| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her relatives, regarding trouble in finding an organ tuner; Mme. B.'s daughter sent her to Venturini in the Corso, but he is doing war work in a factory and can only come in the evening to see about it, and on a Sunday afternoon to do the work; they previously used Signor Bruttapasta but it is hard to track him down because jealous parties give the wrong address for him; she will pay for the repairs and cleaning herself, rather than put money in the plate and have Uncle pay the bill; Fulvio has made a repair to the curtain which needs redoing; she has been repairing her own clothes and sorting out her possessions, including much of her packing for France; she has had no word yet about her departure; Uncle is still being mean about her leaving; she had thought that Chambéry was being reserved for the Italian front but now both English and French troops have been hurried back to France; visit of Aunt and Uncle to Mrs. Ashby, whose leg has been 'badly mismanaged'; she refused massage as the doctor and masseur shook it badly; she is 75, and has had three attacks of phlebitis since; Dr. Ashby is home on leave from Genoa where he is transport officer; he was taken away from Dr. Brock's hospital section at the retreat; Mr. Green says that the Red Cross staff reports of the retreats made interesting reading but have been mangled in being made use of in London; Cadorna seems to have been an unsuccessful military leader; letters from Mrs. Polkinghorne, whose foot is much better; they have sold Peccioli and are trying to buy a house near Florence, La Primola, in which Savonarola and others spent time; it will be a good size for Frank when he marries; visit to Miss Trewhella, who showed them pictures of La Primola, situated above Fiesole and very pretty - some description; the Polkinghornes will be glad to leave Pratello by June, as there are water shortages there; Frank was expected home on leave but French leaves are now cut short; Mr. and Miss Trewhella are looking out for a smaller home in Rome as their present house is too large for two; busy with sorting out passports for Miss Bell and Miss Mann; Miss Bell thinks that Amelia should become a missionary; she would have liked to work for her at Bangour, but she will not work in Hebron, just as she will not work in Africa; the climate is too hot; she insists that massage is her war work, but her profession is the organ; Miss Mann wants her to go to Damascus instead; Aunt's visit to Beatrice (Genetouse), who has handed her villa over to the American Red Cross and is seeking an apartment; the Italian government asked her what price she wanted and it was agreed to, but she has been turned out and has not seen the money; the place has been wrecked and she is behind on her rent waiting for the payment; the Italians have told the Americans that the villa belonged to a German whose house was sequestrated by the government, so Beatrice is threatening to tell the Americans the truth if she is not paid; Beatrice is the daughter of a Scottish woman and an Italian, and the family are well-known hotel people in Naples; Aunt is trying to help, and has put Beatrice into contact with some American ladies in need of a safe home and in some cases a little nursing; Amelia has been demonstrating the English orthopaedic models to the Rossis, including Paul and Mary; she is tired as the scirocco has begun; Paul asked about the Marchesa di Centurione, and says that her husband is a traitor - he was involved in the Giolitti affair and when the German agents paid over 500,000 francs to the Italians, it ended up in the Marchese's pocket; he believes she takes all the donations and membership money for the laboratorio as well; he further thinks that the Marchesa gave over her palace to orthopaedic work to help her husband's public profile after the rumours of the Giolitti matter; Uncle has been visiting an American in the Coelian hospital, who has been having trouble after a mismanaged groin operation - his father disowned him after he volunteered for the Canadian army; there is an appeal in the Record for missionaries and equipment for Palestine and Hebron. |