Letter from Henry to Father & Mother, May 3, 1883
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Henry to Father & Mother, May 3, 1883
Subject
Anniversaries; Child rearing--Religious aspects--Christianity; Families; Old age
Description
This letter from Henry to his parents is a celebration of their upcoming golden anniversary. He reflects on the difficulties of parenthood, which he has come to know, and the large family he grew up with. His childhood memories include piety and playfulness. Henry has a lot of respect for his parents in their old age.
Creator
Noyes, Henry Varnum
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #3
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1883-05-03
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_776
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton May 3d 1883
My dear Father & Mother
I do not know whether I
have ever written to you that I found
in one of my books here, three or four years
ago, a leaf that seemed to have come
from a bible, on which in Father's hand-
writing was our Family Record. I pasted
this leaf on the inside of the cover of the
Centennial Bible which you gave me
together. After the record of the date, when
each of you were born, follows this "[u] Married [/u]
[u] June [/u] [u] 17th [/u] [u] 1833 [/u]." I am thus reminded
that when June 17th of this year arrives,
you will have completed fifty years of
married life, and will (if your lives
are spared as I trust they will be) be
doing, what so few people in this world
are permitted to do, celebrating your
[u] golden [/u] [u] wedding [/u]. I asked Mrs Happer to
send you, what we gave her, as a small
token of remembrance from your son in
China and his wife and children. It
would be much more satisfactory to us could
we be present [u] ourselves [/u] to spend the day
with you, but not being able to do that,
this letter will reach you in time to
assure you that we shall bear you
on our hearts, and be asking that God's
richest blessing may rest upon you on
that day and all following ones.
What a long and varied experience, these
fifty years, that have passed since you
joined your hands for life's long work, have
brought, [?s?] times of sickness and times of
health, times of joy and times of sorrow!
times of perplexity and anxiety and times
of freedom in a measure from care!
though I must think that there could
never have been [u] much [/u] [u] time [/u] of [u] freedom [/u]
[u] from [/u] [u] care [/u] in bringing up the large family
of boy and girls, in addition to the con-
stant cares of a minister's parish. I
know better now than I used to about the
care & thought that parents have on account
of their children, and sometimes wonder how
you ever managed to get along with your nu-
merous flock. I have a vivid remembrance
of those long Saturday nights when mother
used to ply the needle till midnight to get
the children's stockings & other clothing ready
for the Sabbath, and I remember too, for
memory bears on her tablet an unfading
impression of these things, the Sabbath evenings
when the twilight was hastening on, how we
gathered together to repeat the Shorter Catechism
and sing together the songs of Zion. I trust
we shall all sing them together again
sometime, if not in the Earthly Home, at
length in that "Heavenly Home" which "is
bright and fair". What large thanks-
giving should come to you from your
children to-day for your christian faithfulness
in bringing them up in the "nurture
and admonition of the Lord! These lives
shall bear to you the thanks of one of
them, who gratefully remembers all
your work of labor and of love; and
feels in his inmost soul, that if he
ever accomplishes anything useful in
the world, it is due, so far as human
instrumentality is concerned, very largely
to you.
How memory goes back to
the old "Home on the hill" as I write
these lines, way back in [u] time [/u] it leads
me too, more than 40 years, when
I was a little boy, younger than my
own Willie is now, and played about
the yard, then as we grew older.
[u] Edward & I [/u], how we began to work
on the farm, chopping wood in the
woods and oh how many lazy
days we spent there, and what
[--ext--] exemplary patience father manifested
when he saw the little work we had
done, but as we grew older we did
better, as I would fain believe, when
we came to plough with those old
oxen [u] Board [/u] and [u] Brin [/u]. And so the
days and the years went on, ploughing
and planting, splitting rails and making
sugar, milking cows and breaking colts,
[?hoeing?] corn, making hay, and cutting
wheat and oats and husking corn, taking
care of the cattle and sheep in the winter
and going to school. And so the
time went on and the boys and girls
grew up to be men and women, and
one and another left the homestead roof
but a goodly number are still lingering
near. Two have gone from our sight
but how near or how far away, we
cannot tell with an earthly vision. Per-
haps with their heavenly vision they know
more of us than we do of them.
I remember well when Father was
40 years old and mother 34 younger
than my wife and I am now. It
was a good while after that, before the
gray hairs began to appear here and there,
but time brought them at length, and
now you have each that gray head which
is a [--gr--] crown of glory because found in
the way of righteousness. May God in
infinite love lead you gently through all
the remaining years of your earthly pil-
grimage and when that pilgrimage at
last is ended give you crowns of glory
that shall never fade.
