Letter from Mattie to the Ones at Home

Letter from Mattie to the Ones at Home

Travel; Married people in missionary work; Hospitality

Mattie writes to her family that Dr. Niles is in Macau and Dr. Kerr is to leave for Hong Kong soon. Harriet is on her way to Japan. She mentions other missionaries like the Whites, Mr. Erchtler, Wisners, Fultons, and Miss Butler. Dr. Kerr continues the letter. He talks about Mattie and some of their house guests. One of their less pleasing guests was the grandson of Governor Brough of Ohio.

Kerr, Martha Noyes

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

Unpublished

Unknown

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_526

Dear Ones at Home,
I wrote a long letter
but have concluded to
send it later on so will
only send a line this time
to say we are all well. Dr
Niles is in [--Hongkong--] Macau. Dr Kerr
goes this afternoon to Hong
Kong to be away until Friday
morning and I shall be left
alone in the house. The first
time that has happened I
believe. So Winnie has a
little boy. Please give her
my congratulations. Before
this reaches you Hattie
will have been away some
time I suppose now she
is nearing Japan. The Dr
will go down next week if

he can to receive her.
We have looked forward
to so many steamers as the
special ones which were to
bring her to us that we can
scarcely realize she is truly
coming. It is nice that Em
can come home so often.
This week the Annual meeting
of Missionaries, Native preachers
and helpers is going on but
I have not been able to attend
them as I did last year.
Today it is schools Last
night the singers in our
Mission gave a concert for
the Chinese Had it in at Dr
Swans so they could have the
use of the Pranns. Mr White
wife and baby are staying at
Mrs Swans and Dr Thomson
comes up tomorrow for a few

days. Mr Erchtler and family
of the London Mission left last
week for Germany. Mr Tope
English Weslyian sails from
Hong Kong for England to day.
The Fultons hope to get away
soon Miss Wisner is in
Japan. Mr Wisner is quite
well now and we hope he
will find he can stay here
but we must only wait to see
how it will be. Miss Butler is
rather impatiently waiting for
Hattie. Now I must leave this
for the Dr to finish. If the
Str would only wait until to
morrow I could write more
But this will let you know we
are well. Goodbye. Am so glad
Edward is better. How desolate
we should feel without our dear
brother.
Lovingly Mattie

Str Fatshan. 5 P.M.
Dear Bro & Sisters,
I am just
passing down the river and add
a few lines to Mattie's letter. She
has told you all the news so that I only
have to tell you about her. She
tells you this is the first time she
has been alone in the house, and
she may have a guest by this
time. It must be a sign of some
thing not bad in her, but she
has more guests than all the other
missionaries, and she would have
enjoyed it, (for most of our guests
are good people,) but the servants
have not been reliable. Now how
ever we have two good boys, & I hope
they will be a comfort to us, &
releve Mattie of anxiety when she
has company. One of our guests I am
sorry to say was not as good as he
ought to have been & he was a
ministers soon too, & grandson of
Gov Brough of Ohio. He was in a
Hotel in Macau 3 days, & I paid
his liquor bill $9.00 for him. I am
not in the habit of paying such
bills, but I was taken in this
time. His other expenses there
were $13.00 With much love
your affect Bro J.G.K

Letter