Section of Letter from Harriet

Section of Letter from Harriet

Kerr, J. G. (John Glasgow); Missions, Medical; Classism; Racism

Harriet writes about caring for a cat. She remarked that the children and people in China are very dirty, and thinks very highly of Dr. Kerr that he deals with the most 'repulsive' Chinese people. She comments on the disagreements between Dr. Happer and Dr. Kerr. There are many differences between Canton and home that become more and more apparent to Hattie as time passes.

Noyes, Harriet Newell

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

Unpublished

April 28, Year Unknown

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_journal_660

recovering from its fright. But I could
not induce it to do anything but choke
itself with a rag that I was trying to have
it use after the fashion of a goose quill that
lambs used to use in America. When it
got the rag about half way down its throat
it put an effectual stop to its cries but
lest it should have the same effect on its
breath I thrust my fingers down after it
and succeed in drawing it out getting
my fingers bitten in the attempt. I am
beginning [--whether--] to doubt whether a
Chinese cat is capable of feeling affection
for any one. The dogs are quite unlike
dogs at home do not seem to care any
thing about people. Perhaps the untimely
end of so many of their race has taught
them to regard the human species with
suspicion. ----- April 28th --
Yesterday Henry + I went again
to "Kowhan" the village that I have spoken
of before. A great crowd of women + children
gathered around the boat as usual
+ urged me to come out on the shore.
So I got out of the boat + walked some
little distance when they brought me
a seat + when I sat down they gathered
around me and jabbered at me
as hard as they could. I brought all
my little knowledge of Chinese to my
aid but our conversation as you will
imagine was very limited. Some
of them brought me some flowers +
thought it would be very nice for
me to put them in my hair as they
do so I let one of them arrange
them for me. When you think
of such a crowd you must not think

of a company of cleanly dressed
children. The children are often
not more than half dressed and
always more or less dirty. The Chinese
I judge never dreamed of cleanliness
as being a virtue. I often think that
foreigners must seem very fussy to
them . --------
May 14th
I realize as fully as
you will when reading this what
a farce it is to call it a journal
I would like to write a little every
day + then I would not forget little
things that I would like to mention.
Tomorrow "our boy "Alfie" will leave
us, and then I will have a little
more time. If I had looked forward
six weeks after he had been here a
week it would have looked a long
way, he is such a mischief.
I wonder if you would like to know
one job I did yesterday. The old
shirts that Henry wore on the the
voyage did not finish their mission
then but were reserved for a better
use. Dr Kerr has a great deal of
trouble in getting rags for the use
of his hospital + yesterday I went
to the box where they were put
+ ripped off the buttons + rolled
them up in one great bundle
and sent them down to the Dr.
so you see they will do missionary
work till the last. Dr Kerr's work

certainly requires a devoted missionary
spirit. He has to do with the most
repulsive part of the community.
His patients are I suppose mainly
from the lower classes + afflicted
with all sorts of dreadful diseases
often dirty + filthy beyond description.
The Dr is a real good man + just
as kind as mortal man can be.
He is a good friend to us and
you may be sure that if we need
medical aid he will do everything
in his power for us. Of course it
would be against my principles
to have as much [u]confidence[/u] in
any one as in "[u]Dr Allen[/u]"
remember Dr Kerr made a remark
about Dr H-- that rather hurt
him in Cyrus' opinion. You
must tell Cyrus for me that he
[u]must not[/u] lay that up against him.
I know when we know very little
of a person a very little thing goes
a good ways in making up
our estimate of them. But Dr Kerr
is [u]not[/u] at all given to making remarks
about people and he probably said
[u]less[/u] than [u]most[/u] men would have done
I know we thought then that [u]possibly[/u] he
might feel a little [?mite?] of jealousy that
we all thought so much of Dr Happer
but I know him better now and

I dont believe he is capable of cherishing
such a feeling for a single instant.
May 21st ----
Have just returned from Mission
prayer meeting which we have the
third Thursday in every month.
Henry has gone over to Honam a
part of Canton on the other side
of the river where a number of
foreigners live and where there are
a great many shops where all
sorts of foreign articles are kept.
He has gone now to get some
paper for writing home and when
he gets back I will write Clara's
birth-day letter. I have learned
now what it is so hard for us
to understand at home that every
thing necessary can be procured
here or at any rate something
that will answer the purpose.
The weather is getting quite warm
but I suppose we need not
begin to say anything about
it yet. We have to get up at five
now so as to get our morning walk
before the sun is too hot. It is
wonderful what power the sun
has here and it shines with
such a [u]bright[/u] light said to be
very trying for the eyes. Hav'nt I
been a l o n g time filling
these two sheets --- --- Hattie -

Journal