Whether near or far away you may be
sure that all your children will [u] in [/u] [u] spirit [/u] gather
round the homestead hearth for your golden
wedding the [u] 17th of June 1833 [/u].
Much love from myself my wife and
children to you both & to all
Your aff Son
Henry
广州 1883 年 5 月 3 日
我亲爱的爸爸妈妈
我不知道我是否
我发现有没有写信给你
在我这里的一本书中，三四年
以前，一片叶子似乎已经来了
来自一本圣经，在父亲的手中——
写作是我们的家庭记录。我贴了
这片叶子在封面的内侧
你给我的百年圣经
一起。日期记录后，当
你们每个人出生，都遵循这个“已婚”
1833 年 6 月 17 日。”因此提醒我
当今年 6 月 17 日到来时，
你将完成五十年的
婚姻生活，并且会（如果你的生活
我相信他们会幸免于难）
干吗，这个世界上这么少的人
被允许做，庆祝你的
金婚。我请哈珀夫人
送你，我们给她的，作为一个小
纪念你儿子的信物
中国和他的妻子和孩子。它
对我们来说会更令人满意
我们在场度过这一天
和你在一起，但无法做到这一点，
这封信会及时送达您
向你保证，我们将承担你
在我们的心中，并要求上帝的
最丰富的祝福可能落在你身上
那天和之后的所有日子。
多么漫长而多变的经历啊，这些
五十年，从你过去
携手一生的长期工作，有
带来了 s 次生病和多次
健康，快乐的时候和悲伤的时候！
困惑和焦虑的时代和时代
在一定程度上免于照顾的自由！
虽然我必须认为可以
从来没有太多的自由时间
来自抚养大家庭的关怀
男孩和女孩，除了牧师教区的不断关心。我
现在比以前更了解
父母的关心和想法
他们的孩子，有时想知道如何
你曾经设法与你众多的羊群相处。我有一个生动的回忆
在那些漫长的星期六晚上，妈妈
用来打针直到午夜
孩子们的丝袜和其他衣服准备好了
为了安息日，我也记得，因为
记忆在她的平板电脑上永不褪色
对这些事情的印象，安息日晚上
当暮色渐行渐远，我们如何
聚在一起重复小要理问答
一起唱锡安的歌。我相信
我们将再次一起唱
有时，如果不是在尘世之家，在
在那个“天家”中的长度是“是
明亮而公平”。多么大的感谢-
给予应该来自你的
今天的孩子们为你的基督徒忠诚
在“培育”中培养他们
和主的警告！这些生活
将向你表示感谢之一
他们，感激地记得所有
你的劳动和爱的工作；和
在他内心深处感到，如果他
曾经完成过任何有用的事情
世界，这是应得的，就人类而言
工具性方面，很大程度上是
给你。
记忆如何回到
我写作时的旧“山上之家”
这些线条，回到过去
我也是，四十多年，当
我是个小男孩，比我还小
自己的威利是现在，并且玩过
院子里，然后随着我们长大。
爱德华和我，我们是如何开始工作的
在农场，在砍柴
伍兹和哦有多少懒惰
我们在那里度过的日子，还有什么
表现出模范耐心的父亲
当他看到我们的小工作时
完成了，但随着年龄的增长，我们做到了
更好，正如我坚信的那样，当
我们来和那些老人一起耕作
牛板和布林。所以
日复一日，年复一年，耕作
和种植，分裂铁轨和制作
糖，挤奶的奶牛和打破小马，
锄玉米、制作干草和切割
小麦、燕麦和去壳玉米，服用
冬季看护牛羊
和上学。所以
时间过去了，男孩和女孩
长大成为男人和女人，并且
一个又一个离开宅基地屋顶
但是很多人仍然挥之不去
靠近。两个已经从我们的视线中消失了
但多近或多远，我们
不能用世俗的眼光来判断。也许凭借他们的天堂般的眼光，他们知道
我们比他们多。
我记得很清楚父亲在
40岁，妈妈比她小34岁
比我和我的妻子现在。它
在那之后很长一段时间，在
白发开始到处出现，
但时间终于把它们带了出来，而且
现在你每个人都有那个灰色的头
是荣耀的冠冕，因为在
正义之道。愿上帝在
无限的爱 轻轻带你穿越一切
你在尘世朝圣的剩余岁月，以及那次朝圣在
最后结束给你荣耀的冠冕
那永远不会褪色。
无论远近，你都可能
确保你所有的孩子都会在精神上聚集
围绕家园的壁炉为你的金色
1833 年 6 月 17 日结婚。
来自我自己的爱，我的妻子和
你和所有人的孩子
你的亲儿子
亨利
My dear Father & Mother
I do not know whether I
have ever written to you that I found
in one of my books here, three or four years
ago, a leaf that seemed to have come
from a bible, on which in Father's hand-
writing was our Family Record. I pasted
this leaf on the inside of the cover of the
Centennial Bible which you gave me
together. After the record of the date, when
each of you were born, follows this "[u] Married [/u]
[u] June [/u] [u] 17th [/u] [u] 1833 [/u]." I am thus reminded
that when June 17th of this year arrives,
you will have completed fifty years of
married life, and will (if your lives
are spared as I trust they will be) be
doing, what so few people in this world
are permitted to do, celebrating your
[u] golden [/u] [u] wedding [/u]. I asked Mrs Happer to
send you, what we gave her, as a small
token of remembrance from your son in
China and his wife and children. It
would be much more satisfactory to us could
we be present [u] ourselves [/u] to spend the day
with you, but not being able to do that,
this letter will reach you in time to
assure you that we shall bear you
on our hearts, and be asking that God's
richest blessing may rest upon you on
that day and all following ones.
