| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her relatives, regarding arrival of telegram for Amelia, giving her parents' permission for her return to Chambéry; she is thrilled at the news and at their generosity in telegraphing it; it has been useful as Uncle has been tacitly against Chambéry in the past while, as he did not want a change in his sphere; he changed the subject when Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Matsi were admiring her gifts from the patients; she considers him very selfish, particularly when he devotes not only his energies but hers and Aunt's as well to his work; if she had been a man she would have volunteered in 1914; she was willing to behave respectfully, but now she will just go; Chambéry is much more appreciative of individual skills and freely expressed ideas; she only wishes Aunt could go with her; she will now have an open programme of mending and sorting before her departure and Uncle will not be able to stop her; she hopes to leave in March; the Abbé has written of 13 new patients at Chambéry as the result of tampering with brakes at Modane on a train bringing French soldiers back from Salonika; the accident happened on the declivity at St. Jean de Maurienne, and was made worse by the explosion of live bombs being brought back as souvenirs; 500 men were burned; the Abbé's knee is much better and he is now chaplain to all the Chambéry hospitals - he buried 8 men last week; the Germans are preparing for the west; their new gas has killed 4,000 civilians in Armentières as an experiment; 'The essential element of arsenic, however, is to be turned against them by the Allies, who have it in their power to produce more than the Germans if they choose'; she will write to Miss Vernaz to say she is able to come when needed; difficulties of civilians crossing the frontier; she is allowed to wear the St. John uniform and will write to London for instructions; Miss Vernaz will enquire about a French badge which will also help; the material for the uniform will be expensive, but worth it; she will be happy to be rid of Mr. Green; she has dental work to be completed; dissatisfaction with correspondence with Miss Telford; she seems well though her writing is aging; heating cut off in Rome; the stoves have been cleaned and wrapped up till the end of the war; it is good that Aunt's cold was over with before this happened; the gas for lighting is still being reduced; Uncle's work for the Military Exemption Committee at the Embassy; Hale Benton has succeeded in obtaining the palazzo opposite the American Embassy for Red Cross work; the railway authorities have granted it free; Miss Forster Walker's doctor is Dr. Schiavoni, who is often away on military work, but the Blue Nuns do everything necessary; the Brets are to move to avoid a huge rental bill; Miss Beilby has given a useful gift of car-tickets; thanks for description of Christmas parties; provision of cloakroom at Red Cross depot, but not for glue-sticky uniforms. |