| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her relatives, regarding visit with honey toffee to Florence Polkinghorne who has influenza; she is being treated with poultices, but it looks like a lengthy illness; her studies are being interrupted; Signor Trucchi has died from a rupture of a blood-vessel in the heart, the day after attending the funeral of the American consul, Mr. Kelly; he had some connexion with undertaking [possibly running the Testaccio and Campo Verano cemeteries?], and was a close colleague of Uncle's in this regard; he had been for years reserving for Uncle the spot next to Aunt Bella's grave, but the agreement was a verbal one and Uncle has now had some trouble confirming it; he should have paid for it at the time but Trucchi was superstitious and would not allow it, and now it may be very expensive; Mr. Scott is to leave Leghorn today with no care for the work he leaves behind; Uncle has been writing to Irving about supplying him with Mr. Aitken, missionary at Naples, but there has been no reply as yet; Mr. Henderson has written out a list of rules and regulations for the mission but they are very strict; a summary follows; Scott was too lax but Henderson has gone the other way; it is too dependent on Miss Cooke, the ex-Salvation Army missionary; the reactions of Mr. Blake, Mr. Irving, and Mr. Laing; Laing thinks that Genoa is over-staffed; Miss Cooke's salary is derisory and Amelia cannot understand how men who are paid respectable salaries can expect women to live on so little; mention of the Rev. John E. Thomas' memoirs of missionary work in various places, including Rome; he has asked Uncle to help but has asked for far too much and Uncle should not co-operate; the Continental Committee have nominated a Mr. Crozier of Kilmory, Dumfriesshire, for the post at Leghorn without telling anyone in Italy; nothing is known of him; Milne Rae thinks the Presbyterian service should be more ornate; the Blakes are aiming to be appointed to Rome, though Laing would be more suitable; Mr. Henderson has not described Leghorn fairly to Mrs. Crozier, for it is not the place for a child; improvements in Aunt's health; Uncle has sat on and broken his reading glass. |