Unsigned letter from Harriet to "Dear Ones at Home", May 26, 1904

Unsigned letter from Harriet to "Dear Ones at Home", May 26, 1904

Death; Grief; Family; Funeral service

This letter was written by Hattie to commemorate Richard's, Henry's son's, passing who died that morning. They thought he was getting better but he took a turn and died early in the morning. It saddens Harriet that the youngest of them passed away first. Many people attended the funeral and it was a very sad occasion. Henry and Will were both very affected. Out of nowhere, the rain started pouring down. The family waiting out the rain in a nearby pavilion. Richard was buried in the same cemetery as Dr. Kerr and Cynthia, and he had said before dying that he would rather be buried there than anywhere else.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

1904-05-26

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

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eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_466

[Note: RICHARD'S DEATH written in blue pen in another person's handwriting]
Canton May 26 -1904
Dear Ones at Home -
When you receive
this you will know that our
dear precious Richard is in
heaven .How little we thought
that it would be [u]our youngest[/u]
who would [u]"go first"[/u] This morning
at four - his spirit left the
precious form and now it is
laid to rest. until the
resurrection. How sad it is
for us her now and will be for
you, and such a disappointment
to you, for you would so soon
have been looking for him
in the home again . I was so
happy in thinking that he
would be in the home land
to help you through three
years more --- I wrote yesterday
in the boat going over to see
how he was, and will send
that with this . He seemed

better yesterday and they began
to be hopeful that the crisis
had passed. but in the night
he wakened and it was
evident that there had been
a change. They sent for Dr
Selden and then for
Dr Swan and he did
just as it was coming light
in the morning of May 26th
I went over as soon as we
heard it. and staid a little
while and then came
back and helped to get
the casket ready. It was
covered with black alpaca
we could not get cashmere
and lined with fine soft
white material .It was
ready at eleven and
Dr Swan Miss Lewis + I
went over. Miss Butler

worked until the last minute
getting the casket ready so
thought she could not get over
but there would have been
time . We sent for flowers.
I did not see him while
he was sick .I would so much
have liked to but I spoke of it
once and we did not know as
it would be best .I do not suppose
it would have mattered to him
he was not at all nervous. but I
did not know what was best +
I could not urge the matter. I went
up to see him this morning he looked
natural our beautiful boy our
[u]youngest[/u]. the boys both seem
to me like young brothers.
One side of his face was a little
dark. I did not expect to see
him again but after he was
laid in the casket at
one-o-clock we saw his dear
face again .he looked then

even more natural peaceful and
happy . Dr Swan Henry and
Will laid him in the casket
and put beautiful white flowers
all about him .
Miss Butler has always said she
thought he looked more like me
than any one else, but it always
seemed so impossible to me.
But Miss Lewis said she could never
see it before, but as he lay in his
casket she said she could see
a very strong resemblance -- It
was doubtless in the features and
more apparent his beautiful
bright eyes were closed --
Mr Boggs had a short service at
the home . Mrs Fulton and
Mother Fulton + Mrs Boggs were
there. it was all so hurried
there was so little time that
some who would have come did
not know. Then we came
here + took chairs .There were
a good number who went to
the cemetery. Dr + Mrs
Beattie Miss Butler Miss Lewis
Dr Niles Mr Fisher Mr Boggs.
Mrs Fulton and Mother Fulton

I never thought she could take
that long trip but she was very
fond of Richard. There were
others who walked out to the
cemetery and we found
them there . Dr + Mrs Woods
Mr Simmons and Mr Tope.
After we had got out of the
city the bearers put the casket
down and went off to get some
tea + rest a little. The chairs
were carried on but Henry would
not let them carry him on
and leave his [u]boy[/u]. So when we
reached there we waited some
little time . and then they
came the casket [illegible] first
and Henry following it in
his chair. all alone . It seemed
so pathetic, but I was glad
it was so - they were [u]very near[/u]
to each other I know. Henry
looked so pale and worn
he had taken most of the
care of Richard and at

