| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, Valence, to her relatives, regarding visit to the Cathedral for the Catholic service; comments on sermon and organ; 'The combination of the best in the R.C. and Protestant services would produce a find result'; visit to the Protestant service, with good attendance and awful music; special services held by a chaplain on leave from the front after illness; his descriptions of the front were too graphic for many in the congregation; his accounts of some heroism on the part of women at the front; his descriptions of some domestic details; German destruction of trees; he has lost his wife and son in the war; comments on the effect war has had on him, on his health and nerves; M. Delattre is in charge of three parishes at present and Amelia accompanied Mme. Delattre to one of the services; she is in Valence for the sake of her son's health; he is delicate and spoilt; her daughter Henriette helps at the Foyer des Soldats and Amelia has accompanied her as American soldiers there benefit from her English; the Americans 'show an extraordinary mixture of racial features'; part of their company is already in the trenches and the rest are waiting to buy horses; Henriette and her mother are a little over-familiar to Amelia; she is now boarding with her; she is needed at the hospital and likes it; description of the massage hall, 'lofty and airy'; some mention of equipment, including the mécanothérapie; the Swedish lady is Miss Benett, and seems pleasant - she has given Amelia some idea of the conditions in the place and Amelia approves; the place is well-organised and disciplined; the only fault seems to be a lack of hot water for the residents; it is a depot de convalescence for those who cannot go home as well as a centre de physiothérapie for about 150, and a centre de réforme for those not yet fit to return to the front; there are set hours of work and no work on Sundays; the patients are all fit to go to a central eating place so much time is saved; description of the hospital's situation; awkward to get to as the war has curtailed the steam tram service; further description of Valence; slight delay in her getting permission to work there; Dr. Jacquin, the doctor in charge, has a reputation for rudeness; Dr. Vittoz, however, is kind, gentle and pleasant; Dr. Michaud is pleased that she did not consent to work at the Grenoble hospital and compromise her good methods; he adds advice on getting past Lyon. [Letter breaks off without signature] |