| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her relatives, regarding terrible heat and scirocco; Ernesta is looking pale; her travel arrangements home; further delays at the French consulate; French waiving of consular fee for Amelia as she is going to Red Cross work, contrasted with the Italian money-grabbing habits of the Red Cross; looking forward to being away from Italy; hopes for a good summer; Mlle. Perrolaz asked her to write to the administrator at Thonon-les-Bains on the French side of Lake Geneva in Haute Savoie, next to Evian-les-Bains; methods for moving about in France; the train journey will again involve a stop at Chambéry, expensive but welcome; proposed activities at Lyon, including visit to Mlle. Perrolaz; Uncle still has no plans beyond Leghorn; he may go to Rossa di Papa on the side of Monte Cavo; he will be able to see Rome, and the hotel is quite good, but the food will be bad; expensive tea; naphthaline is unavailable; other preservatives in use are cut-up common cigars and pepper; Uncle is trying to avoid Crozier who has a hot temper; Signor Muston, in Rome on Y.W.C.A. business, says that Crozier is not well-educated and has no self-control; he has admitted to Uncle in a letter that he had threatened to knock the porter downstairs; visit of Paymaster and Mrs. Warleigh from Taranto - he is 'a very gentle knight'; it is strange that he admires his wife; he thinks she cruises through without difficulty, but this is because she passes the difficulties on to others; she is Mrs. Hossle Henderson's cousin; Mrs. Brock has left for the front, after a scene with Uncle and Aunt over Miss Jazdowska's 'tyrannical temperament' [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]; Mrs. Brock thinks that she is the diplomatic one of the two; she is trying to get Uncle on her side so that he mentions her name to Lady Rodd in connexion with the new committee; she fears Mrs. Hossle Henderson will oust her; she wants Uncle to complain of Miss Jazdowska to Lady Rodd on her behalf; at least Miss Jazdowska has been loyal to Mrs. Brock; Mrs. Brock hates Udine, and may well return to England via Red Cross routes; visit of Mr. Gibson concerning the editing of Uncle's jubilee sermon for publication in the 'Voice from Italy'; Amelia has had to copy it out; she has also been working on the church accounts and the household sewing; remodelling a bodice for Aunt, with a little detail. |