Letter from Henry

Letter from Henry

Holidays; Dragon boat festivals; Suspicion; Baptists--Missions

Henry says today is the dragon-boat festival. Everyone is dressed up and the longboats are rowed by fifty men each. He explains the origin story of the festival and says that each year the boats are sunk in the river. There appear to be bad feelings about foreigners in the country. There has been a new accession of missionaries from the Southern Baptist Board.

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Unpublished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_578

I hav'nt much new to
write. Our life is so much
the same here that it seems
as though there was nothing
to write but the same thing
over + over. I could talk with
you fast Enough if I had you
here and show you some things
you never saw before no doubt
To-day is a great day with
the Chinese. It is what is called
the dragon-boat festival. Every-
body is out in their best clothes,
and the dragon boats rowing to
the beat of drums up and
down the river. These boats
are very long + narrow and
paddled by some fifty men
sitting along the whole length
of the boat. The day is as great
a gala day for the people here
as our 4th of July is at home
The origin of the festival is some-
thing on this [?wise?]. Some 2300 years

ago a virtuous minister of
state named "[?Kiuh Yuen?]"
proposed certain [?salutary?]
to reforms to the prince who
was his relative. This was
unheeded. He then wrote a
second memorial which
was also unheeded. He made
a third attempt when the
prince was so displeased
with him that he dismissed
him. He was so affected by this
and by the misery which he
foresaw was coming upon his
country that he threw himself
into the river and was [--re--]
drowned. On learning this
the people among whom he
was very popular immediately
traversed the river in all
directions in boats as if they
were hunting for him. And
so Every year on the anniversary
of [--this--] his death they get out

[Note: Right hand corner is torn]
the dragon-boats and
with all their might abou
river in all directions. I co
hear as I set at my table here
the drums beating to which
the oars keep stroke. When the
festival is over the boats are
sunk down in the rivers [?need?]
to remain there until the
anniversary comes round a-
gain. I have been travelling
in the country some lately +
Expect to do so a good deal
hereafter. My work is to be
very much itinerating. Last
month I was out in a boat
21 days out of 31 and I Ex-
pect to start away again
next week. There is a vast
amount of bad feeling towards
foreigners but the only was
I suspect is to go among the
people + preach away in the
faith that God will bless his own

[Note: Left hand corner is torn]
d + in His own good time.
meet with a great deal
of opposition in getting locations
Effected in the country but are
trying to do it as fast as
we can. On the whole I
think our work is Encouraging
and opening up before us the
great want is an outpouring
of the Holy Spirit that the
word preached may find a
place in the hearts of those
who bear and spring up
and bear fruit unto life
Everlasting. We have just had
a new accession of missionaries
of the Southern Baptist Board. Mr
Graves returning with his new wife
Mr + Mrs Willians new missionaries
and Miss Whildon sister to
Mrs Williams. We have a goodly com-
pany of all the Boards in Canton. In all
male + female together 39. Well I must
close. - Remember [?very kindly?] to your wife
+ write soon to
Yours very sincerely
H V Noyes
[Note: Written sideways]
--Hattie wishes to be remembered to you + yours

Letter