| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, Hotel Terminus, Chambéry, Savoie, to her relatives, regarding returning to routine; writing letter overlooking station square; she has just been out looking for milk, but ended up visiting Le Goff at the military hospital where an attack of dysentery has detained him; he is from Brittany and is the one whose foot was crushed by a wagon; the military hospital is dreary and his ward is cold and damp; her day in Ward 1 was very good though it took a long time to dust the room as it had been neglected; she was to take over the ward again on the Monday but Mme. Lacuffu, another nurse, said that she would do it as if Amelia had no time to teach massage she had no time to look after a ward; this was because Amelia had avoided giving them lessons because their motive was to undermine Mlle. Perolaz; Mme. Brouard accused her of massaging her patients in secret so as not to let her see what she was doing; the doctor is going away for three weeks and is in despair at the rivalries of the nurses; Mme. Fournier is trying to trick Amelia into giving her cases; Noury is the one with the wound near his heart and Mme. Brouard is insisting on taking him over; she will do him more harm than good; scheming with the doctor and Mlle Pautex, the doctoress, to keep the patients away from the jealous nurses; the tactics caused a sensation in the wards; her farewells to the patients; wartime has perhaps made the camaraderie and breaking down of conventional barriers easier; Uncle leaves on Wednesday for Rome; Mrs. Laing has asked him to conduct the burial service for her husband's ashes, which have been resting in Mr. Davidson's vault; the ground is not suitable, however, so he will not do it on this occasion; Mrs. Laing is at a loss as regards her own future; she and Mrs. Lewis Davidson are unwilling to work in the Taranto Y.M.C.A.; Mrs. Laing is very weak without her husband. |