Letter from Martha to Clara

Letter from Martha to Clara

Family; Diseases; Cold weather conditions; Finance; Missionaries

Martha writes to Clara about Frank's illness and how it is probably a great drain on his strength. Henry and Harriet have both left and Martha is feeling rather lonely but is looking forward to seeing them again. Martha has been looking over the finances even though she does not think it is her greatest strength. Martha tells Clara that she's so sorry to hear about Sarah's illness and thinks that Sarah should stop teaching for a while.

Kerr, Martha Noyes

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

Unpublished

n.d.

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English); chi (Chinese)

Text

noyes_c_cor_889

Canton China
Dear Clara,
I do not think I have
written to Mother or Em for
a long time but now Hattie
and Henry are gone and the
letters all depend upon me I will
try and go arround in turn
and so will answer the letters
I received by the last mail
and then begin [?square?]. I am
so sorry brother Frank [--coughfs--]
coughs so much it must be
a heavy drain upon his strength
I sit to night at Henry's study
table where he has worked so
constantly the past years. Every
thing reminds me of him
some of the books lie on the
table just as he left them. I do
not let myself think of them
very much yet the parting I had

though much about but when
it came grace was given and
it was nice to feel I was doing
this for you and them. If they
both come back well and strong
I shall feel very happy.
Have not heard from them
although they have been gone
3 weeks in fact can not hope to
hear for another week. We are
going on very comfortable except
we have had bitter cold weather
for Canton. Colder it is said than
was ever known in Hong Kong
before. I was glad part of the
household escaped it suppose
they were warm enough in Bank-
kok. You would laugh if you
could see me taking accounts
with [?our?] cook. He came up
to night and wanted to know
if I had leisure to take [^the] accounts
Now I wrote them last Saturday
and this was only Tues, so I said
What accounts He replied -
"pit-ting yan [Note: Chinese script] gal a bogh"
In other words Indeed there are

a good many accounts - So of
course I dutifully got my book and
pencil and went to work.
I cant say I feel looking after
the finances is my particular
fort but nevertheless I expect to
be under the necessity of doing
something about it. Last ever
we went down to the other
end of the mission about 1 1/2
miles distant to take tea with
our single sisters of the Weslyian
Mission did not get home
until nearly 11 oclock as the
tide was against. Had a very
pleasant time. Mr and Mrs
Whitehead also Mr Masters one of
the single brethren were also
invited so we had a sprinkling
of gentlemen. I wish you could
see some of the beautiful Came-
lias we have just now in bloom
They are pure white the plant
{a house plant} looks like a
little tree has a host of birds
and had this blossom fragrance
I think it would be perfect

[Note: written horizontally across page 4]
I believe this is sometimes called Japonica at home
I have been trying to settle up my correspondence list
during the New Year's week when we had no teachers but
find I have still 25 unwritten letters. As our schools
do not open for another week I hope to reduce it a little
more ere that time. Did I tell you my Bloomfield
ladies had sent me out a nice box of pictures and
nice little presents for the schools during the [?coming?]
year. They will be such a help to us all - Johnnie
Happer has been making some frames for a few of the
pictures [--from--] with some [?slraws?] the second Mrs Happer
brought out from American for the purpose or rather such a
purpose. I am so sorry to hear of Sarahs ill health [u]She
must stop teaching at least[/u] for a year or she will soon
be obliged to stop altogether. I shall want to hear about
that Christmas Concert - am sure it will be good. Dear
Edward I think so much about his disappointment in
reference to that machine. It will be nice when Henry
and Hattie can know all about the many things it is so
impossible to write about fully. I do hope their visit will
be a great comfort to the dear dome circle - feel as if my

[Note: written horizontally across page 1]
contributing is letting them go. We have an English
lady to use the instrument on Sabbath eve at our Mission-
[?Any?] service and have
a complete set of
new times. I am
free to confess I do
not enjoy the new
wine- the old
according to my
fancy was better
Good night
must [?send?] greet-
ing to one or
two more before
I sleep. It seems
strange to think
I shall get all
the Canton letters
The policeman's
gong sounds in
my ear as I write
We have not felt

