| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, Bergstrasse 33, Dresden, Germany, to her relatives, regarding visit to the Martin Luther Kirche for a Communion service for young people; mournful occasion; included daughter of their landlady, and servants harassed making dinner for several relations there to see the ceremony; criticism of Frau Oeser for not organising things better; pity for her servants; commercialisation of Communion services and gifts given to mark the occasion; she and Aunt decide to go to the Hofkirche instead (the Catholic Court Church) as it was Palm Sunday, and as a Catholic church would not mind a late arrival as much as a Protestant one; description of congregation; murmuring from confessionals; not impressed by preacher, who gave her 'the creeps'; he abjures old women to be good and virgins to be pure, but Amelia objects that the purity of females is often dependent on the purity of males; they leave early; consternation over a private letter from the Kaiser criticising the Catholic religion; she thinks he is a tolerant Emperor; visit to Frau Wedekind, who is satisfied with her progress; Herr Hasse finds her practising the organ in the Kreuzkirche and is surprised to find a woman play the organ so correctly; Herr Pfannstiehl's criticism of her work; organ lesson even through building work in the church; watching the choir practice; Herr Pfannstiehl is patient with the boys; the boys are kind to him; pension so full that they have been obliged to give up their sitting room; house crowded with furniture; new guests with their own furniture; Uncle's safe return from Naples; successful visit to Pompeii; Sir William Turner and his daughters are in Rome, and Dr. Kelman, Professor Denney and Dr. Morrison of Glasgow expected; comments on Mrs. Evans' illness and funeral; thanks to Aunt Amy for her letter; letter from Miss Whyte asking after her; George [Whyte?] has been ill but is now M.D. |