Letter from Mattie to Sara
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Mattie to Sara
Subject
Death; Telegrams; Correspondence; Burial clothing; Funeral rites and ceremonies--United States; Mail service
Description
Mattie has recently received Sarah's telegram announcing her father's death. She is glad that she got to know about his death by letter and not telephone. Mattie hopes that Sarah sends her a lock of her deceased father's hair and his Sabbath school's bible. Mattie confesses that she idolized her father and sometimes felt that she loved him in ways she was not supposed to.
Creator
Kerr, Martha Noyes
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #5
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
Unknown
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_522
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
My [u]dear Sarah[/u]
Oh how I thought
of you when I received the
Telegram letting me know
of Father's death. The home
circle had each other and
I had Father "youngest son"
the child of his old age as he
expressed it to comfort me.
One of the girls wrote once
that Father said he was like
Abraham God had given
him such a good son in
his old age. The Dr was so
pleased when he read it.
To think of getting the
message of fathers death through
a telephone. It seems far
worse to me than to read the
telegram from a letter.
Now could you leave in
10 minutes. Oh that long desolate
journey I can easily believe
you "shed all the tears you ever
could shed {it seemed} on that day.
I feel so glad the face is so
natural .so peaceful so pure
so anjelic How could it be
otherwise. It will be a sad
home coming for Henry
but you will all be a com
fort to each other. I think
of father as lying in the parlor
under the west window.
Will you dress him in his
sabbath suit or was that too
much worn:- It does seem
so nice that Mr Gaston
and especially Mr Chester
could attend the funeral
I can never forget Mr
Chesters kindness to us the
day I left home. I can
see father just as he looked
when he moved away from
the depot. He stood forward
from the rest and his hand
kerchief was a little higher
than that of the others. You spoke
of your earliest recollection of father
being that you were standing
at the fence peeping through
and calling father father. One
of the first if not the first of mine
was that of waiting for him
in sabbath to come down from
the pulpit and had me home
as he always did. Only think
he was not then more than
39 or 40 years old yet what a
christian he was. It is so hard
for Henry and for you all
that he could not come sooner
but I feel he will be a tower
of strength when he does come
The Dr is continually saying
to me you have every consola
tion you could have and so
has all the family. Last
night after we retired it seemed
as if my expressions of love
for father had been so extrav
igant I must say something
and I put my arm around him
and said. Dr I [?love?] you a
little bit. He drew a long breath
Oh I am so glad I had the
love and prayers of the dear
saint. He told me last night
perhaps you would have a
photograph of him in the parlor
as he lay I think he meant in
the coffin-or perhaps at the
church-or something. A wild
hope has come to me that
perhaps you may - You will
send me a lock of his hair
I am sure by the first oppor
tunity .And his Sabbath school
bible The Dr says he thinks
it would come through perfectly
safe if sent-by mail. It seems
as if I can not wait for it
Do you think it could be sent-by
Father we idolised and I have
felt at times it was not right for me
to love him as I did but we can
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
keep on doing him just the same. And he loves us now
with a strength far beyond the possibility when he was
on Earth. I
suppose you
will have to
go back to [?J?] -
but it can not
be for long
and perhaps
they will excuse
you. You will
comfort each
other and
bear up for
each others
sake. God
help you
dear sister
as he only
can.