the end it seemed as if he
was bringing his boy to lay
him to rest. Henry says
Richard's was a beautiful
character .I am so glad
[u]so glad[/u] that he has had these
few short months with him.
Martha knows just how the
cemetery is and can tell
you how the dear boy was
carried up the hill and
laid down to rest "until He come."
Mr Boggs read a few selections
of scripture and they sand
Jesus Lover of my Soul --
Henry and Will sang part
of the time but for a time while
they were singing the second
verse Will was overcome
and buried his face in
his handkerchief and shook
with suppressed feeling --
Just as the benediction was
pronounce we notice that
a storm was coming .Henry
+ Bella and Will Mrs Fulton

and her Mother hurried back to
their chairs . Mrs Fulton ^Sr had
been carried up in hers. But
the storm came on so rapidly
that they were not and
after they were in chairs Will
said the rain came in
as through a sieve they did
not have their rain curtains
with them . Mrs Fulton Sr
was soaked through but they
stopped at Mrs Beattie's and
the servants found a shawl
which they wrapped round
her and she seems to be none
the worse, and none of them
seems to have taken cold .
I think they all went to
Mrs Fulton's to dinner . We
went up the hill to a little
pavillin that is built there for
shelter, but there is only a roof
and it was such a driving
rain . that it came in but
with our umbrellas we managed

to keep dry. After the rain ceased
the other left but Mr Boggs, Mr
Fisher Miss Butler and I staid
until it was filled up and covered
over with sod and then we
covered it with the flowers we
had brought. The medical Class
in the Womens College whom he had
taught in chemistry I think sent
a crown and a large cross of flowers.
We laid the [u]crown[/u] at his head.
How wonderful it seems yesterday
he was here now the Chief Shepherd
has given him "the crown that fadeth
not away." I think his short life
has been a happy one, and it has
been a [u]very beautiful[/u] one the last
few years at least. The cross the
Medical girls sent was so large
it nearly covered the top of the rest
of the grave and then we had a
profusion of flowers that we put all
around. The country all about was
very beautiful and it did not seem
desolate there as it does sometimes. Now
Dr Kerr, Cynthia and Richard ^are laid there it
begins to have the [u]home[/u] feeling
that the cemetery at home has. It
was so nice + such a comfort to me today
to know that Richard said when he
knew he could not get well that he
would rather be buried in the cemetery
here than anywhere else in the world.



