Letter from Henry to Harriet
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Henry to Harriet
Subject
Typhoons; Travel with donkeys; Missionaries; Salaries; Drowning; Newspapers
Description
Henry writes to Harriet thankful that she has survived the recent typhoon. He reports little damage to buildings in Macao. He rode with a Chinese missionary for four hundred miles and plans to continue his travels. He then discusses the salaries of missionaries. Henry heard that a Richard A. Breck from a boat called Yantic drowned at Amoy and that Cousin Horace will be saddened. Henry hopes to write for the "Social Herald" before leaving for Shanghai. He concludes by discussing the comings and goings of various missionaries.
Creator
Noyes, Henry Varnum
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #3
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
Unknown
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
notes_c_cor_699
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
My dear Hattie
Your letter telling me
all about the typhoon I received here
just on my return last Friday from
my long country trip to Chi-mi. I
was very glad to know that you all got safely
through that fearful typhoon. I should not
have received your letter any sooner than
I did even if you had written earlier as the
letters were kept at Dr Nevin's until my
return. I heard of the typhoon first at
Tungchow as Mr Corbett had to come
home that way to get his children
who had been left with Mrs Mateer. I
then saw an account in the Shanghai
papers taken from the "China Mail." I felt
a little anxiety but had a good deal
of faith in the solid character of the
foreign houses in Macao and supposed
the damage to buildings was probably mostly
in the Chinese part. I could find no no-
tice of any foreigners on shore being
injured and so was tolerably easy al-
though I was much better satisfied
and more relieved ^when getting your letter. You must have
had a very anxious night and
I presume that any curiosity that
any of you may have had to witness
a typhoon is fully satisfied.
I wrote to you just before
starting into the country. The day following
(Friday) I mounted my mule and
started. A Chinese preacher with a
donkey accompanied me. We started
at light in the morning and with
the exception of an hour and a half
or two hours for dinner travelled until
9-o-clock that night. The next day
started at six and went until
eight in the evening. I got pretty tired
by that time and so was ready for
the rest of Sunday. By Monday I was
fully rested and we took rather
shorter stages so that I scarcely felt
tired again during the twenty fol-
lowing days although I rode my
[--my--] mule 13 of those days and
travelled in all on his back about
400 miles. It was nice cool
weather and very invigorating. It
made me feel more as I used
to at home [--that--] than I have for
a long time in China. I expect
to start for Shanghai with the Ellinwoods
on Thursday or Friday of this week and
after being there awhile shall be glad
to set my face towards old Canton
the place of all others in China that
I have yet seen where I would
wish to be a missionary. I intend
to go to Soochow and Ningpo but
am not sure whether I shall go
up to Hangchow and so will I
think be sure of being in Canton
not later than the middle of November
I can't go down with the Ellinwoods
from Shanghai as they have a through
ticket by the P + O steamers and
so of course must take that line
which I doubt not will be too expensive
for me when I can get my passage down
by [?Siemem?] + Cos steamers for $30-
I dont ^know whether I ever mentioned to
you that Miss Downing and Miss Dicky
have $ 600 each as salary. Miss
Downing keeps house and Miss Dicky
expect to live with Mr + Mrs Shaw.
From what I hear and see I doubt
very much whether there is any reason
for the salaries in Canton being any
lower than here or at the other
stations in China. In Shanghai am
[illegible] here the missionaries were under
the impression that men's salaries at
least were the same all over China.
They said such action was taken by
the Board a year or two ago. When
told Farnham that the salaries for
married missionaries in Canton was $900!
he insisted that I was wrong for he
said they had been made the same for
all China - married miss - $1000 and
single miss $ 720 and up here the
salary of a widower (Mr Mills + Mr Corbett)
is put the same as a single miss $720
just the same as Butler + [?TL?] Mateer. When
I go back to Shanghai I am going to get
hold of the letter from the Board in
regard to the matter, if Farnham can
find it and see just what they do say
Well you see I have been betrayed
into a discussion about salaries.
Did you see the notice in the papers
of the death by drowning ^at Amoy of [u]Richard A Breck[/u]
of the str Yantic. He went in to bathe and
was caught by the surf and not being much
of a swimmer was lost. It will be sad
news for Cousin Horace + family. I think I will
write to Dr Talmage when I get back to Shanghai
and ask him if he had any acquaintance with
him and can give any particulars in regard to
him. Thank Mattie + Lucy for their letters written
[Note: Letter continues sideways in right margin]
at an earlier date than your last. You are all very good to write + I hope will keep it
up till I get back if you do get rather poor returns. My love to
[Note: Letter continues sideways in the left margin]
all the Canton friend If I get time before the str leaves for Shanghai which takes
this I am going to scribble a few lines for the "Social Herald." If I don't get it
done then [?will?] be little lost. Your loving Bro H
[Note: Additional note sideways in left margin of page two]
[--MrS--] Mr Shaw who has just come to [?Nungchow?] says that he met
Mattie at Cleveland. He wished me to give her his regards and say that "he was
glad to be on the same continent with her."