With love
Mattie
我亲爱的莎拉[哦，
当我收到电报让我知道父亲的死讯时，
我是多么想你。
家里的圈子里有彼此
我有父亲“最小的儿子”他年迈的孩子，
他表示安慰我。
其中一个女孩曾经写道，
父亲说他就像亚伯拉罕，
上帝在他年老的时候给了他一个这么好的儿子。
博士读完后非常高兴。
想想通过电话得到父亲去世的消息。
对我来说，
这似乎比从一封信中阅读电报要糟糕得多。
现在你能在 10 分钟内离开吗？哦，
那漫长的荒凉之旅，
我很容易相信你“流下了所有你能在那天流下的眼泪。
我很高兴这张脸是那么自然，
那么平静，
那么纯净，
那么天使，
否则怎么可能呢。
它对亨利来说将是一个悲伤的家，
但你们都会互相安慰。
我认为父亲躺在西窗下的客厅里。
你会给他穿上他的安息日套装还是穿得太旧了：-加斯顿先生，
尤其是切斯特先生能参加葬礼，
真是太好了。
我永远不会忘记我离开家那天切斯特先生对我们的好意。
我可以看到父亲离开仓库时的样子。
他站着向前与其他人相比，
他的手帕比其他人高一点。
你说你对父亲的最早记忆是你站在栅栏旁偷看，
叫父亲父亲。
我的第一个，
如果不是第一个是在安息日等他从讲坛上下来并像往常一样让我回家。
想一想他当时不超过39岁或40岁，
但他是一个基督徒。
亨利和你们所有人都很难过，
他不能早点来，
但我觉得他来的时候会是一座力量之塔 医生不断对我说，
你有你能得到的一切安慰，
全家人也一样.昨晚我们退休后，
我对父亲的爱似乎太奢侈了，
我必须说点什么，
我搂着他说。
医生，
我有点爱你。
他深深地吸了一口气 哦，
我很高兴我得到了亲爱的圣徒的爱和祈祷。
他昨晚告诉我，
也许你会在客厅里放一张他躺着的照片，
我想他的意思是在棺材里——或者也许在教堂里——或其他什么地方。
一个疯狂的希望来到了我的面前，
也许你可以——你会给我一绺他的头发，
我相信一有机会就给我。
他的安息日学圣经医生说他认为如果通过邮件发送它会非常安全。
似乎我等不及了，
你认为它可以由我们崇拜的父亲送来吗？我有时觉得像我一样爱他是不对的，
但我们可以[注：信在第一页] 继续做他一样。
他现在爱我们的力量远远超过他在地球上时的可能性。
我想你将不得不回到 J - 但不会太久，
也许他们会原谅你。
你们会互相安慰，
也会为了彼此忍耐。
上帝帮助你亲爱的妹妹，
因为他只能。
带着爱玛蒂
Oh how I thought
of you when I received the
Telegram letting me know
of Father's death. The home
circle had each other and
I had Father "youngest son"
the child of his old age as he
expressed it to comfort me.
One of the girls wrote once
that Father said he was like
Abraham God had given
him such a good son in
his old age. The Dr was so
pleased when he read it.
To think of getting the
message of fathers death through
a telephone. It seems far
worse to me than to read the
telegram from a letter.
Now could you leave in
10 minutes. Oh that long desolate
journey I can easily believe
you "shed all the tears you ever
could shed {it seemed} on that day.
I feel so glad the face is so
natural .so peaceful so pure
so anjelic How could it be
otherwise. It will be a sad
home coming for Henry
but you will all be a com
fort to each other. I think
of father as lying in the parlor
under the west window.
