Letter from Henry to Hattie, September 12, 1874
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Henry to Hattie, September 12, 1874
Subject
Great Wall of China (China); Ming Tombs (China); Travel; Family; Steamboats; Government; Missionaries; Weddings
Description
Henry writes to Harriet about her upcoming trip to Macao. He has just "done" Peking as he visited the Ming Tombs, the Great Wall, Nakow (Juyong) Pass, and the Temple of Heaven. Soon Henry will be meeting up with the rest of his "family" in Macau but expects to be stopping for a mission meeting. After the meeting, he will go back to Shanghai and head home. A wedding was held for Mr. David and Miss Browne at the Methodist Mission last week. Henry comments on how he thinks the Chinese Government is strange.
Creator
Noyes, Henry Varnum
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #3
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1874-09-12
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_699
Coverage
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Peking Sept 12th 1874
My dear Sister Hattie,
I received letters
last Wednesday from all three
of you and would be glad to
answer them all now but shall
not have time and so the rest
must read what I write to you.
I am very glad to learn that you
have such a nice opportunity
of going to Macao. I hope you
will improve it and stay [u] just [/u]
[u] as [/u] [u] long [/u] [u] as [/u] [u] you [/u] [u] can [/u]. If you have
to go back first Mattie and Lucy
I think might stay on a little
longer. I am glad the good la-
dies at home are so thoughtful
and I believe they are right. I
believe you all ought to have a
good vacation every summer.
I have "done" Peking as they
say seen the "Ming Tombs" Great Wall
Nankow Pass, Temple of Heaven &c
&c. We have been on the go
steady ever since we came
last week Friday and now Sat
urday afternoon I feel done and
am quietly settled down at
the house of Dr Williams where I
will stay until I leave Monday
morning turning my face home-
ward. How soon I shall get to
that point I hardly know but I
fear not in time to go up with
any of "my family" from Macau.
I rather expect to stop over
one steamer at Chefoo on the
way down to Shanghai, then go
down perhaps to Ningpo and
go [--wh--] with them from there when
they go to mission meeting which
meets in Hangchow Oct 15th. After-
wards go with the Whitings to
Soochow, then come down to Shang-
hai and then come home. I
could hardly feel satisfied to be
away so long if I did not think
that it was perhaps best for my
throat to rest. I don't seem to
have much better voice than
when I left home. I thought it
seemed better at Chefoo but since
reaching [?Tientsen?] it has not seemed
quite so well. I presume it is
the dust that affects it. Peking
is a fearfully dusty place. It is
as difficult to keep clean as in
I think more so. It would
be quite a discomfort in that respect
to live here. The cart-riding is
very rough but the ladies here do
not seem to mind it much. I
had the pleasure of attending a
wedding at the compound of the
Methodist Mission last Wednesday eve-
ning. Mr Davis was married to
a Miss Browne of the same mission
They have gone away for a trip
somewhere but I believe intend
to settle in Peking. [u] Akin [/u] I have
not seen yet but presume I shall
before I go away as Mrs Williams
says she does not live far from
here and Sofia will go and call
her or perhaps I will go to Mrs
Mayers and see her[--e--] there.
I was glad you had such
a nice time when the chapel
was opened and would have
been delighted to have been there.
The Chinese Government is
a strange one. Yesterday it came
out in the Peking Gazette that
Prince Kun was degraded and his pos-
terity to three generations. To-day
he is restored again. The
[--Russ--] Japanese ambassador is
here in reference to the difficulties
between the two governments. He
has had an interview with
Chung Han and it is reported
that they had quite an exciting
time and both lost their tempers.
Somebody, I forget who, said it was
probably that the United States would
be asked to be arbitrator in the
matter but I suppose this is sup-
position not authoritative.
I suppose you are just
as likely as not sweltering in the
heat and I am entirely comfortable
with thick clothing. They have asked
me to preach to-morrow evening
and I expect to do so. This letter
is a mixed up lot of stuff I expect
but it has been written in a great
hurry. I will tell you the particulars
of my trip when I get home
With much love to all
Your loving Bro
Henry
My dear Sister Hattie,
I received letters
last Wednesday from all three
of you and would be glad to
answer them all now but shall
not have time and so the rest
must read what I write to you.
I am very glad to learn that you
have such a nice opportunity
of going to Macao. I hope you
will improve it and stay [u] just [/u]
[u] as [/u] [u] long [/u] [u] as [/u] [u] you [/u] [u] can [/u]. If you have
to go back first Mattie and Lucy
I think might stay on a little
longer. I am glad the good la-
dies at home are so thoughtful
and I believe they are right. I
believe you all ought to have a
good vacation every summer.
I have "done" Peking as they
say seen the "Ming Tombs" Great Wall
Nankow Pass, Temple of Heaven &c
&c. We have been on the go
steady ever since we came
last week Friday and now Sat
urday afternoon I feel done and
am quietly settled down at
the house of Dr Williams where I
will stay until I leave Monday
morning turning my face home-
ward. How soon I shall get to
that point I hardly know but I
fear not in time to go up with
any of "my family" from Macau.
I rather expect to stop over
one steamer at Chefoo on the
way down to Shanghai, then go
down perhaps to Ningpo and
go [--wh--] with them from there when
they go to mission meeting which
meets in Hangchow Oct 15th. After-
wards go with the Whitings to
Soochow, then come down to Shang-
hai and then come home. I
could hardly feel satisfied to be
away so long if I did not think
that it was perhaps best for my
throat to rest. I don't seem to
have much better voice than
when I left home. I thought it
seemed better at Chefoo but since
reaching [?Tientsen?] it has not seemed
quite so well. I presume it is
the dust that affects it. Peking
is a fearfully dusty place. It is
as difficult to keep clean as in
I think more so. It would
be quite a discomfort in that respect
to live here. The cart-riding is
very rough but the ladies here do
not seem to mind it much. I
had the pleasure of attending a
wedding at the compound of the
Methodist Mission last Wednesday eve-
ning. Mr Davis was married to
a Miss Browne of the same mission
They have gone away for a trip
somewhere but I believe intend
to settle in Peking. [u] Akin [/u] I have
not seen yet but presume I shall
before I go away as Mrs Williams
says she does not live far from
here and Sofia will go and call
her or perhaps I will go to Mrs
Mayers and see her[--e--] there.
I was glad you had such
a nice time when the chapel
was opened and would have
been delighted to have been there.
The Chinese Government is
a strange one. Yesterday it came
out in the Peking Gazette that
Prince Kun was degraded and his pos-
terity to three generations. To-day
he is restored again. The
[--Russ--] Japanese ambassador is
here in reference to the difficulties
between the two governments. He
has had an interview with
Chung Han and it is reported
that they had quite an exciting
time and both lost their tempers.
Somebody, I forget who, said it was
probably that the United States would
be asked to be arbitrator in the
matter but I suppose this is sup-
position not authoritative.
I suppose you are just
as likely as not sweltering in the
heat and I am entirely comfortable
with thick clothing. They have asked
me to preach to-morrow evening
and I expect to do so. This letter
is a mixed up lot of stuff I expect
but it has been written in a great
hurry. I will tell you the particulars
of my trip when I get home
With much love to all
Your loving Bro
Henry
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Henry Varnum, “Letter from Henry to Hattie, September 12, 1874,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 29, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/772.