Letter from Mattie to her Father, March 5th, 1874

Letter from Mattie to her Father, March 5th, 1874

Birthdays; Women in missionary work; Letter writing; Consuls

Martha writes to her father about the tardiness of the mail steamer from Yokohama. Today is Hattie's birthday and some of the scholars have come over to gift her flowers, fruits, and nuts. The American consul has proved a failure and many wish for his removal. Henry has been copying evidence to send to Washington. Mattie talks about how much the letters mean to her while abroad. She goes on to praise Harriet and Henry on their missionary work and talks about Harriet's weekly schedule.

Kerr, Martha Noyes

The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #5

Unpublished

1874-03-05

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_486

[Note: &c is transcribed as etc]
March 5th /74
Dear Father,
I will begin my
first letter for this mail to you.
We are again doomed to disap-
pointment in regard to the arrival
of our letters. The mail steamer is
due here and we have not yet
been apprized of its arrival in Yoka-
hamma. Today is Hatties birth-
day and the school girls have been
bringing in flowers fruit nuts etc etc.
in celebration thereoff. Henry got her
a box of [u]jack straws[/u] like the ones

at home which she says she ex-
pects she will keep until some
little boy or girl wants them
more than she does. We sometimes
have the little people of the mis-
sion come in to see us and they
are very nice for them. Have
had a very warm day for the 5th
of March and Lucy has put on a
percale dress, but I am still wearing
my black and white one if Father
remembers what that is. Henry has
been away writing for A Mr Vroo-
man all day. The American
consul here had proved a failure
He has discharged his duties
with such a want of justice
that at last the foreign commu-
nity sent a petition to the Con-
sul General desiring his removal.
He came down from Shang-
hai to investigate the case and

Henry has been copying some of
the evidence to send to Washington.
What a blessing it would be if we
could have christian men in these
officies of government or at least
men of some moral principal
The foreign community prove
great obstacle in the work of Missions
Truly they enter not into the kingdom
themselves and those who would enter
in they hinder
March 11th still no mail but we
hope to get it by Saturday in time
at least to acknowledge the letters if we
can not answer them. You at home
have no man[--n--]er of idea what our
mails are to us Our letter are every-
thing. You will believe this when I
tell you that since coming here I
love to write just because I shall
have an answer. Well I did not
mean to put the above in quite

so selvish a way for that is hardly
the only reason, at any rate it is
far from the only reason I write
home. I must tell you that last
sabbath I did the first piece of mission-
ary work I have done since my arrival
It is on this wise. The pupils in
the boarding school spend most of
their time studying the Bible and
Hattie hears them repeat their lessons
twice a week on Wednesday[--s--] and
sabbath. This takes at least 1 1/2 hours
each time, sabbath morning at 10
she goes to sabbath school then follows
Chinese service until 12 We come home
and have lunch and then she has
thus far spent the time until half past
two visiting her day school hearing their
Bible lessons and having a prayer-
meeting with them and all the women
who will come in Then she comes
[--in--] back to the boarding school hears
their lessons and has a prayer meeting
with these also. Then follows dinner
and we afterwards go down to Dr Kerr's

[Note: Letter continues sideways on page one]
Oh Father you can have the satisfaction of knowing
that Henry and Hattie are doing a noble work here
and in that upper home there
will be many who will bless
you for sending them to
teach them the way of life
If you could see how it
all is here [--you--] it would
help you to bear this long
weary separation. It is delight-
ful for [--you--] s to know
we will be together some=
time. We will think of that
rather then the earthly side
of the picture. And it will
not be so very long
before Henry & Hattie will
go home and that will
be delight for you all
Good night. I know we are
remembered in your prayers.

[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page two]
I must tell you that in the mail before the last I sent a
letter to Marlboro and then sent another last time thinking
I had not written so there may be some repetition
Your loving daughter
Mattie



[注：&c 转录为 etc] 3 月 5 日 /74 亲爱的父亲，
我将开始写给您的这封邮件的第一封信。
对于我们的信件的到来，
我们再次注定要失望。
邮船要到这里了，
我们还没有收到它到达横滨的通知。
今天是海地的生日，
女学生们都带来了鲜花水果坚果等来庆祝。
亨利给她买了一盒杰克吸管，
就像家里的那种，
她说她希望她会一直保存到某个小男孩或女孩比她更想要它们。
我们有时让传道部的小人物来看我们，
他们对他们很好。
3 月 5 日度过了非常温暖的一天，
露西穿上了一件薄纱连衣裙，
但如果父亲记得那是什么，
我仍然穿着我的黑白相间的。
亨利整天都在为弗鲁曼先生写作。
在这里的美国领事被证明是失败的。
他履行职责时缺乏正义，
以至于外国社区最终向总领事递交请愿书，
要求将他免职。
他从上海下来调查此案，
亨利一直在复制一些证据以发送到华盛顿。
如果我们在这些政府机构中能有基督徒男子或至少有一些道德准则的人，
那将是多么幸福他们阻碍了 3 月 11 日仍然没有邮件，
但我们希望在星期六之前及时收到邮件，
如果我们无法回复，
至少可以确认这些信件。
你在家里根本不知道我们给我们的邮件是什么 我们的信就是一切。
当我告诉你，
自从来到这里我就喜欢写作，
因为我会有一个答案，
你会相信这一点。
好吧，
我并不是有意以如此自私的方式来表达上述内容，
因为这并不是唯一的原因，
无论如何，
这远非我写回家的唯一原因。
我必须告诉你，
上个安息日我做了我到达后所做的第一件传教工作。
这是明智的。
寄宿学校的学生大部分时间都在学习圣经，
海蒂听他们在星期三和安息日每周重复两次课程。
每次至少需要 1 1/2 小时，
安息日早上 10 点她去安息日学校，
然后跟着中文服务直到 12 点我们回家吃午饭，
然后她一直到两点半去她的走读学校听她们的圣经课，
并与她们和所有将要进来的妇女举行祷告会 然后她回到寄宿学校听她们的课，
也与她们举行祷告会。
然后是晚餐，
然后我们下楼到克尔医生那里 [注：信在第一页继续横着写] 哦，
父亲，
你可以满意地知道亨利和海蒂在这里做着崇高的工作，
在那个上层家里会有很多人会祝福你派他们去教导他们的生活方式 如果你能看到这一切都在这里，
它会帮助你忍受这漫长而疲惫的分离。
很高兴知道我们会在一起一段时间。
我们会想到这一点，
而不是图片的地球方面。
用不了多久，
亨利和海蒂就会回家了，
这对你们来说会很开心，
晚安。
我知道我们在你的祈祷中被铭记。
[注意：信在第二页横着结束] 我必须告诉你，
在上一次之前的邮件中，
我给万宝路寄了一封信，
然后最后一次又寄了一封信，
以为我没有写，
所以可能会有一些重复你亲爱的女儿玛蒂

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