| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, Metz, to her relatives, recovered from her lumbago but she and Aunt are now wrapped up well against the draughts, they have asked for a room in the patients' division but have been told that Dr. Frantz does not allow it, though he has no right to an opinion in the matter, he takes on the honour of the place but none of the responsibility, the Christens' flat is no longer to be available as they cannot get their villa, apartments are not likely to be available until the April term, the people there are very inquisitive and do not like them to leave their door locked, she has a 72 year old patient who is very independent and does not want to be questioned every day about her religious practice, problems with a massage case, Mlle. Perpignan, who has had trouble walking for ten years, Dr. Frantz sent her to a relation of his for 'massage', though the woman had never trained, Amelia has done more in a fortnight than the other woman in three years, the legs were large and the skin tight, she is determined to be independent, but had to inquire after Amelia rather than be recommended to her by Dr. Frantz, it is not the kind of case in which doctors are interested, they have 'no grasp whatever of the interdependence of the nervous, muscular, vascular and lymphatic systems', history of the lady's case, which stemmed from living in a cold house for a year, as she is a native of Metz with a wide acquaintance her delight at her treatment will do Amelia some good and help her to make her way through 'a hillock of misconception, ignorance and indifference', it should also help with Dr. Frantz, he was astonished at Amelia's only charging 10 francs, 'Humanity really disgusts me sometimes', upsets at choir practice and a new organist, the choir do not like him, Amelia now intends to withdraw from the choir, comparison of Mlle. Stoufflet and Mme. Brunel, to the latter's disadvantage, M. Christen is sick of commercial swindlers being admired by the Brunels because of their gifts to the church, receipt of letter from Russian friend Tonia in Petrograd, who has passed her French exams, spent 1918 in the country in bad conditions, met her father in Moscow, had typhoid fever, lost her father again, was forced to work for the army, and finally managed to be reunited with her family in Boussoulouk where she now teaches French though barely makes a living, lost everything in the Revolution, conditions bad in Russia, price of shoes, she has found a musician in Orenbourg (in the Urals) with whom she plays and takes lessons, copy of some notes Amelia sent to Mr. Gibson in Rome as indicative of Uncle's presumed desire to welcome his successor, for use at the induction of the successor, along with the best wishes of Aunt and Amelia, and their thanks for the tributes of the congregation to Uncle, no letter yet from Gibson or from Mrs. Fairweather, who had promised to write on her arrival. Final sheet to her parents includes details of the induction service from Paul Rossi, whom she does not wish to quote to Aunt Amy, she did not wish to correspond with Paul but he is the only one who has written so far, he says the induction service was fitting, well-attended by the foreign contingent and other denominations, much admiration for the memorial tablet for Uncle, service conducted by Mr. Irving from Naples, admiration of his sermon, catechism of Mr. Fairweather, Mr. Gibson did read out Amelia's letter, Amelia's comments on Mr. Gibson, thanks for parents' letters, a mistake for the Wesleyans to bring sectarianism into Africa, amused at the cows eating her parents' towels, envy of their happy situation with fruit and servants, price of wool stockings in France. |