| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her parents, regarding her departure from Chambéry and the vacancy it creates; she would gladly have stayed on but could not allow Aunt to cross the border alone, and she had no winter clothes with her; they made some enquiries about accommodation while they were there, but suitable winter accommodation seemed difficult to come by; the hospital is too small; Dr. Chiron, the chief surgeon, is a civilian, and Dr. Julien, an assistant, is military - to qualify for a military assistant the hospital must have over 100 beds at military disposal; Mlle. Vernaz sleeps there, as do the three nuns, but the nuns must give up their room if there is a heavy intake of patients; awkwardness of living outside the hospital but eating there; the winters are long and cold in the Savoy; she has not been overstrained by the summer's work; eventually the hospital managed to make an accommodation for her; summary of her proposed schedule; the overlapping of surgical and massage treatment substantially decreases the length of a man's stay in hospital; many cases of smashed joints will be ready for massage in the spring; other arrangements for her absence; she hopes to return, with Uncle's and her parents' permission, in March; the food is good, and Aunt approves of the set up; if she goes out then she will stay to the end of the war; Ernesta is to return to them for another winter - she has asked for a pay rise and will get it, as her improvement deserves it; Aunt would not be inconvenienced by Amelia's absence with two good servants, and Mr. Green has said that one more winter will complete her organ training; Aunt has been very well except when she has overworked, which she must learn not to do; Mr. Gibson will replace her at the church organ, which Uncle will not like, but she will not otherwise be missed; her fingers gain by the massage for the organ playing, anyway, and the massage is much more valuable work; Uncle is interested in the progress of her patients and is not against her going; Mrs. Benton says she should return to Chambéry; it will take longer to make Uncle willing, but at least he is not opposed; she expects her parents' consent, too. Scribbles added by Aunt (signed 'Mary') encourage them to say yes by return of post). |