| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her relatives, regarding devoting most of the letter to herself; Mrs. Campanella has told her that Dr. Angelucci is the one to apply to at the Quirinal (given by the Queen for hospital use) to do massage; Uncle was keen to follow this up as it is nearby; Uncle has been generous with his time and energy in trying to find her work, though she is neither enthusiastic nor in a hurry this time; he is keen not to lay himself and her open to criticism; Uncle's efforts at the Quirinal and the hospital in the Via Pompeo Magno; an interview was arranged for Amelia with the Marchesa Guiccioli, presidentessa of the Red Cross Society; the Marchesa was in deep mourning and the other interviewers looked pleasant; the Marchesa showed no politeness; she is English, vulgar-looking and not kindly; she told Amelia she would need a certificate from the consul and a letter from a well-known person in Rome to attest to her morality and political sentiments - Uncle will do - and she had to fill in a form; the form obliged her to attend a three year course of lectures, which she could not, though the secretary, Signora Masci, said that this was just a formality; the consul has refused to be responsible for people's political sentiments, and so his letter is rather negative; the Marchesa was then rude to Aunt; the lectures cost money to attend; the Marchesa is a friend of Mrs. Brock; the lectures are on nursing, and not massage; they seem, from the book, to cover nothing more than First Aid; Uncle and Aunt feel she should lose her subscription money rather than submit to anything useless; they are more upset at the experience than she is, as she expected nothing; she has been massaging Mr. Benton's foot, which he strained during the summer; Mrs. Benton asked her to visit the Villa Mirafiore where the mutilated are cared for; Benton's friend Dottore Giraldi is the sub-director; this may be another opening for her; she wishes to avoid being a probationer; visit of David Henderson; he has gone to the Girardets; Uncle thought he could be useful meeting the soldiers passing through the station, but Miss Jazdowska disapproves [There were Jazdowskis associated with teaching and art in Aberdeen: James Bronislas Jazdowski, son of John, teacher in Aberdeen, graduated from Marischal College in 1856 and according to an annotation of the Search Room student list died in Rome in 1902]; she feels he should be in England to fight; visit of Mr. Smart with Canon Savage; both are on their way to England; Canon Savage is to be commander-in-chief of the Y.M.C.A. stations in the Mediterranean and Aegean; he will owe more than he says to Mr. Smart's foundation work at Taranto and Brindisi; Harry Cowan has been wounded in both legs; Sir A[lexander] Ogston of Aberdeen is in Udine by Miss Jazdowska's working and is down with dysentery; he is there as surgeon, though over seventy, and was terribly excited at the prospect; his journey was delayed by submarines; visit of the Chiellinis and Miss Jamieson; Aunt visited the Smiths and Mrs. Benton, and Miss van Deman, who is very ill, and the Misses Hope and Miss Wall; Signor Taglialatela wrote a thank you letter to Uncle from Turin; meeting of the Italian New Testament Revision Committee; thanks for letters and enclosure of lion's hair; Uncle is not referring to his jubilee in front of Gibson. |