Section of a Letter from H. V. Noyes
Dublin Core
Title
Section of a Letter from H. V. Noyes
Subject
Food; Memories; Gifts; Boats and boating; Death; Visits
Description
This letter starts in the middle of a description of foods that Henry ate with the recipient of the letter. Henry references that it has been a while since they have cooked for him and mentions their skillet several times and references the "theological" days. Henry discusses boats and the fact that the recipient owns the boat Mr. McChesney was killed in. Henry mentions that Harriet is with him when sending his regards to "both" recipients of the letter.
Creator
Noyes, Henry Varnum
Source
Loose, The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
n.d.
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English); la (Latin)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_misc_835
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
memories of fried beef, and stewed
beef, and boiled beef, and [u] once [/u]
mirabile dictu! (Excuse the Latin,
I hav'nt perpetrated such a thing for
a long time and don't see how I
managed to do it now) the memory
of [u] oysters [/u]. Ah! those [u] buckwheat [/u]
[u] cakes [/u], 3/4ths of an inch thick, the best
that you or I or anyone ever yet
tasted swimming in [--maple in--]
maple molasses that came out
of that old "frying-pan," skillet,
spider, (or whatever you choose to call
it for I can think of no name good
enough) the bare mention of them
makes my mouth water now. Alas
for me that old skillet lives only in
dreams; the thickness of this [Illegible]
world separates it form me, if in-
deed it is any larger a [?skiller?] or
spider at all. But if I ever came
to your peaceful abode with soft
step, and pensive mediation I
shall seek your kitchen (Mrs Reid's
permission first obtained) that my eyes
may gaze upon that well-preserved
skillet of yours which was the
old companion of mine and if
there still are lingering there
Wisconsin eggs or ham or Baltimore
oysters I will not despise their
assistance in bringing back
the refreshing memories of "theological"
days.
You speak of going with
me in my boat. I hereby & here-
with send you the most cordial
invitation to do so. I have got
a new boat the gift of two
good ladies in HongKong have
had it about three months and
find it very comfortable. It was
during the first night that I
was out in this boat that
Bro McChesney was killed in it
& so I feel as though it had
been consecrated not without blood.
I have travelled considerably in it
since and expect hereafter to
travel in the country about half
of the time. We are not often likely
to incur danger from robbers
although there are always more
or less of them prowling along
the rivers. I preach at market
places, ancestral halls, old temples
and wherever I can find op-
portunity. When at home in Canton
I have a chapel to which I go
and talk awhile every day
The great pressing need
for us here is the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit. Without it we
spend our strength for nought &
the word we speak is like water
spilt upon the ground which
cannot be gathered up. So it is
the world over a truth which
I think every minister of the
gospel wherever he may labor
must in his experience soon
deeply feel
[--Out--] Our hot summer is
over and we are now having
very comfortable weather. It has
been a cooler summer than usual.
We are expecting Professor Seely (I
don't know that I spell it right) and
Professor Hitchcock in Canton in
a few days. We expcet Prof Hitchcock
to be our guest. He is the son
of the geologist and is professor
in Amherst College, so I suppose
we shall get a little of the
fragrance of "academic Halls"
for a few days. They are
going on to India and I pre-
sume from there home by way
of Europe. The trip "round the
world seems to be getting quite
common, will get too common to
be fashionable if people don't look
out. Well I must close as I
have two other letters to write this
morning.
I hav'nt heard from Dinsmore
for a good while but I see by the papers
that his health has failed. How sad
it seems.
It is very early in the
morning and Hattie is still in bed but
if here would I know join me in warmest
sympathy and remembrances for you both
As Ever Most Sincerely Yours H. V. Noyes
beef, and boiled beef, and [u] once [/u]
mirabile dictu! (Excuse the Latin,
I hav'nt perpetrated such a thing for
a long time and don't see how I
managed to do it now) the memory
of [u] oysters [/u]. Ah! those [u] buckwheat [/u]
[u] cakes [/u], 3/4ths of an inch thick, the best
that you or I or anyone ever yet
tasted swimming in [--maple in--]
maple molasses that came out
of that old "frying-pan," skillet,
spider, (or whatever you choose to call
it for I can think of no name good
enough) the bare mention of them
makes my mouth water now. Alas
for me that old skillet lives only in
dreams; the thickness of this [Illegible]
world separates it form me, if in-
deed it is any larger a [?skiller?] or
spider at all. But if I ever came
to your peaceful abode with soft
step, and pensive mediation I
shall seek your kitchen (Mrs Reid's
permission first obtained) that my eyes
may gaze upon that well-preserved
skillet of yours which was the
old companion of mine and if
there still are lingering there
Wisconsin eggs or ham or Baltimore
oysters I will not despise their
assistance in bringing back
the refreshing memories of "theological"
days.
You speak of going with
me in my boat. I hereby & here-
with send you the most cordial
invitation to do so. I have got
a new boat the gift of two
good ladies in HongKong have
had it about three months and
find it very comfortable. It was
during the first night that I
was out in this boat that
Bro McChesney was killed in it
& so I feel as though it had
been consecrated not without blood.
I have travelled considerably in it
since and expect hereafter to
travel in the country about half
of the time. We are not often likely
to incur danger from robbers
although there are always more
or less of them prowling along
the rivers. I preach at market
places, ancestral halls, old temples
and wherever I can find op-
portunity. When at home in Canton
I have a chapel to which I go
and talk awhile every day
The great pressing need
for us here is the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit. Without it we
spend our strength for nought &
the word we speak is like water
spilt upon the ground which
cannot be gathered up. So it is
the world over a truth which
I think every minister of the
gospel wherever he may labor
must in his experience soon
deeply feel
[--Out--] Our hot summer is
over and we are now having
very comfortable weather. It has
been a cooler summer than usual.
We are expecting Professor Seely (I
don't know that I spell it right) and
Professor Hitchcock in Canton in
a few days. We expcet Prof Hitchcock
to be our guest. He is the son
of the geologist and is professor
in Amherst College, so I suppose
we shall get a little of the
fragrance of "academic Halls"
for a few days. They are
going on to India and I pre-
sume from there home by way
of Europe. The trip "round the
world seems to be getting quite
common, will get too common to
be fashionable if people don't look
out. Well I must close as I
have two other letters to write this
morning.
I hav'nt heard from Dinsmore
for a good while but I see by the papers
that his health has failed. How sad
it seems.
It is very early in the
morning and Hattie is still in bed but
if here would I know join me in warmest
sympathy and remembrances for you both
As Ever Most Sincerely Yours H. V. Noyes
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Henry Varnum, “Section of a Letter from H. V. Noyes,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed November 21, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/910.