one that goes out again tomorrow.
The Oceanic will probably be in
this time before she leaves. I suppose
we shall not get our letters until
Monday morning. I was obliged
to promise the Stewardess that I would
if possible send for her to come up
and spend a few days so I shall
have to do so, although some of us wish
very much to have company. Our
parlor and verandah is given up
entirely to the lovers, and my room
does duty as a sitting room. It would
have been very nice for us if Sophia
had carried out her original plan
and been married on the 28th of May.
I suppose we shall have Conference
next time but do not know perhaps
Miss Young will take it. The Conference
is getting to be quite a formidable
affair. The main thing seems to be
to see how large an amount it is
possible for the Canton missionary
community to [u] eat [/u] at one sitting.
The time before the last they had
roast turkey. Turkeys are eight or
nine dollars each here so you can
see that to provide them for a
company of sixty is no small
expense. Miss Butler says she
is going to be contented with three
kinds of cake but I should not be
surprised if there should be considerable
development in her plans. The
Conference does not meet until
half past five and adjourns at nine.
Three turns for meeting
one hour for eating and
afterwards they have prayers together.
The August Conference has been
given up so as they only meet every
other month. There are only five
in the year. I hope you will
not be obliged to have another
social this summer. Am glad
you have the house cleaning done.
How I wish I could see you all
in the old home once in a while.
I think your decision about the
German silver spoons was a wise one.
I meant to get a few large spoons
before I came away but did not.
Your jokes for the 1st of April
were very good we did not perpetrate
any here this year. Miss Butler
once had a little mouse that was
so natural it looked just as though
it was alive and she put it on a
loaf of bread and called her brother.
He said just keep perfectly still and
I will kill it got his cane and took
good aim after creeping carefully near it.
He was astonished when he hit it to see
it fly into a thousand pieces. I hope
you succeeded in fooling Edward
with your bogus rat he deserved
it for personating Mr Notestein at
the door. I am afraid Mr Notestein's
face will be longer than ever if the
young people go astray. The care
of the churches is no small matter
It does seem so wrong for people
to do as they do, but I hope Mr
Moody is right and that at last
we shall find that a good many
of the weak Christians whose lives
seem very defective had enough
Christianity to take them in through
"the gates of the city." I wonder if
Queen Esther had anything to do
with getting them started in
that direction. I wish I might
have been with you up at the
cemetery that day that you put
it in order, our lots. That little spot
seems like our last earthly home.
I dreamed a few nights since
of it thought I was passing on
the cans and near enough to
see quite distinctly the monument.
It did not look exactly as it does
had pillars at the corners and
I thought on these was carved
our name Noyes. It seems
so nice that Edward could move
the marker himself, it was the
very last thing to do for Father,
excepting what will remain always
to keep the graves in order. One cannot
help wondering who will do it for us
The last one can leave a little sum
to the Trustees of the Cemetery for the
purpose of having a little annual income
I suppose it would never be very much
neglected it is so near the mound.
I was thinking of it the other day and
how little it will matter to us then and
I thought it was like my room here it
did not matter to me what was done
with it while I was away now that I need
it again I have it and in the mean time it was
immaterial to me for I was where I so much
preferred to be. I only wish to rest peacefully
if we are to wait until after the millenium
and I wish [u] so [/u] [u] much [/u] to be buried in Mound Hill Cemetery.
[Continued vertically on the first page]
The long letter
that Father
wrote to me
about the
second coming
is in a large
Bible here
where I found it
one day
since I
came
back. I
wonder if
he [u] knows [/u]
now when
it will be.
With love ever
Hattie.
[Continued vertically on the last page]
I can hardly imagine you in [u] Clara's [/u] wrapper.
