-上一頁--UP-
 

史的一刻─

葛雷絲•艾琳•曼恩的信件

 Historic Moments: The Grace Irene Mann letters

By Susan Hanf

Rotary International News -- 20 May 2010

國際扶輪3520 地區 地區中文秘書高永吉 PP Spencer


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

一封由葛雷絲艾琳曼恩於1906424寄給保羅哈理斯的信件及信封。

A letter and envelope from Grace Irene Mann to Paul P. Harris, 24 April 1906.

 

扶輪創始人保羅哈理斯在他遇到其末來夫人珍恩之前有一段鮮為人知的羅曼史。

Rotary founder Paul P. Harris had a little-known romance before he met his future wife, Jean .

 

葛雷絲艾琳曼恩是來自美國佛羅里達州一個顯赫家庭的女孩。哈理斯是在1905年去拜訪其一位朋友,也是他以前的雇主,住於傑克遜維的喬治克拉克。

Grace Irene Mann was from a prominent family in Florida, USA. Harris met her in 1905 on a visit to see his friend and former employer George C. Clark in Jacksonville.

 

哈理斯與曼恩有書信往還,在書信中他們分享愛慕之情、閒聊及談論他們的家庭、神學及哲學。他告訴她正在尋找芝加哥扶輪社之例會場所,並提供扶輪社章程之細節。

Harris and Mann exchanged letters in which they shared affection, gossiped, and discussed their families, theology, and philosophy. He told her about searching for a meeting place for the Rotary Club of Chicago and offered details of the club's constitution.

 

曼恩回應他有關扶輪的故事表現很熱心:

Mann replied to his tales of Rotary with enthusiasm:

 

因為你已經寫好扶輪社的章程及細則,對此我有很大的興趣….,我認為你已完全涵蓋所有簡潔的及精實的結構。這細則特別好。

I take great interest in the Constitution and By laws of your Rotary Club because you have written them. … I think you have covered everything in a concise and compact form. … The By-laws are especially good.

 

根據這些信件,他們間之婚事曾經於1906年之秋季被提及,雖然曼恩的家庭最後不鼓勵她與哈里斯成婚。

According to the letters, the idea of marriage was broached in the fall of 1906, though Mann's family ultimately discouraged her from settling down with Harris.

 

他們間之書信往來於1907年五月份結束,在哈里斯給曼恩最後一封信中,他如此寫著:

Their correspondence ended in May 1907. In his final letter to Mann, Harris wrote:

 

我當然對你的將來深感興趣,同時,我渴望你成為一位偉大的女孩子,我也確信你將會……..妳將會快樂,請向妳道爾頓的朋友們問安,妳最誠摯的,保羅哈理斯。

I certainly am interested in your future and I desire you to make a great girl of yourself and I am sure you will. … You will be happy. Give my best to your Dalton friends. Yours very truly, Paul P. Harris

 

根據習俗,哈理斯將所有從她那裡收到的信全數寄還。當曼恩於1910年與約翰貝爾結婚,她將這些信件存放在妹妹梅音曼恩傑尼恩的閣樓中。這些信件一直存放在那裡,一直到1963年該房子拆除為止,才把它們交給曼恩的長女伊麗莎白。

Harris returned the letters he received from her, as was the custom. When Mann married John Murrell Bell in June 1910, she stored the correspondence in the attic of her sister May Mann Jennings. The letters remained there until the home was demolished in 1963, at which time they were given to Mann's eldest daughter, Elizabeth.

 

1997年,曼恩的女兒葛雷絲貝爾羅傑斯才將這些信件捐贈予國際扶輪。

In 1997, Mann's daughter Grace Bell Rogers donated the letters to Rotary International.