| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her parents, regarding Week of Prayer and its prevention of her lessons and morning practice; comments on Mr. Green and her progress; lack of empathy with him as he is an 'English Episcopalian to the backbone'; missing Dresden; thanks for cheques; comments on personal finances; putting extra money towards Red Cross work and bandages with Dr. Brock; thanks for 'Manual on Ambulance'; Mrs. Chalmers' move to the hill-cottage, probably in Livingstonia; remarks on provisioning of troops and Mr. Cotterill's return to Africa; his age being against him; her own thinness and how Africa would make it worse, but she is not tubercular, for the cause is the scirocco; she was much fatter and fitter in Germany; poor sleeping in hot weather; Mr. Gibson's refusal to spend another summer in Italy; difficulty in obtaining passports; Uncle's liking for Chamonix; he is working on a book but is often distracted; neither of them likes local society; Uncle is also busy with Bible Society work; Mrs. Kennedy has promised a donation of 100,000 testaments; Uncle's preaching; Mr. Gibson's criticism of his sermons; Uncle is due for retirement and Aunt is worried about his health and about finances; stipend has been reduced as he no longer goes to Pontresina; Aunt's courage in the circumstances; Amelia's wish to see Fraulein Albrecht again for singing lessons; departure of Mme. B.; plans for sending money during the summer; wish to contribute to war effort but Red Cross deluged with helpers; deaths of Mrs. Sim and Mrs. Cruickshank; advice on loosening tight shoes; instructions on using old blouse as pattern for new; pleased that their photographs have arrived; worried about new church being built at Livingstonia during wartime; illness in local families in Italy; locals serving in army; British supplies to Serbian army not going further than Italy; Italian fleet staying at home in case of Austrian submarines and transport in Adriatic handled by 800 British North Sea fishermen minesweeping; Christmas gifts to them; leave curtailed as bad for morale; Italians avoiding military service; Dora Polkinghorne's account of one case of lying on the form; numbers of dead and wounded; Austrians shelling Red Cross cars; Turks at Suvla Bay and Anzac never shell hospitals or cars; casualties of storm at Suvla Bay 'another blunder!'; detailed comments on mistakes at Gallipoli; this information confidential; difficult to have free conversation in Italy; lack of talent in writing and unsuitability for music both overcome by hard work; correspondence from a Russian student at Grenoble (Antoinette); preparing Bible lessons for her; her own account of attending Communion; correspondence of Mr. Barbour; complaints that Maria hides his letters. |