| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her relatives, with the address 'Blanket Bay', regarding her own illness and consequent failure to complete her Sunday duties; attendance at a ceremony for the distribution of medals to nurses selected by the Committee; she and her British colleagues arrived on time but were kept outside because the important people were late, and she has caught a chill; she does not regret missing work; description of the medal ceremony; description of the medals, of which she approves; it is ridiculous to give them to latecomers like herself, but it is being done quickly before the women orderlies arrive and before Tursini retires; she would have preferred the money and time to be spent on improvements to the hospital; contrasts between the glorious Italy of the speech at the ceremony and the dirty, ill-equipped wards; the war is also creating a false standard of appreciation of voluntary work; a Miss Barrett, sometime V.A.D. at Mentone, had been supposed to be coming to help but has now declined, presumably because she has heard about the conditions; Baroness de Hahn says S. Croce is by no means the worst; Aunt has again been busy with Miss Forster Walker; she has bought her two flannel vests from Miss Babington's (she sells English woollen goods) and a flannel bed-jacket which had to be made at Coen's; the sister is delighted but Miss Forster Walker is furious, and hit the sister; she has now locked them away and they cannot be found; she is stubborn and will not change her underclothes; she lately asked the doctor how long she would have to be there and he said four months, so they assume that that is in fact her life expectancy; Lady Meath is appreciative of their help for her cousin; heavy rain continues; tomorrow is Uncle's 76th. birthday; Mr. Green is pleasanter now; Maria's mother died on Monday morning; account of her illness, including bleeding and purging at S. Giacomo Hospital as first aid; no doctor saw her and she could not eat; the nun and priest did nothing for her; Maria hates the hospitals in Rome; the funeral costs were high so that she might be buried alone instead of six to a grave, and included a gate tax: the funeral was held early in the morning as the expenses are graded according to the hour; thanks for letters; sorry to hear that Miss Beilby is growing deaf; thanks for Annie Swan's booklet; B. Trewhella is making model dogs and selling them; Florence never went to London, and John has burned his leg causing suppuration and threatened gangrene, but he is improving. |