| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her parents, regarding Aunt Amy's refusal to write to Africa or send on letters either to Italy or to Africa; she spends all her time on herself; Uncle is concerned about the transfer of money, and the possibility of having to help support Aunt Amy; his salary may be reduced; Riviera yearly appointments unlikely to be made as no visitors will come; Laing of Genoa cannot move to his post; Rome will be empty though Uncle is more optimistic; Uncle unaware of the effects of enlistment on homes and incomes; these are the negative sides of patriotism but ones that have to be faced; Mrs. Fleming will not return to Rome next winter; Mr. Walker has just taken ten days to journey back, in very bad conditions; stations crowded with prisoners, wounded and travellers; trains crowded and unreliable; accounts of the wounded he saw; the heaps of slain threaten disease on the French border; the battle of the Marne bad but the battle of the Aisne worse; the Germans are suffering badly as they have limited supplies, the leaders having counted on a short, sharp victory; dreadful fighting at Louvain, Malines, Termonde and Reims; Mr. Burns called on Uncle for advice on joining the Territorial Army; he was a Lieutenant before, but would willingly go as a private now; he works for Singer & Co. but they will let him go if the War Office wants him; Uncle advised him to see what his prospects would be on his return; if she were at home she would volunteer to be an interpreter, perhaps combining it with nursing; her circumstances are not that, though, and she is confined to the domestic sphere; thirteen pairs of heavy curtains have had to be washed and repaired; trouble with a temporary servant who is refusing to leave without compensation; looking for a present for another maid; adaptations made to the fruit press; hoping theirs has reached them; thanking them for their letters and cheque; Aunt Amy is still holding on to ones that arrive with her; difficulties with banking; thankful that they left Germany when they did, for life would have been difficult there; plans to return to Mme. B. when the house is in order; she has eight relatives fighting and is anxious; they are not on the side of the Allies, which gives a stiffness to lessons; Mr. Burns is not yet required by the War Office; Italy and Turkey still teeter on the brink of war; she hopes Italy will go with England if at all, or they will have to flee; the government is divided, but the people are against Germany; mention of casualty list from Karonga; the amazing loyalty of India. |