Letter from Henry

Letter from Henry

Fire; Fire engines; Thanksgiving Day; Women in higher education

Henry is writing about a fire that burned 75 houses. He says "the Chinese seem to understand putting out fires very well." They have hand-worked fire engines that come from all parts of the city when in need. Henry received a letter from Em who is spending Thanksgiving at Wooster because the horses were sick. Harriet is having a bit of a break from the school. He mentions the whereabouts of Mr. and Mrs. Partridge and the family of the George's.

Noyes, Henry Varnum

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

Unpublished

Unknown

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_576

[Note: "1870s?" written in pencil vertically on the edge of the first page]
Fortunately however the [--house--]
fire was put out long before
it placed us in a any danger.
I think there were about
75 houses burned in all.
But the houses are very small
and 75 do not cover a
very large space. The houses
are all built of brick and
[u] the Chinese seem to understand
putting out fires very [/u] [u] well. [/u] [Note: underlined in blue ink] They
have fire engines worked by
hand. I think there must have
been nearly a hundred at
this fire. They come at the
fire alarm from all parts of
the city. The fire burned until
4-o-clock before they got it
under control.
The last mail did not
bring us any letters from home

but brought one from Em at
Wooster. She was spending
Thanksgiving there from ne-
cessity as the horses were
all sick. I hope they have
recovered by this time.
It is our vacation now.
Hattie has had relief from the
cares of her large family of
girls and women for three
weeks and will not begin
for another week yet. I have
been at home all the time
as it is not generally can-
sidered best to travel in
the country near Chinese New
Years. So we have had a
very nice time. I expect now
I shall begin to make country trips

again this year as I did last.
When we get back
from our trip we expect
to find Mr & Mrs Partridge
from [--Canto--] Bang Kok in
Canton. I do not know as
you remember them. They
stopped with us more than
a week when they were on
their way to Bang Kok about
the beginning of 1869, and we
liked them very much and
have kept up a correspondence
with them ever since. Their
station is changed and they
are going hereafter to live in
Swatow so that we shall see
them I hope once in a while
as Swatow is not very far up
the coast.

The family of the George's are
also in Hong Kong on their way
home from Siam. They are
connected with our Mission Board
and expect to come to Dr Happer's.
Miss Shaw & Lillie & Hattie had
their pictures taken day before
yesterday but they are not done
to send by this mail. I think
you may look for a sight
of them by next mail. The
three as I suppose Hattie has
told you call themselves "Faith
& Hope & Love" and they are
a trio of good people. Well
I must stop as it is getting
[?most?] time to be getting things
ready to start for our trip.
Good bye for this time. When
we get back you shall have some
account of our doings. With much
love to all Your aff Bro [u] Henry [/u].

Letter