[Note: written upside down on page 1]
Any fears at night Your loving Sister
Martha




中国广东
亲爱的克拉拉，
我不认为我有
写给母亲或Em
很长一段时间，但现在海蒂
亨利走了，
字母都取决于我 我会
试着轮流转转
所以会回信
我收到了最后一封邮件
然后开始正方形。我是
很抱歉弗兰克兄弟
咳得很厉害，一定是
严重消耗他的力量
晚上我坐在亨利的书房里
他工作过的桌子
过去几年不断。每一个
事情让我想起了他
有些书躺在
就在他离开他们的时候。我愿意
不要让自己想起他们
我的离别

虽然很多，但当
它来了，恩典被赐予，
很高兴我在做
这是给你和他们的。如果他们
都恢复得很好
我会感到非常高兴。
没有收到他们的消息
虽然他们已经走了
3周其实不能指望
再听一周。我们是
进行得很舒服，除了
我们经历了严寒的天气
为广州。据说比
曾在香港出名
前。我很高兴的一部分
假设家庭逃脱了
他们在银行足够温暖-
角。如果你会笑
可以看到我记账
与 [?our?] 厨师。他上来了
到晚上想知道
如果我有闲暇去记账
现在我上周六写的
这只是周二，所以我说
他回答了什么帐目——
“pit-ting yan [注：汉字] gal a bogh”
换句话说，确实有

很多帐户 - 所以
当然，我尽职尽责地拿到了我的书
铅笔去上班了。
我不能说我感到被照顾
财务是我的专属
堡垒，但我仍然希望
迫不得已
关于它的东西。最后一次
我们去了另一个
任务结束约 1 1/2
相隔千里喝茶
我们的卫斯理单身姐妹
任务没有回家
直到将近 11 点
潮流是反对的。过得很
愉快的时光。先生和夫人
怀特黑德也是马斯特斯先生之一
单身弟兄们也
受邀，所以我们洒了
先生们。我希望你可以
看到一些美丽的来了-
我们刚刚盛开的谎言
它们是纯白色的植物
{a house plant} 看起来像
小树上有很多鸟
有这花香
我认为这将是完美的

[注：横写在第 4 页]
我相信这有时在家里被称为粳稻
我一直在努力整理我的通讯清单
在新年那一周，我们没有老师，但
发现我还有 25 封未写的信。作为我们的学校
不要再开一个星期我希望减少一点
那个时候更早。我有没有告诉你我的布卢姆菲尔德
女士们给我寄了一盒漂亮的照片，
在 [?coming?] 期间为学校准备的精美小礼物
年。他们对我们所有人都会有很大的帮助 - 约翰尼
Happer 一直在为一些
与一些 [?slraws?] 第二夫人 Happer 合影
为了这个目的，或者更确切地说，从美国带出
目的。听说莎拉身体不好，我很难过她
必须停止教学至少一年，否则她很快就会
必须完全停止。我想听听
那场圣诞音乐会——我相信它会很好。亲爱的
爱德华 我想了很多关于他的失望
参考那台机器。亨利会很好
海蒂可以知道很多事情
不可能完全写出来。我真希望他们的访问会
给亲爱的圆顶圈一个很大的安慰——感觉好像我的

[注：横写在第 1 页]
贡献就是让他们离开。我们有英语
女士在安息日前夕在我们的使命中使用该乐器-
任何服务并拥有
一套完整的
新时代。我是
坦白我愿意
不享受新的
酒——老
根据我的
花式更好
晚安
必须发送问候-
ING到一个或
之前还有两个
我睡觉。它似乎
觉得奇怪
我会得到所有
广信
警察的
锣声响起
我写作时的耳朵
我们没有感觉到

[注：在第 1 页倒写]
晚上的任何恐惧 你亲爱的姐姐
玛莎