中国广州
1889 年 5 月 17 日
亲爱的玛丽，
你 4 月 8 日写的信几天后才收到。
收到来自世界这一边的信件的答复似乎很好，
但我很抱歉我的信在一天之内送达您，
以至于您不得不几乎整晚都坐着阅读它们。
我很高兴我可以从香港寄信，
所以没有错过任何邮件。
我到达那里几个小时后，
悉尼市就出去了。
就是明天再出去的那个。
海洋号可能会在她离开之前的这个时间。
我想我们要到星期一早上才能收到我们的信。
我不得不向空姐保证，
如果可能的话，
我会派她来过几天，
所以我必须这样做，
尽管我们中的一些人非常希望有陪伴。
我们的客厅和阳台完全交给了情侣，
我的房间起到了起居室的作用。
如果索菲亚执行了她最初的计划并在 5 月 28 日结婚，
那对我们来说会非常好。
我想我们下次会举行会议，
但不知道杨小姐是否会接受。
会议将成为一件令人生畏的事情。
主要的事情似乎是看广州传教士一次坐下来吃多少。
上次他们吃烤火鸡之前的时间。
这里的火鸡每只 8 或 9 美元，
因此您可以看到，
为一家 60 人的公司提供火鸡是一笔不小的开支。
巴特勒小姐说她会满足于三种蛋糕，
但如果她的计划有相当大的发展，
我不应该感到惊讶。
会议直到五点半才开会，
九点休会。
三轮见面，
一小时吃饭，
然后他们一起祈祷。
八月会议已经放弃，
所以他们每隔一个月才见面一次。
一年只有五个。
我希望今年夏天你不必再参加一次社交活动。
很高兴你完成了房屋清洁工作。
我多么希望偶尔能在老房子里见到你们。
我认为你对德国银勺的决定是明智的。
我打算在我离开之前拿几个大勺子，
但没有。
你 4 月 1 日的笑话非常好，
我们今年没有在这里犯下任何罪行。
巴特勒小姐曾经养过一只小老鼠，
它很自然，
看起来就像是活的一样，
她把它放在一条面包上，
给她哥哥打电话。
他说保持不动，
我会杀了它，
然后小心地爬到它附近，
然后用拐杖瞄准它。
当他击中它，
看到它飞成一千块时，
他感到很惊讶。
我希望你成功地用你的假老鼠欺骗了爱德华，
他在门口冒充诺特斯坦先生是应得的。
如果年轻人误入歧途，
恐怕诺特斯坦先生的脸会比以往任何时候都长。
教会的照顾不是小事 人们这样做似乎是错误的，
但我希望穆迪先生是对的，
最后我们会发现，
许多生活似乎非常有缺陷的软弱基督徒足够多的基督教将他们带入“城门”。
我想知道以斯帖王后是否与让他们朝那个方向发展有关。
我希望那天你把它整理好，
我们的地段，
我可能和你一起在墓地。
那个小地方似乎是我们最后的地球家园。
我做了几个晚上的梦，
因为它以为我正在经过罐头，
并且离得足够近，
可以清楚地看到纪念碑。
它看起来不像拐角处有柱子，
我认为这些柱子上刻着我们的名字 Noyes。
爱德华可以自己移动标记似乎太好了，
这是为父亲做的最后一件事，
除了将永远保持坟墓井井有条的事情。
不禁想知道谁会为我们做最后一个可以给公墓受托人留下一点年收入的目的我想它永远不会被忽视它离土墩如此之近。
前几天我在想它，
那时它对我们来说有多不重要，
我认为这就像我在这里的房间一样，
当我不在的时候用它做了什么对我来说并不重要，
因为我再次需要它 我有它与此同时，
这对我来说并不重要，
因为我是我非常喜欢的地方。
只有等到千禧年之后，
我才希望安息，
我希望在丘陵墓地安葬这么多。
[第一页垂直续] 父亲写给我的关于基督复临的长信在一本大圣经里，
是我回来一天后在这里找到的。
我想知道他现在是否知道会是什么时候。
永远爱海蒂。
[在最后一页垂直继续] 我几乎无法想象你穿着克拉拉的包装纸。
May 17th 1889
My dear Mary,
Your letter written
April 8th came a few days
since. It seems nice to receive
answers to letters sent from this
side of the world but I am
sorry my letters reached you so
late in the day that you were
obliged to sit up nearly all night
to read them. I am glad I
could send letters from Hong Kong
so did not miss a mail. The
City of Sydney went out a few hours
after I reached there. It is the
one that goes out again tomorrow.