What a long and varied experience, these
fifty years, that have passed since you
joined your hands for life's long work, have
brought, [?s?] times of sickness and times of
health, times of joy and times of sorrow!
times of perplexity and anxiety and times
of freedom in a measure from care!
though I must think that there could
never have been [u] much [/u] [u] time [/u] of [u] freedom [/u]
[u] from [/u] [u] care [/u] in bringing up the large family
of boy and girls, in addition to the con-
stant cares of a minister's parish. I
know better now than I used to about the
care & thought that parents have on account
of their children, and sometimes wonder how
you ever managed to get along with your nu-
merous flock. I have a vivid remembrance
of those long Saturday nights when mother
used to ply the needle till midnight to get
the children's stockings & other clothing ready
for the Sabbath, and I remember too, for
memory bears on her tablet an unfading
impression of these things, the Sabbath evenings
when the twilight was hastening on, how we
gathered together to repeat the Shorter Catechism
and sing together the songs of Zion. I trust
we shall all sing them together again
sometime, if not in the Earthly Home, at
length in that "Heavenly Home" which "is
bright and fair". What large thanks-
giving should come to you from your
children to-day for your christian faithfulness
in bringing them up in the "nurture
and admonition of the Lord! These lives
shall bear to you the thanks of one of
them, who gratefully remembers all
your work of labor and of love; and
feels in his inmost soul, that if he
ever accomplishes anything useful in
the world, it is due, so far as human
instrumentality is concerned, very largely
to you.
How memory goes back to
the old "Home on the hill" as I write
these lines, way back in [u] time [/u] it leads
me too, more than 40 years, when
I was a little boy, younger than my
own Willie is now, and played about
the yard, then as we grew older.
[u] Edward & I [/u], how we began to work
on the farm, chopping wood in the
woods and oh how many lazy
days we spent there, and what
[--ext--] exemplary patience father manifested
when he saw the little work we had
done, but as we grew older we did
better, as I would fain believe, when
we came to plough with those old
oxen [u] Board [/u] and [u] Brin [/u]. And so the
days and the years went on, ploughing
and planting, splitting rails and making
sugar, milking cows and breaking colts,
[?hoeing?] corn, making hay, and cutting
wheat and oats and husking corn, taking
care of the cattle and sheep in the winter
and going to school. And so the
time went on and the boys and girls
grew up to be men and women, and
one and another left the homestead roof
but a goodly number are still lingering
near. Two have gone from our sight
but how near or how far away, we
cannot tell with an earthly vision. Per-
haps with their heavenly vision they know
more of us than we do of them.
I remember well when Father was
40 years old and mother 34 younger
than my wife and I am now. It
was a good while after that, before the
gray hairs began to appear here and there,
but time brought them at length, and
now you have each that gray head which
is a [--gr--] crown of glory because found in
the way of righteousness. May God in
infinite love lead you gently through all
the remaining years of your earthly pil-
grimage and when that pilgrimage at
last is ended give you crowns of glory
that shall never fade.
Whether near or far away you may be
sure that all your children will [u] in [/u] [u] spirit [/u] gather
round the homestead hearth for your golden
wedding the [u] 17th of June 1833 [/u].
