Letter from Mattie to Clara, July

Letter from Mattie to Clara, July

Kerr, J. G. (John Glasgow), 1824-1901; Typhoid fever; Missionaries' spouses; Fever

In this letter to her sister, Mattie congratulates the family and Edward on his ceremony of becoming an Elder in the church. She says she can picture how he looked during the ceremony. She also recounts a fever Dr. Kerr had and how she broke it, though he had feared it was typhoid fever.

Kerr, Martha Noyes

Loose, The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection

Unpublished

July circa 1886-1901

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

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eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_565

July [Illegible]th
My dear Clara
It was so nice to get
your letters written on the
14th of May the day that
Edward was ordained to the
Eldership. You wrote so fully
that after I read the letter to
Dr Kerr he said it almost
seemed as if we were there.
It does seem such a blessing
that Father could be able to
go and witness it and that
Edward has lived such a
life before the people that they
wanted him to became
an elder. I know just how
he looked for I have studied
his face when he has been
taking on new responsibilities
and I can see those enlarged
pupils the steadfast calm gaze

as he fixed his eyes upon Mr Notes
tine. His countenance is always
pale under intense emotion
and at such times he looks at
his best. It is so precious that
we all as a family on both
sides of the world were remem-
bered in prayer I want to tell
you something that seems so
remarkable to me and I am
so glad you wrote as you did
I think I told you that Dr
Kerr was taken ill while we were
reading those letters Friday eve
was very sick all day Saturday and
Sabbath. My only thought almost
was if I have any rebellion in
my heart if I am not perfectly
submissive to God's will in this
matter he will take the Dr from
me. Could not avoid reading the
letters over and over but could not
give way to my feelings. I know
he felt afraid he was going to be very
ill Sunday night [u] just at the [/u]

[u] time you were gathered [/u] in the dear
old church praying for just what
was occurring here. I had given
him a partial bath, he had a
period of pain and then suddenly
broke out into a violent perspiration
I remembered what a relief it was
to Father to have Mr Hamsher rub
him off under those circumstances
and I took towels and rubbed him
slowly and gently. Very soon I
felt the intense fever heat was
passing off, but said nothing
In a few minutes he said I feel
better. I replied feeling perfectly
sure of it, You are better. In about
20 minutes the fever was gone
his skin was soft and moist
and he went to sleep like an infant
in its mothers arms. A quiet night
no fever and the next morning
the fever was a thing of the past.
He told me the next day he felt
rather dismayed to think of looking
Typhoid fever in the face.

Said he had never known such a
case in all his practice where such
violent attack of marked fever sud-
denly left without any marked reason
July 8th This letter with Hatties
has had a hard time but
I will send it on. Next time
hope to do better Must not
wait another minute I think
of you as having washed
and done up every thing
and now perhaps at 2 1/2 are
resting. I follow you day after
day in your rounds and Edward
too. The others seem a little
more uncertain, as to where
abouts. Now do not work too
hard any of you. I find it is
a great comfort to a weary heart
to sing some.
Your loving sister
Mattie



七月 [难以辨认]
我亲爱的克拉拉
很高兴得到
你的信写在
5 月 14 日那天
爱德华被任命为
长辈。你写得这么完整
在我读了这封信之后
克尔博士，他几乎是这么说的
好像我们在那里。
这似乎是一种祝福
父亲可以
去见证它和那个
爱德华过着这样的生活
生活在他们认为的人面前
希望他成为
一位长者。我知道怎么做
他找我学过
他的脸
承担新的责任
我可以看到那些放大的
瞳孔坚定平静的凝视

当他注视着笔记先生时
齿。他的表情总是
在激烈的情绪下脸色苍白
在这种时候，他看着
他最好的。它是如此珍贵
我们都是一家人
世界的各个角落在祈祷中被铭记我想告诉
你看起来如此
对我来说很了不起，我是
很高兴你写得像你一样
我想我告诉过你医生
科尔在我们生病的时候生病了
周五前夕读那些信
星期六一整天都病得很重
安息日。我唯一的想法几乎
如果我有任何反抗
如果我不完美，我的心
在这方面顺服上帝的旨意
不管他会带医生
我。无法避免阅读
一遍又一遍的信件，但不能
让位给我的感受。我知道
他害怕自己会变得非常
周日晚上生病了

当你聚集在亲爱的
老教堂为什么祈祷
发生在这里。我给了
他洗了个澡，他有一个
一段时间的疼痛，然后突然
大汗淋漓
我记得那是一种解脱
给父亲让 Hamsher 先生擦
在那种情况下他离开
我拿毛巾给他擦
缓慢而轻柔。很快我
感觉到强烈的发烧热量是
假装，但什么也没说
几分钟后他说我感觉
更好的。我回答感觉很完美
当然，你更好。大约
20分钟退烧
他的皮肤柔软湿润
他像婴儿一样睡着了
在它妈妈的怀里。一个安静的夜晚
没有发烧，第二天早上
发烧已成为过去。
第二天他告诉我他觉得
一想到看就很沮丧
脸上的伤寒。

说他从来不知道这样的
在他的所有实践中，如果这样
突然出现明显发烧的剧烈发作，没有任何明显的原因
7 月 8 日 这封信与海蒂
过得很艰难，但是
我会寄过去的。下次
希望做得更好 一定不要
再等一分钟，我想
你洗过
并完成所有事情
现在也许是 2 1/2
休息。后天我跟着你
你和爱德华的一天
也。其他好像有点
更不确定，去向。
现在也不行
你们中的任何人都很难。我发现它是
对疲惫的心是极大的安慰
唱一些。
你亲爱的姐姐
马蒂

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