The Oceanic will probably be in
this time before she leaves. I suppose
we shall not get our letters until
Monday morning. I was obliged
to promise the Stewardess that I would
if possible send for her to come up
and spend a few days so I shall
have to do so, although some of us wish
very much to have company. Our
parlor and verandah is given up
entirely to the lovers, and my room
does duty as a sitting room. It would
have been very nice for us if Sophia
had carried out her original plan
and been married on the 28th of May.
I suppose we shall have Conference
next time but do not know perhaps
Miss Young will take it. The Conference
is getting to be quite a formidable
affair. The main thing seems to be
to see how large an amount it is
possible for the Canton missionary
community to [u] eat [/u] at one sitting.
The time before the last they had
roast turkey. Turkeys are eight or
nine dollars each here so you can
see that to provide them for a
company of sixty is no small
expense. Miss Butler says she
is going to be contented with three
kinds of cake but I should not be
surprised if there should be considerable
development in her plans. The
Conference does not meet until
half past five and adjourns at nine.
Three turns for meeting
one hour for eating and
afterwards they have prayers together.
The August Conference has been
given up so as they only meet every
other month. There are only five
in the year. I hope you will
not be obliged to have another
social this summer. Am glad
you have the house cleaning done.
How I wish I could see you all
in the old home once in a while.
I think your decision about the
German silver spoons was a wise one.
I meant to get a few large spoons
before I came away but did not.
Your jokes for the 1st of April
were very good we did not perpetrate
any here this year. Miss Butler
once had a little mouse that was
so natural it looked just as though
it was alive and she put it on a
loaf of bread and called her brother.
He said just keep perfectly still and
I will kill it got his cane and took
good aim after creeping carefully near it.
He was astonished when he hit it to see
it fly into a thousand pieces. I hope
you succeeded in fooling Edward
with your bogus rat he deserved
it for personating Mr Notestein at
the door. I am afraid Mr Notestein's
face will be longer than ever if the
young people go astray. The care
of the churches is no small matter
It does seem so wrong for people
to do as they do, but I hope Mr
Moody is right and that at last
we shall find that a good many
of the weak Christians whose lives
seem very defective had enough
Christianity to take them in through
"the gates of the city." I wonder if
Queen Esther had anything to do
with getting them started in
that direction. I wish I might
have been with you up at the
cemetery that day that you put
it in order, our lots. That little spot
seems like our last earthly home.
I dreamed a few nights since
of it thought I was passing on
the cans and near enough to
see quite distinctly the monument.
It did not look exactly as it does
had pillars at the corners and
I thought on these was carved
our name Noyes. It seems
so nice that Edward could move
the marker himself, it was the
very last thing to do for Father,
excepting what will remain always
to keep the graves in order. One cannot
help wondering who will do it for us
The last one can leave a little sum
to the Trustees of the Cemetery for the
purpose of having a little annual income
I suppose it would never be very much
neglected it is so near the mound.
I was thinking of it the other day and
how little it will matter to us then and
I thought it was like my room here it
did not matter to me what was done
with it while I was away now that I need
it again I have it and in the mean time it was
immaterial to me for I was where I so much
preferred to be. I only wish to rest peacefully
if we are to wait until after the millenium
and I wish [u] so [/u] [u] much [/u] to be buried in Mound Hill Cemetery.
[Continued vertically on the first page]
The long letter
that Father
wrote to me
about the
second coming
is in a large
Bible here
where I found it
one day
since I
came
back. I
wonder if
he [u] knows [/u]
now when
it will be.
With love ever
Hattie.
[Continued vertically on the last page]
I can hardly imagine you in [u] Clara's [/u] wrapper.