Much love from myself my wife and
children to you both & to all
Your aff Son
Henry
广州 1883 年 5 月 3 日
我亲爱的爸爸妈妈
我不知道我是否
我发现有没有写信给你
在我这里的一本书中，三四年
以前，一片叶子似乎已经来了
来自一本圣经，在父亲的手中——
写作是我们的家庭记录。我贴了
这片叶子在封面的内侧
你给我的百年圣经
一起。日期记录后，当
你们每个人出生，都遵循这个“已婚”
1833 年 6 月 17 日。”因此提醒我
当今年 6 月 17 日到来时，
你将完成五十年的
婚姻生活，并且会（如果你的生活
我相信他们会幸免于难）
干吗，这个世界上这么少的人
被允许做，庆祝你的
金婚。我请哈珀夫人
送你，我们给她的，作为一个小
纪念你儿子的信物
中国和他的妻子和孩子。它
对我们来说会更令人满意
我们在场度过这一天
和你在一起，但无法做到这一点，
这封信会及时送达您
向你保证，我们将承担你
在我们的心中，并要求上帝的
最丰富的祝福可能落在你身上
那天和之后的所有日子。
多么漫长而多变的经历啊，这些
五十年，从你过去
携手一生的长期工作，有
带来了 s 次生病和多次
健康，快乐的时候和悲伤的时候！
困惑和焦虑的时代和时代
在一定程度上免于照顾的自由！
虽然我必须认为可以
从来没有太多的自由时间
来自抚养大家庭的关怀
男孩和女孩，除了牧师教区的不断关心。我
现在比以前更了解
父母的关心和想法
他们的孩子，有时想知道如何
你曾经设法与你众多的羊群相处。我有一个生动的回忆
在那些漫长的星期六晚上，妈妈
用来打针直到午夜
孩子们的丝袜和其他衣服准备好了
为了安息日，我也记得，因为
记忆在她的平板电脑上永不褪色
对这些事情的印象，安息日晚上
当暮色渐行渐远，我们如何
聚在一起重复小要理问答
一起唱锡安的歌。我相信
我们将再次一起唱
有时，如果不是在尘世之家，在
在那个“天家”中的长度是“是
明亮而公平”。多么大的感谢-
给予应该来自你的
今天的孩子们为你的基督徒忠诚
在“培育”中培养他们
和主的警告！这些生活
将向你表示感谢之一
他们，感激地记得所有
你的劳动和爱的工作；和
在他内心深处感到，如果他
曾经完成过任何有用的事情
世界，这是应得的，就人类而言
工具性方面，很大程度上是
给你。
记忆如何回到
我写作时的旧“山上之家”
这些线条，回到过去
我也是，四十多年，当
我是个小男孩，比我还小
自己的威利是现在，并且玩过
院子里，然后随着我们长大。
爱德华和我，我们是如何开始工作的
在农场，在砍柴
伍兹和哦有多少懒惰
我们在那里度过的日子，还有什么
表现出模范耐心的父亲
当他看到我们的小工作时
完成了，但随着年龄的增长，我们做到了
更好，正如我坚信的那样，当
我们来和那些老人一起耕作
牛板和布林。所以
日复一日，年复一年，耕作
和种植，分裂铁轨和制作
糖，挤奶的奶牛和打破小马，
锄玉米、制作干草和切割
小麦、燕麦和去壳玉米，服用
冬季看护牛羊
和上学。所以
时间过去了，男孩和女孩
长大成为男人和女人，并且
一个又一个离开宅基地屋顶
但是很多人仍然挥之不去
靠近。两个已经从我们的视线中消失了
但多近或多远，我们
不能用世俗的眼光来判断。也许凭借他们的天堂般的眼光，他们知道
我们比他们多。
我记得很清楚父亲在
40岁，妈妈比她小34岁
比我和我的妻子现在。它
在那之后很长一段时间，在
白发开始到处出现，
但时间终于把它们带了出来，而且
现在你每个人都有那个灰色的头
是荣耀的冠冕，因为在
正义之道。愿上帝在
无限的爱 轻轻带你穿越一切
你在尘世朝圣的剩余岁月，以及那次朝圣在
最后结束给你荣耀的冠冕
那永远不会褪色。
无论远近，你都可能
确保你所有的孩子都会在精神上聚集
围绕家园的壁炉为你的金色
1833 年 6 月 17 日结婚。
来自我自己的爱，我的妻子和
你和所有人的孩子
你的亲儿子
亨利
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Henry Varnum, “Letter from Henry to Father & Mother, May 3, 1883,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 26, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/848.