| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, Paris, to her relatives, still appreciating her delightful week in the country, enclosing cards to show them the scenery [absent], particular mention of the windmills, though many are no longer used, the local chateaux mostly belonged to Count Bluebeard, and Mace's home belonged to the nearby chateau, there is still a large dovecot there, the nearby well was used to kill anyone who stole a pigeon, story of Bluebeard and his unfortunate wives, 'as in operas female curiosity is richly punished while man's cruelty gets off scot free', Mace's condition improved by the time she left, with some movement in his wrist and easier cycling, his breathing and asthma are much improved, his sister-in-law is also becoming asthmatic and Amelia was able to help her, too, Mace's eldest brother is gradually buying the farm from their father, the local custom, the youngest brother is in Hungary, Mace has a pension but it may be reduced at his next examination, there are too many in the house and he hopes to move down towards the Loire and grow vines, asparagus and some other manageable crop, the sandy banks of the river are perfect for asparagus, peas, etc., and Nantes before the war used to have factories preserving the vegetables, visit to Mace's sister and other relatives, all of whom were fine and very kind, the men appreciated good nurses in the military hospitals, Amelia sorry to return to Paris, visit from Chauvel and his cousin, he is decorating a flat for his cousin and her brother, an Abbe who was severely injured in the war in a hospital near Verdun, he is unable to say mass, though Amelia wonders why he could not have assistants for the physical parts, he has been taken on as a tutor to a family but is not physically fit, the sister lost her fiance in the war and has promised her elderly mother to look after this brother, though it is a hard life, the A.D.F. have offered Amelia a post at St. Quentin for 150 francs a month with board and lodging, so she will wait to hear what Uncle and Aunt say before making a final decision, they recommend St. Quentin so she will go and accept the offer. |