中国广州
1889 年 5 月 17 日
亲爱的玛丽，
你 4 月 8 日写的信几天后才收到。
收到来自世界这一边的信件的答复似乎很好，
但我很抱歉我的信在一天之内送达您，
以至于您不得不几乎整晚都坐着阅读它们。
我很高兴我可以从香港寄信，
所以没有错过任何邮件。
我到达那里几个小时后，
悉尼市就出去了。
就是明天再出去的那个。
海洋号可能会在她离开之前的这个时间。
我想我们要到星期一早上才能收到我们的信。
我不得不向空姐保证，
如果可能的话，
我会派她来过几天，
所以我必须这样做，
尽管我们中的一些人非常希望有陪伴。
我们的客厅和阳台完全交给了情侣，
我的房间起到了起居室的作用。
如果索菲亚执行了她最初的计划并在 5 月 28 日结婚，
那对我们来说会非常好。
我想我们下次会举行会议，
但不知道杨小姐是否会接受。
会议将成为一件令人生畏的事情。
主要的事情似乎是看广州传教士一次坐下来吃多少。
上次他们吃烤火鸡之前的时间。
这里的火鸡每只 8 或 9 美元，
因此您可以看到，
为一家 60 人的公司提供火鸡是一笔不小的开支。
巴特勒小姐说她会满足于三种蛋糕，
但如果她的计划有相当大的发展，
我不应该感到惊讶。
会议直到五点半才开会，
九点休会。
三轮见面，
一小时吃饭，
然后他们一起祈祷。
八月会议已经放弃，
所以他们每隔一个月才见面一次。
一年只有五个。
我希望今年夏天你不必再参加一次社交活动。
很高兴你完成了房屋清洁工作。
我多么希望偶尔能在老房子里见到你们。
我认为你对德国银勺的决定是明智的。
我打算在我离开之前拿几个大勺子，
但没有。
你 4 月 1 日的笑话非常好，
我们今年没有在这里犯下任何罪行。
巴特勒小姐曾经养过一只小老鼠，
它很自然，
看起来就像是活的一样，
她把它放在一条面包上，
给她哥哥打电话。
他说保持不动，
我会杀了它，
然后小心地爬到它附近，
然后用拐杖瞄准它。
当他击中它，
看到它飞成一千块时，
他感到很惊讶。
我希望你成功地用你的假老鼠欺骗了爱德华，
他在门口冒充诺特斯坦先生是应得的。
如果年轻人误入歧途，
恐怕诺特斯坦先生的脸会比以往任何时候都长。
教会的照顾不是小事 人们这样做似乎是错误的，
但我希望穆迪先生是对的，
最后我们会发现，
许多生活似乎非常有缺陷的软弱基督徒足够多的基督教将他们带入“城门”。
我想知道以斯帖王后是否与让他们朝那个方向发展有关。
我希望那天你把它整理好，
我们的地段，
我可能和你一起在墓地。
那个小地方似乎是我们最后的地球家园。
我做了几个晚上的梦，
因为它以为我正在经过罐头，
并且离得足够近，
可以清楚地看到纪念碑。
它看起来不像拐角处有柱子，
我认为这些柱子上刻着我们的名字 Noyes。
爱德华可以自己移动标记似乎太好了，
这是为父亲做的最后一件事，
除了将永远保持坟墓井井有条的事情。
不禁想知道谁会为我们做最后一个可以给公墓受托人留下一点年收入的目的我想它永远不会被忽视它离土墩如此之近。
前几天我在想它，
那时它对我们来说有多不重要，
我认为这就像我在这里的房间一样，
当我不在的时候用它做了什么对我来说并不重要，
因为我再次需要它 我有它与此同时，
这对我来说并不重要，
因为我是我非常喜欢的地方。
只有等到千禧年之后，
我才希望安息，
我希望在丘陵墓地安葬这么多。
[第一页垂直续] 父亲写给我的关于基督复临的长信在一本大圣经里，
是我回来一天后在这里找到的。
我想知道他现在是否知道会是什么时候。
永远爱海蒂。
[在最后一页垂直继续] 我几乎无法想象你穿着克拉拉的包装纸。
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Mary, May 17, 1889,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed November 21, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/470.