Section of Unsigned Letter
Dublin Core
Title
Section of Unsigned Letter
Subject
Fires; Near-death experiences; Faith; Evangelistic work
Description
This section was written by Martha, who talks about her husband, the Dr., who has escaped from a terrible fire that almost took all of their lives. They lost many material belongings but it renewed Mattie's faith that God watches over them. She says it was worth it for them to evangelize to Kwang Sai.
Creator
Kerr, Martha Noyes
Source
Loose, The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection
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Unpublished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_journal_591
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
[Note: &c transcribed as etc]
As it was every thing was lost
Also all our housekeeping
arrangements - table linen
My oil stove -dishes - books
the Dr's medicines - his
Williams dictionary what
little furniture and bedding
we had stores etc etc. But the
Dr's life was spared and these
things are as nothing in
Comparison. He was some
what shaken but seems pretty
well. They lived on Chinese
food - ate with chopsticks
and slept on the top of the
boat . I suppose we are
minus about $150 altogether
and Mr Fulton $100 Poor man
this is the second experience
for him. The little hand
glass which Edward gave
me as a Christmas gift is
among the ruins. Have been
so careful of it - but I feel this
was all a contribution to work
in Kwang Sai - and if we
came back with some loss
of worldly goods [--we--] our lives
are all spared and these
things are of small account
You should have seen the
Dr when he arrived .A bath
and the only remaining white
suite he possessed with borrow
ed shoes and stockings which
Henry furnished him and
some breakfast all added
greatly to his comfort and
made him look more like
himself. As for me coming so
suddenly after the ex
periences we had been through
I felt dazed and it seems as
if I have been moving in
a dream ever since. To
think what might have
been . The vision of the Dr
hanging to that wreck amid
the rapids through which
we had just passed in safety
seems ever before me -
I feel as if it were a sort of
Climax to all we have experi
enced the past 14 months.
What a terrible blow it would
have been if he had found
his grave in the swirling
waters of that river. The rocks
were so numerous and they were
out in the middle of the
river that he does not feel
as if he could have swam to
shore without being dashed
against them and the current
was so strong he could not
have overcome it. It was
a special providence that
there should have been a
boat that could and would
take them from the wreck
There was no reason why
they did not join the others
in plundering except that
God wished them to save his
servants. I never before
had such a realizing sense of
the power of God to protect his
children from harm.
We are his and he will care
for us. My next work will be
to get a wardrobe in order
for my dear husband. But
the tailor will do the most
of that I do not feel courage
to undertake it. Before we
went to the country I had
put everything he possessed
in perfect order - and felt it
would not be necessary to
look after [u]sewing[/u] for a while
It is fortunate that I am
not in his condition for I
would not feel as if I could
face the ordeal of getting an
outfit. He carried some winter
things but did not lose much
[Note: Continues sideways on page one]
of value except his shwal and overcoat. He can
replace his shawl by mine --
I wrote a part of a letter to Hattie about trip but it is not
finished will send it next time --
[注：&c 转录为等医生保住了性命，
这些东西在比较中都算不了什么。
他有些动摇，
但看起来还不错。
他们以中餐为生——用筷子吃饭，
睡在船顶。
我想我们总共减去了大约 150 美元，
富尔顿先生 100 美元可怜的人，
这是他的第二次经历。
爱德华作为圣诞礼物送给我的小玻璃杯在废墟中。
一直很小心——但我觉得这都是对在广西工作的贡献——如果我们带着一些世俗的东西回来，
我们的生命都幸免于难，
这些都是小事你应该去看医生当他到达时。
一个浴室和他唯一剩下的白色套房，
里面有亨利提供给他的借来的鞋子和袜子，
还有一些早餐，
这些都大大增加了他的舒适度，
让他看起来更像他自己。
至于我来得如此突然，
经历了我们的经历，
我感到头晕目眩，
好像从那以后我一直在做梦。
想想可能是什么。
在我们刚刚安全通过的急流中，
医生悬挂在那艘残骸上的景象似乎永远在我面前——我觉得这对我们过去 14 个月所经历的一切来说是一种高潮。
如果他在那条河流的漩涡中找到了他的坟墓，
那将是多么可怕的打击。
岩石太多了，
它们都在河中央，
他不觉得自己可以游到岸边而不被冲到岸上，
而且水流如此强劲，
他无法克服它。
这是一个特殊的天意，
应该有一艘船可以并将他们从沉船中带走。
