| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her relatives, regarding the March-like weather; the Bible meeting and its poor attendance because of the rain; the hail on the glass roof of the Hotel Royal meant that the meeting had to be suspended for a while; Mr. Smith led it and Mr. Gibson acted as chairman; his speaking shows a talent for literature that could have been turned to more had he not led an idle life; the meetings are still 'amazingly dull'; more effort is put into making secular things entertaining and well-prepared; the singing was 'deplorable'; she has been to the French consul to find out who to approach concerning hospital work; she visited the Mission Sanitaire (Italian branch) which was supposed to be in the Palazzo Ricci but was actually near the French Embassy; she is visiting lots of out-of-the-way palaces previously unknown to her; the director there advised her to write to the Under Secretary of State, Service de Santé, Bureau Militaire de la Croix Rouge; there are 30 to 35 massage centres in France, one for each army corps; he proposed sending her to Milan but she explained that Italy was too hot for her to work in; he advised her to send copies of her Aix and Chambéry certificates to Paris; he also says that she should not have to pay her pension charges as she is an ally giving full services; when she receives a reply from Paris she is to bring it to him and he will help her with the next stage, including getting to France; at least the delay means that she will be able to help Aunt over the Presbytery weekend; it should not have been held in Rome again so soon, but it seems only to move between Rome and Florence; Uncle hopes that when it is in Rome he will not be outnumbered in any decisions; Blake, Coldstream, W.P. Henderson and Crozier plan to attend, and perhaps Irving; Uncle did not want Leghorn to be independent, but now Florence is set on controlling it, which pleases him less; Mr. Smith, the Bible Society agent, has offered his services at Genoa when Robertson leaves; Robertson has already said that Genoa needs both a minister and a missionary, and leaves because he could not do both, but now Smith is to attempt both, as well as his Bible Society work; he also takes days off for archaeological excursions; Smith, too, has his eye on Rome; Gibson supports the scheme; the Presbytery of Italy is thus composed of Blake, an English Presbyterian with Anglican tendencies, Crozier, a Baptist, Smith, a Primitive Methodist, Irving, and Uncle; 'Florence and Leghorn know and care nothing for Presbyterian Church laws'; 'the U[nited] F[ree] Church provides the stations and should staff them with its own men if it wishes to retain its entity in the Pres. of Italy'; food will be hard to come by for the meeting; 100,000 Italians have been sent to the French front, probably to some quiet bit, though the local praise of them is considerable; today is the birthday of Rome; there seems to have been a Roman flag flying on the War Office flag staff, plain green with a blue ribbon; visit of the Rossis to tea; Paul Rossi sees that in Amelia carrying out his suggestion successfully he has proved that men are essential; he is with Alice today as she is in bed ill, probably from consumption gaining ground; Guido is to visit her during the week; she was treated well at Bormio but the treatment was begun too late; most of Miss Forster Walker's belongings are to be sold now to Mrs. Pearce and a friend - Johnston wanted it all for doing the work; Mrs. D. Rose has all her papers and has made out a fresh will; she is to visit Mr. Green tomorrow for her certificate; Miss Holme has rheumatism; Mary Irving has been in Naples for some time; the patients in the laboratorio catalogue are very untidy - none of her patients looked like that; Hale Benton says that the Italian she treated, with the wooden leg, is much improved, though she may see him again; they have had no Scotsmans since early in the month, and would like Aunt Amy to send the obituaries from the Weekly Scotsman. |