[Note: Additional note sideways in left margin of page four]
I am stopping soon with the Hartwells. Mr Corbett expects to leave for home with his
children next March. I wrote once that Dr Happer had written to Mr C that he was going next
spring. It seems he has changed his mind for he has just written to Corbett to ask him
to take charge of Mary + Verdie from Japan [?outposts?] so Hattie I guess we
will have nothing + [illegible] our getting away in [u]1876[/u].
Your letter telling me
all about the typhoon I received here
just on my return last Friday from
my long country trip to Chi-mi. I
was very glad to know that you all got safely
through that fearful typhoon. I should not
have received your letter any sooner than
I did even if you had written earlier as the
letters were kept at Dr Nevin's until my
return. I heard of the typhoon first at
Tungchow as Mr Corbett had to come
home that way to get his children
who had been left with Mrs Mateer. I
then saw an account in the Shanghai
papers taken from the "China Mail." I felt
a little anxiety but had a good deal
of faith in the solid character of the
foreign houses in Macao and supposed
the damage to buildings was probably mostly
in the Chinese part. I could find no no-
tice of any foreigners on shore being
injured and so was tolerably easy al-
though I was much better satisfied
and more relieved ^when getting your letter. You must have
had a very anxious night and
I presume that any curiosity that
any of you may have had to witness
a typhoon is fully satisfied.
I wrote to you just before
starting into the country. The day following
(Friday) I mounted my mule and
started. A Chinese preacher with a
donkey accompanied me. We started
at light in the morning and with
the exception of an hour and a half
or two hours for dinner travelled until
9-o-clock that night. The next day
started at six and went until
eight in the evening. I got pretty tired
by that time and so was ready for
the rest of Sunday. By Monday I was
fully rested and we took rather
shorter stages so that I scarcely felt
tired again during the twenty fol-
lowing days although I rode my
[--my--] mule 13 of those days and
travelled in all on his back about
400 miles. It was nice cool
weather and very invigorating. It
made me feel more as I used
to at home [--that--] than I have for
a long time in China. I expect
to start for Shanghai with the Ellinwoods
on Thursday or Friday of this week and
after being there awhile shall be glad
to set my face towards old Canton
the place of all others in China that
I have yet seen where I would
wish to be a missionary. I intend
to go to Soochow and Ningpo but
am not sure whether I shall go
up to Hangchow and so will I
think be sure of being in Canton
not later than the middle of November
I can't go down with the Ellinwoods
from Shanghai as they have a through
ticket by the P + O steamers and
so of course must take that line
which I doubt not will be too expensive
for me when I can get my passage down
by [?Siemem?] + Cos steamers for $30-
I dont ^know whether I ever mentioned to
you that Miss Downing and Miss Dicky
have $ 600 each as salary. Miss
Downing keeps house and Miss Dicky
expect to live with Mr + Mrs Shaw.
From what I hear and see I doubt
very much whether there is any reason
for the salaries in Canton being any
lower than here or at the other
stations in China. In Shanghai am
[illegible] here the missionaries were under
the impression that men's salaries at
least were the same all over China.
They said such action was taken by
the Board a year or two ago. When
told Farnham that the salaries for
married missionaries in Canton was $900!
he insisted that I was wrong for he
said they had been made the same for
all China - married miss - $1000 and
single miss $ 720 and up here the
salary of a widower (Mr Mills + Mr Corbett)
is put the same as a single miss $720
just the same as Butler + [?TL?] Mateer. When
I go back to Shanghai I am going to get
hold of the letter from the Board in
regard to the matter, if Farnham can
find it and see just what they do say
Well you see I have been betrayed
into a discussion about salaries.
Did you see the notice in the papers
of the death by drowning ^at Amoy of [u]Richard A Breck[/u]
of the str Yantic. He went in to bathe and
was caught by the surf and not being much
of a swimmer was lost. It will be sad
news for Cousin Horace + family. I think I will
write to Dr Talmage when I get back to Shanghai
and ask him if he had any acquaintance with
him and can give any particulars in regard to
him. Thank Mattie + Lucy for their letters written
[Note: Letter continues sideways in right margin]
at an earlier date than your last. You are all very good to write + I hope will keep it
up till I get back if you do get rather poor returns. My love to
[Note: Letter continues sideways in the left margin]
all the Canton friend If I get time before the str leaves for Shanghai which takes
this I am going to scribble a few lines for the "Social Herald." If I don't get it
done then [?will?] be little lost. Your loving Bro H
[Note: Additional note sideways in left margin of page two]
[--MrS--] Mr Shaw who has just come to [?Nungchow?] says that he met
Mattie at Cleveland. He wished me to give her his regards and say that "he was
glad to be on the same continent with her."
[Note: Additional note sideways in left margin of page four]
I am stopping soon with the Hartwells. Mr Corbett expects to leave for home with his
children next March. I wrote once that Dr Happer had written to Mr C that he was going next
spring. It seems he has changed his mind for he has just written to Corbett to ask him
to take charge of Mary + Verdie from Japan [?outposts?] so Hattie I guess we
will have nothing + [illegible] our getting away in [u]1876[/u].
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Henry Varnum, “Letter from Henry to Harriet,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed May 2, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/773.