Letter from Mattie to Hattie, October 2

Letter from Mattie to Hattie, October 2

Toothache; Dental technology; Friendly visits; Physicians

Mattie writes to Hattie about her toothache and what Dr. Kimballs thinks should be done. She may get it filled with gold but hammering in the filling could cause inflammation. She wishes that Harriet could come down for a couple of days and mentions the goings-on of Miss Butler, Miss Lewis, and her husband Dr. Kerr.

Kerr, Martha Noyes

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

Unpublished

10-02

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_515

Oct 2nd
My dear Hattie
Here we are
with another change in our
plans. In the first place
I went to Dr Kimballs to
day and he found the nerve
too sensitive to venture
upon filling my tooth. So he
put some more medicine
into it and I am to see
him Friday morning. If the
tooth is filled with gold it
can not be done before
Monday. But it is in such
a condition my Dr does not
think it can be done.
The Amalgam will be
safer but it will look
badly. In hammering in the
filling there will be danger
of producing inflamation,
and Dr Kerr says it will pave

the way for losing the tooth
altogether. The Dr has conclu
ded to go up to morrow morn
and come down here again
Friday morn or at latest Friday
night. Whether we stay here
over Sabbath or not depends
upon how his patient is.
We will not go to Macau
before Sat afternoon [--and--]
at any rate and you will
be in Canton before we get
there I have had to pray
very hard to be at all
reconciled to this. But for
some reason it must be best
as it is. Not my way but
Thy way in the little as well as
the great things. When we
do what seems to be best we
can feel it is best, but dear
sister Hattie I am disappointed
and that is not wrong.
I think of you as at tea

Is it bread and milk? I
suppose so. Ashing must go
up with you if you go on
Sat and help [?Anin?], Atsan
stay in Macau until we come
I can not bear to think
of your getting off all by your
selves Sat morn. Atsan
must get you a lunch for
Saturday. Now Hattie I wonder
if it would be possible for
you to come down again for
a day or two. The Dr would
like it so much if you could
and I do not need to say
I would be delighted. If you
will come I will be so glad
to pay your expenses. The
Dr spoke two or three times to
day of how sorry he was that he
did not bring you over here
with us. But I quietly thought
you would rather perhaps come
back to Macau.

It is nice Miss Butler could have
these few days of rest. And Miss
Lewis too It was splendid in you
all to come and if we "had a
knowed" we could have had
you until Sat we would not
have been here. The Canton
missionaries are about ready
for "the paper" now. We are
glad Miss B did not have
to bake cake. We hope you
have had a nice day. The
trip over here was delightful.
Now good night dear sister.
Hope the children are all getting
on all right. The boys must
both help you off Sat morn
if you go, and AShing follow
the [?Komemigs?]. We will be glad
for the few days we did have to
gether. Dr Kerr is a dear good
man, and husband too, do not
know how God ever have him to me.
And he will be a good brother in
law always to all of us [Note: page ripped, words missing]

[Continued vertically on the first page]
Love to all the sisters
at Santa
Sancha.
We dont
want you
to go home
a bit.

Your own loving sister,
Mattie

Letter