Letter from Hattie to Clara, May 18, 1889
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Clara, May 18, 1889
Subject
Steamboats; Mail Steamers; Postal Service; Diseases; Death; Physicians; Kerr, J. G. (John Glasgow), 1824-1901
Description
Harriet writes to Clara about send mail via the Oceanic, a dream she had about traveling, and an update on Mr. & Mrs. Simmons. She then discusses the continuing illness of someone named "Sophie" and a conflict over which doctor would be treating her. Harriet compares Sophie's situation to that of Mrs. Happer, expressing how unpleasant the whole situation was.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #4
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1889-05-18
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_415
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
May 18th 1889
My dear Clara,
We sent our letters
for the City of Sydney off yesterday
but I do not know as you will
receive them much sooner than
those we send by the Oceanic
as the City of Sydney is slow and
is going by way of Kobe, Japan.
Last night I had a very
vivid dream of being in America
thought that I was starting
back to China and had gone
as far as St Louis where I wished
to purchase a through ticket for
$240.00 and found I had
only $40.00 I wished very much
to go home and see you all again
and take a new start but the Ticket
agent advised me to telegraph from
there to Dr Ellinwood. Last
evening I spent at Matties with
Mr and Mrs Simmons. They are
anticipating their visit home
with so much pleasure. His
parents are both living but she
has been an orphan many years
and since she came out the
last time three of her brothers have
died so it will be sad for her to
find the vacant places.
I must tell you about Sophie
when she was sick while I was
at home. It seems that she was
very nervous and hysterical
so that she was not really in
as much danger as she seemed
to be, but she was delirious much
of the time. She talked all the
time and such [u] good [/u] talk. They
all say they never heard any
one talk so beautifully. She
talked in Chinese excepting when
she repeated Scripture. She thought
her father was calling her to come
to him, and that she could see
him in heaven. She would talk
about her work and imagine
that she was teaching the
Chinese women and would
say she was so weary and they
were so hard hearted they would
not believe. Sometimes she would
say now she was going she would
not breath again and then would
hold her breath for the longest time
At first they were very much
frightened and would shake her
and strike her but after a while
the Doctor said to let her alone.
One day she wanted Mr Henry to
come and bless her before she died
he had gone into the city and
they sent a messenger after him
who missed him so it was some
time before he came. She kept
calling for Dr Kerr. He was away
when she was taken ill and so
they were obliged to call Dr Swan.
Dr Swan is [u] not [/u] [u] willing [/u] [u] to [/u] [u] consult [/u]
with Dr Kerr, except when he
does not know what to do and
then he runs to him fast
enough. After a great deal of
diplomacy however they managed
to get it arranged so that Dr Kerr
could come in and see her without
offending Dr Swan. Dr Swan
was in the room and she said to
Dr Kerr why did'nt you come
before I have been [u] calling [/u] and
[u] calling [/u] and [u] calling [/u] for you.
They all thought she would not
get well because she talked in
such a [u] heavenly [/u] way. With
Mrs Happer it was very different.
She talked dreadfully, thought she
was going to be lost and was in
such misery all the time, and
Miss Baird was so unkind as to
amuse people by repeating the things
she said which was so heartless.
It is very unpleasant for her to
remember now that she is well
again. Mrs Henry says it sems
to he dreadful the way Mrs Happer
was treated. They burned her so
terribly to bring her back to
consciousness. I suppose it was
all the result of the medical treatment
[Continued vertically on the first page]
she endured.
She was
Dr Fulton's
patient and
took so much
morphine I
think or
something
else I suppose
it must
have been
that poisoned
her and
produced
the state
of unconsciousness
from which
they used
such measures
to [?revive?] her.
With love Hattie.