除了上帝希望他们拯救他的仆人之外，
他们没有理由不与其他人一起掠夺。
我以前从未有过这样的意识，
意识到上帝保护他的孩子免受伤害的能力。
我们是他的，
他会照顾我们的。
我的下一个工作是为我亲爱的丈夫准备一个衣柜。
但是裁缝会做大部分我没有勇气去做的事情。
在我们去乡下之前，
我已经把他所有的东西都整理得井井有条——我觉得暂时没有必要照看缝纫工了得到一套衣服的考验。
他带了一些冬天的东西，
但除了披肩和大衣外，
并没有损失太多[注：在第一页继续横向]。
他可以用我的围巾代替他的披肩——我给海蒂写了一封关于旅行的信的一部分，
但还没写完，
下次再寄——
As it was every thing was lost
Also all our housekeeping
arrangements - table linen
My oil stove -dishes - books
the Dr's medicines - his
Williams dictionary what
little furniture and bedding
we had stores etc etc. But the
Dr's life was spared and these
things are as nothing in
Comparison. He was some
what shaken but seems pretty
well. They lived on Chinese
food - ate with chopsticks
and slept on the top of the
boat . I suppose we are
minus about $150 altogether
and Mr Fulton $100 Poor man
this is the second experience
for him. The little hand
glass which Edward gave
me as a Christmas gift is
among the ruins. Have been
so careful of it - but I feel this
was all a contribution to work
in Kwang Sai - and if we
came back with some loss
of worldly goods [--we--] our lives
are all spared and these
things are of small account
You should have seen the
Dr when he arrived .A bath
and the only remaining white
suite he possessed with borrow
ed shoes and stockings which
Henry furnished him and
some breakfast all added
greatly to his comfort and
made him look more like
himself. As for me coming so
suddenly after the ex
periences we had been through
I felt dazed and it seems as
if I have been moving in
a dream ever since. To
think what might have
been . The vision of the Dr
hanging to that wreck amid
the rapids through which
we had just passed in safety
seems ever before me -
I feel as if it were a sort of
Climax to all we have experi
enced the past 14 months.
What a terrible blow it would
have been if he had found
his grave in the swirling
waters of that river. The rocks
were so numerous and they were
out in the middle of the
river that he does not feel
as if he could have swam to
shore without being dashed
against them and the current
was so strong he could not
have overcome it. It was
a special providence that
there should have been a
boat that could and would
take them from the wreck
There was no reason why
they did not join the others
in plundering except that
God wished them to save his
servants. I never before
had such a realizing sense of
the power of God to protect his
children from harm.
We are his and he will care
for us. My next work will be
to get a wardrobe in order
for my dear husband. But
the tailor will do the most
of that I do not feel courage
to undertake it. Before we
went to the country I had
put everything he possessed
in perfect order - and felt it
would not be necessary to
look after [u]sewing[/u] for a while
It is fortunate that I am
not in his condition for I
would not feel as if I could
face the ordeal of getting an
outfit. He carried some winter
things but did not lose much
[Note: Continues sideways on page one]
of value except his shwal and overcoat. He can
replace his shawl by mine --
I wrote a part of a letter to Hattie about trip but it is not
finished will send it next time --
[注：&c 转录为等医生保住了性命，
这些东西在比较中都算不了什么。
他有些动摇，
但看起来还不错。
他们以中餐为生——用筷子吃饭，
睡在船顶。
我想我们总共减去了大约 150 美元，
富尔顿先生 100 美元可怜的人，
这是他的第二次经历。
爱德华作为圣诞礼物送给我的小玻璃杯在废墟中。
一直很小心——但我觉得这都是对在广西工作的贡献——如果我们带着一些世俗的东西回来，
我们的生命都幸免于难，
这些都是小事你应该去看医生当他到达时。
一个浴室和他唯一剩下的白色套房，
里面有亨利提供给他的借来的鞋子和袜子，
还有一些早餐，
这些都大大增加了他的舒适度，
让他看起来更像他自己。
至于我来得如此突然，
经历了我们的经历，
我感到头晕目眩，
好像从那以后我一直在做梦。
想想可能是什么。
在我们刚刚安全通过的急流中，
医生悬挂在那艘残骸上的景象似乎永远在我面前——我觉得这对我们过去 14 个月所经历的一切来说是一种高潮。
如果他在那条河流的漩涡中找到了他的坟墓，
那将是多么可怕的打击。
岩石太多了，
它们都在河中央，
他不觉得自己可以游到岸边而不被冲到岸上，
而且水流如此强劲，
他无法克服它。
这是一个特殊的天意，
应该有一艘船可以并将他们从沉船中带走。
除了上帝希望他们拯救他的仆人之外，
他们没有理由不与其他人一起掠夺。
我以前从未有过这样的意识，
意识到上帝保护他的孩子免受伤害的能力。
我们是他的，
他会照顾我们的。
我的下一个工作是为我亲爱的丈夫准备一个衣柜。
但是裁缝会做大部分我没有勇气去做的事情。
在我们去乡下之前，
我已经把他所有的东西都整理得井井有条——我觉得暂时没有必要照看缝纫工了得到一套衣服的考验。
他带了一些冬天的东西，
但除了披肩和大衣外，
并没有损失太多[注：在第一页继续横向]。
他可以用我的围巾代替他的披肩——我给海蒂写了一封关于旅行的信的一部分，
但还没写完，
下次再寄——
Original Format
Journal
Collection
Citation
Kerr, Martha Noyes, “Section of Unsigned Letter,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 20, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/647.