Will you dress him in his
sabbath suit or was that too
much worn:- It does seem
so nice that Mr Gaston
and especially Mr Chester
could attend the funeral
I can never forget Mr
Chesters kindness to us the
day I left home. I can
see father just as he looked
when he moved away from
the depot. He stood forward
from the rest and his hand
kerchief was a little higher
than that of the others. You spoke
of your earliest recollection of father
being that you were standing
at the fence peeping through
and calling father father. One
of the first if not the first of mine
was that of waiting for him
in sabbath to come down from
the pulpit and had me home
as he always did. Only think
he was not then more than
39 or 40 years old yet what a
christian he was. It is so hard
for Henry and for you all
that he could not come sooner
but I feel he will be a tower
of strength when he does come
The Dr is continually saying
to me you have every consola
tion you could have and so
has all the family. Last
night after we retired it seemed
as if my expressions of love
for father had been so extrav
igant I must say something
and I put my arm around him
and said. Dr I [?love?] you a
little bit. He drew a long breath
Oh I am so glad I had the
love and prayers of the dear
saint. He told me last night
perhaps you would have a
photograph of him in the parlor
as he lay I think he meant in
the coffin-or perhaps at the
church-or something. A wild
hope has come to me that
perhaps you may - You will
send me a lock of his hair
I am sure by the first oppor
tunity .And his Sabbath school
bible The Dr says he thinks
it would come through perfectly
safe if sent-by mail. It seems
as if I can not wait for it
Do you think it could be sent-by
Father we idolised and I have
felt at times it was not right for me
to love him as I did but we can
[Note: Letter concludes sideways on page one]
keep on doing him just the same. And he loves us now
with a strength far beyond the possibility when he was
on Earth. I
suppose you
will have to
go back to [?J?] -
but it can not
be for long
and perhaps
they will excuse
you. You will
comfort each
other and
bear up for
each others
sake. God
help you
dear sister
as he only
can.
With love
Mattie
我亲爱的莎拉[哦，
当我收到电报让我知道父亲的死讯时，
我是多么想你。
家里的圈子里有彼此
我有父亲“最小的儿子”他年迈的孩子，
他表示安慰我。
其中一个女孩曾经写道，
父亲说他就像亚伯拉罕，
上帝在他年老的时候给了他一个这么好的儿子。
博士读完后非常高兴。
想想通过电话得到父亲去世的消息。
对我来说，
这似乎比从一封信中阅读电报要糟糕得多。
现在你能在 10 分钟内离开吗？哦，
那漫长的荒凉之旅，
我很容易相信你“流下了所有你能在那天流下的眼泪。
我很高兴这张脸是那么自然，
那么平静，
那么纯净，
那么天使，
否则怎么可能呢。
它对亨利来说将是一个悲伤的家，
但你们都会互相安慰。
我认为父亲躺在西窗下的客厅里。
你会给他穿上他的安息日套装还是穿得太旧了：-加斯顿先生，
尤其是切斯特先生能参加葬礼，
真是太好了。
我永远不会忘记我离开家那天切斯特先生对我们的好意。
我可以看到父亲离开仓库时的样子。
他站着向前与其他人相比，
他的手帕比其他人高一点。
你说你对父亲的最早记忆是你站在栅栏旁偷看，
叫父亲父亲。
我的第一个，
如果不是第一个是在安息日等他从讲坛上下来并像往常一样让我回家。
想一想他当时不超过39岁或40岁，
但他是一个基督徒。
亨利和你们所有人都很难过，
他不能早点来，
但我觉得他来的时候会是一座力量之塔 医生不断对我说，
你有你能得到的一切安慰，
全家人也一样.昨晚我们退休后，
我对父亲的爱似乎太奢侈了，
我必须说点什么，
我搂着他说。
医生，
我有点爱你。
他深深地吸了一口气 哦，
我很高兴我得到了亲爱的圣徒的爱和祈祷。
他昨晚告诉我，
也许你会在客厅里放一张他躺着的照片，
我想他的意思是在棺材里——或者也许在教堂里——或其他什么地方。
一个疯狂的希望来到了我的面前，
也许你可以——你会给我一绺他的头发，
我相信一有机会就给我。
他的安息日学圣经医生说他认为如果通过邮件发送它会非常安全。
似乎我等不及了，
你认为它可以由我们崇拜的父亲送来吗？我有时觉得像我一样爱他是不对的，
但我们可以[注：信在第一页] 继续做他一样。
他现在爱我们的力量远远超过他在地球上时的可能性。
我想你将不得不回到 J - 但不会太久，
也许他们会原谅你。
你们会互相安慰，
也会为了彼此忍耐。
上帝帮助你亲爱的妹妹，
因为他只能。
带着爱玛蒂
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Kerr, Martha Noyes, “Letter from Mattie to Sara,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed November 23, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/579.