中国广州
1889 年 5 月 18 日
我亲爱的克拉拉，
我们昨天寄给悉尼市的信，
但我不知道，
因为悉尼市的速度很慢而且正在经过，
所以你会比我们通过大洋洲寄来的信快得多日本神户的方式。
昨晚我做了一个非常生动的在美国的梦，
以为我要开始回中国了，
一直到圣路易斯，
我想花 240.00 美元购买一张直通车票，
结果发现我只有 40.00 美元我非常想去回家，
再次见到你们，
重新开始，
但票务代理建议我从那里电报给 Ellinwood 博士。
昨晚我和西蒙斯夫妇在马蒂斯度过。
他们非常高兴地期待着回家。
他的父母都还活着，
但她已经成为孤儿很多年了，
自从她上次出来后，
她的三个兄弟都死了，
所以她很难找到空置的地方。
我在家的时候，
我必须告诉你苏菲生病时的事。
看起来她非常紧张和歇斯底里，
所以她并没有像她看起来那样真正处于危险之中，
但她大部分时间都精神错乱。
她一直在说话，
而且说得很好。
他们都说他们从来没有听过任何人说得这么好听。
除了背诵经文外，
她都用中文说话。
她以为她的父亲在叫她来见他，
她可以在天堂见到他。
她会谈论她的工作，
想象她在教中国女性，
并会说她太累了，
她们心肠太硬，
他们不会相信。
有时她会说现在她要走了，
她不会再呼吸，
然后会屏住呼吸很长时间。
起初他们非常害怕，
会摇晃她并打她，
但过了一会儿，
医生说让她别管。
有一天，
她想让亨利先生在她死前来祝福她，
他已经进城了，
他们派了一名信使追随他，
他想念他，
所以过了一段时间他才来。
她一直在呼唤克尔博士。
她生病时他不在，
所以他们不得不打电话给斯旺医生。
斯旺医生不愿意和克尔医生商量，
除非他不知道该做什么，
然后他跑到他面前跑得足够快。
然而，
经过大量的外交努力，
他们设法安排好了，
这样 Kerr 医生就可以进来看她，
而不会冒犯 Swan 医生。
斯旺医生在房间里，
她对克尔医生说，
在我一直在呼唤你之前，
你为什么不来。
他们都认为她不会好起来，
因为她说话太天真了。
有了哈珀夫人，
情况就大不相同了。
她说话可怕，
以为自己要迷路了，
一直处于如此痛苦的境地，
而贝尔德小姐如此无情，
以重复她所说的话来取悦人们，
这太无情了。
现在想起她又好了，
这对她来说是非常不愉快的。
亨利夫人说，
在他看来，
哈珀夫人受到的待遇很可怕。
他们把她烧得很厉害，
使她恢复了意识。
我想这都是她忍受的医疗[在第一页垂直继续]的结果。
她是富尔顿医生的病人，
我想她服用了这么多吗啡或其他东西，
我想这一定是毒害了她并导致了他们使用这些措施使她苏醒的昏迷状态。
爱海蒂。
May 18th 1889
My dear Clara,
We sent our letters
for the City of Sydney off yesterday
but I do not know as you will
receive them much sooner than
those we send by the Oceanic
as the City of Sydney is slow and
is going by way of Kobe, Japan.
Last night I had a very
vivid dream of being in America
thought that I was starting
back to China and had gone
as far as St Louis where I wished
to purchase a through ticket for
$240.00 and found I had
only $40.00 I wished very much
to go home and see you all again
and take a new start but the Ticket
agent advised me to telegraph from
there to Dr Ellinwood. Last
evening I spent at Matties with
Mr and Mrs Simmons. They are
anticipating their visit home
with so much pleasure. His
parents are both living but she
has been an orphan many years
and since she came out the
last time three of her brothers have
died so it will be sad for her to
find the vacant places.
I must tell you about Sophie
when she was sick while I was
at home. It seems that she was
very nervous and hysterical
so that she was not really in
as much danger as she seemed
to be, but she was delirious much
of the time. She talked all the
time and such [u] good [/u] talk. They
all say they never heard any
one talk so beautifully. She
talked in Chinese excepting when
she repeated Scripture. She thought
her father was calling her to come
to him, and that she could see
him in heaven. She would talk
about her work and imagine
that she was teaching the
Chinese women and would
say she was so weary and they
were so hard hearted they would
not believe. Sometimes she would
say now she was going she would
not breath again and then would
hold her breath for the longest time
At first they were very much
frightened and would shake her
and strike her but after a while
the Doctor said to let her alone.
One day she wanted Mr Henry to
come and bless her before she died
he had gone into the city and
they sent a messenger after him
who missed him so it was some
time before he came. She kept
calling for Dr Kerr. He was away
when she was taken ill and so
they were obliged to call Dr Swan.