[注：理查德的死是用蓝笔用别人的笔迹写的]
广州
1904年5月26日
当你收到这封信时，
你就会知道我们亲爱的理查德在天堂。
我们多么想不到它会是我们最小的谁会“先走”今天早上四点 -
他的灵魂离开了珍贵的形式，
现在它被安息，
直到复活。
我们现在在这里和将来对你来说是多么难过，
对你来说是多么的失望，
因为你很快就会再次在家中寻找他。
想到他会在家乡帮助你度过三年多的时光，
我很高兴——我昨天在船上写信去看看他的情况，
然后把它和这个一起寄出去。
他昨天看起来好多了，
他们开始希望危机已经过去。
但在夜里他醒了，
很明显发生了变化。
他们派人去找塞尔登医生，
然后找斯旺医生，
他在 5 月 26 日早上天亮的时候照做了，
我们一听到就走了过去。
站了一会儿，
然后回来帮忙准备棺材。
上面覆盖着黑色的羊驼毛。
我们买不到羊绒，
衬里是细软的白色材料。
十一点钟就准备好了，
天鹅医生和刘易斯小姐走了过去。
巴特勒小姐一直工作到最后一分钟才准备好棺材，
所以她以为她不能过去，
但本来还有时间的。
我们送花。
他生病的时候我没有见到他。
我很想见他，
但我谈过一次，
我们不知道这是否最好。
我认为这对他无关紧要，
他一点也不紧张.但我不知道什么是最好的，
我也不能催促这件事。
今天早上我去看他，
他看起来很自然，
我们美丽的男孩是我们最小的。
在我看来，
这两个男孩都像年轻的兄弟。
他的一侧脸有些黑。
没想到还能再见到他，
但在他被安放在棺材里后，
我们又看到了他那张可爱的脸。
他看起来更加自然平静和快乐。
斯旺亨利医生和威尔把他放在棺材里，
把美丽的白花放在他身上。
巴特勒小姐一直说她觉得他比任何人都更像我，
但在我看来，
这总是那么不可能。
但是刘易斯小姐说她以前从来没有见过，
但是当他躺在棺材里时，
她说她可以看到一个非常相似的地方——这无疑是在五官上，
更明显的是他美丽的明亮的眼睛是闭着的——博格斯先生在家短期服务。
富尔顿夫人、富尔顿妈妈和博格斯夫人都在那里。
一切来得太匆忙，
时间太短了，
以至于一些本来会来的人都不知道。
然后我们来到这里坐了椅子。
有很多人去了墓地。
比蒂医生和夫人 巴特勒小姐 刘易斯小姐 奈尔斯医生 费舍尔先生 博格斯先生。
富尔顿夫人和富尔顿妈妈 我从没想过她可以长途旅行，
但她非常喜欢理查德。
还有其他人走到墓地，
我们在那里找到了他们。
伍兹医生和太太 西蒙斯先生和托普先生。
出城后，
抬棺人放下棺材，
出去喝茶休息了一会儿。
椅子被抬着走了，
但亨利不让它们抬着他离开他的男孩。
所以当我们到达那里时，
我们等了一会儿。
然后他们首先来到了棺材[无法辨认]，
亨利坐在椅子上跟在后面。
独自一人 。
这看起来很可悲，
但我很高兴它是如此——我知道他们彼此非常接近。
亨利看上去如此苍白和疲惫，
他已经把大部分时间照顾给了理查德，
最后似乎他带着他的儿子让他休息了。
亨利说理查德是一个美丽的角色。
我很高兴很高兴能和他一起度过这短短的几个月。
玛莎知道墓地是怎样的，
并且可以告诉你这个亲爱的男孩是如何被抬上山并躺下休息的，
“直到他来”。
博格斯先生读了几节经文，
他们把我灵魂的爱人耶稣磨掉了——亨利和威尔有一部分时间唱歌，
但在他们唱第二节的时候有一段时间，
威尔被克服了，
把脸埋在手帕里，
颤抖着压抑的感觉 —— 就在祝福宣布的时候，
我们注意到暴风雨即将来临。
亨利、贝拉和威尔 富尔顿夫人和她的母亲急忙回到他们的椅子上。
老富尔顿夫人被她抬了起来。
但是暴风雨来得如此之快，
以至于他们没有，
在他们坐在椅子上之后，
威尔说雨水像筛子一样进来了，
他们没有带雨帘。
老富尔顿夫人浑身湿透，
但他们在比蒂夫人家停了下来，
仆人们发现了一条披肩，
把她裹在她身上，
她似乎并没有变得更糟，
他们似乎也没有感冒。
我想他们都去富尔顿夫人家吃饭了。
我们上山去了一个小亭子，
那里是为了避难而建的，
但只有一个屋顶，
而且下着大雨。
它进来了，
但带着我们的雨伞我们设法保持干燥。
雨停后，
另一个人离开了，
但博格斯先生、费舍尔先生和我一直呆着，
直到它被填满并被草皮覆盖，
然后我们用我们带来的鲜花覆盖它。
我想他在女子学院教化学的那个女子学院的医学班送来了一顶皇冠和一个大十字架。
我们把王冠放在他的头上。
昨天他在这里看起来多么美妙，
现在牧羊人给了他“不褪色的冠冕”。
我认为他短暂的一生是幸福的，
至少最近几年是非常美好的。
医疗女孩送来的十字架太大了，
几乎盖住了坟墓其余部分的顶部，
然后我们放了一大堆鲜花。
这个国家到处都是非常美丽的，
那里并不像有时那样荒凉。
现在克尔医生、辛西娅和理查德安葬在那里，
开始有了家中墓地的家的感觉。
今天知道理查德说他知道他不能康复时说他宁愿被埋在这里的墓地而不是世界上任何其他地方，
这让我感到非常高兴和安慰。

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