| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her relatives, thanking her father for his letter; pleased that her mother is recovering but being forced not to do too much; the factor of clothes in recovery; she is now back at work but Aunt has a cold; Ernesta has been suffering from a raw throat but is now cured; Uncle has been suffering after a draught in the car; Vincenzo has also been ill; visit of Miss Chiellini with news of Mr. Burns, whose rheumatism is so bad that he can only cross a room supported by a chair; while he is away in Taranto his wife and daughter are to stay in a hotel as they cannot manage at home on their own; Uncle has been organising a 'Board of Management' comprising Dr. Rossi, Mr. Gibson, Hale Benton and some others in order to stave off future attacks from Blake while dispersing Gibson's power; Uncle has not delegated anything, however, and always gets his own way, so it is a misnomer; it is of no value now and Gibson will eventually dominate it; speculation that the Continental Committee will soon come under the Foreign Mission Committee, at the retirement of Milne Rae; the finance would be better though the Continent would be swamped; there is no local support for the Continental mission and they have no right to expect it from home; there is as much scope for converting the heathen on the Continent as in Africa; there has been a further gift of money from America to buy Testaments and Gospels for the Italian front, which means more work for Uncle; a new edition has to be prepared, but there are three choices for how to do it; Cordano is exempt from military service so will still be able to help; Uncle will soon say that he must stay in Rome all summer; there is to be a reception for Colonel Tursini in return for the medals awarded to the nursing volunteers; Amelia gave a contribution but was glad that she was too ill to attend; Uncle would not have let her, anyway; Mrs. Bianchi is discouraged in her massage work as cases are sent away too quickly and the patients do not wish to be cured; one recently refused to be massaged. |