Dr Swan is [u] not [/u] [u] willing [/u] [u] to [/u] [u] consult [/u]
with Dr Kerr, except when he
does not know what to do and
then he runs to him fast
enough. After a great deal of
diplomacy however they managed
to get it arranged so that Dr Kerr
could come in and see her without
offending Dr Swan. Dr Swan
was in the room and she said to
Dr Kerr why did'nt you come
before I have been [u] calling [/u] and
[u] calling [/u] and [u] calling [/u] for you.
They all thought she would not
get well because she talked in
such a [u] heavenly [/u] way. With
Mrs Happer it was very different.
She talked dreadfully, thought she
was going to be lost and was in
such misery all the time, and
Miss Baird was so unkind as to
amuse people by repeating the things
she said which was so heartless.
It is very unpleasant for her to
remember now that she is well
again. Mrs Henry says it sems
to he dreadful the way Mrs Happer
was treated. They burned her so
terribly to bring her back to
consciousness. I suppose it was
all the result of the medical treatment
[Continued vertically on the first page]
she endured.
She was
Dr Fulton's
patient and
took so much
morphine I
think or
something
else I suppose
it must
have been
that poisoned
her and
produced
the state
of unconsciousness
from which
they used
such measures
to [?revive?] her.
With love Hattie.
中国广州
1889 年 5 月 18 日
我亲爱的克拉拉，
我们昨天寄给悉尼市的信，
但我不知道，
因为悉尼市的速度很慢而且正在经过，
所以你会比我们通过大洋洲寄来的信快得多日本神户的方式。
昨晚我做了一个非常生动的在美国的梦，
以为我要开始回中国了，
一直到圣路易斯，
我想花 240.00 美元购买一张直通车票，
结果发现我只有 40.00 美元我非常想去回家，
再次见到你们，
重新开始，
但票务代理建议我从那里电报给 Ellinwood 博士。
昨晚我和西蒙斯夫妇在马蒂斯度过。
他们非常高兴地期待着回家。
他的父母都还活着，
但她已经成为孤儿很多年了，
自从她上次出来后，
她的三个兄弟都死了，
所以她很难找到空置的地方。
我在家的时候，
我必须告诉你苏菲生病时的事。
看起来她非常紧张和歇斯底里，
所以她并没有像她看起来那样真正处于危险之中，
但她大部分时间都精神错乱。
她一直在说话，
而且说得很好。
他们都说他们从来没有听过任何人说得这么好听。
除了背诵经文外，
她都用中文说话。
她以为她的父亲在叫她来见他，
她可以在天堂见到他。
她会谈论她的工作，
想象她在教中国女性，
并会说她太累了，
她们心肠太硬，
他们不会相信。
有时她会说现在她要走了，
她不会再呼吸，
然后会屏住呼吸很长时间。
起初他们非常害怕，
会摇晃她并打她，
但过了一会儿，
医生说让她别管。
有一天，
她想让亨利先生在她死前来祝福她，
他已经进城了，
他们派了一名信使追随他，
他想念他，
所以过了一段时间他才来。
她一直在呼唤克尔博士。
她生病时他不在，
所以他们不得不打电话给斯旺医生。
斯旺医生不愿意和克尔医生商量，
除非他不知道该做什么，
然后他跑到他面前跑得足够快。
然而，
经过大量的外交努力，
他们设法安排好了，
这样 Kerr 医生就可以进来看她，
而不会冒犯 Swan 医生。
斯旺医生在房间里，
她对克尔医生说，
在我一直在呼唤你之前，
你为什么不来。
他们都认为她不会好起来，
因为她说话太天真了。
有了哈珀夫人，
情况就大不相同了。
她说话可怕，
以为自己要迷路了，
一直处于如此痛苦的境地，
而贝尔德小姐如此无情，
以重复她所说的话来取悦人们，
这太无情了。
现在想起她又好了，
这对她来说是非常不愉快的。
亨利夫人说，
在他看来，
哈珀夫人受到的待遇很可怕。
他们把她烧得很厉害，
使她恢复了意识。
我想这都是她忍受的医疗[在第一页垂直继续]的结果。
她是富尔顿医生的病人，
我想她服用了这么多吗啡或其他东西，
我想这一定是毒害了她并导致了他们使用这些措施使她苏醒的昏迷状态。
爱海蒂。
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Clara, May 18, 1889,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed May 3, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/471.