| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, 7 Via Venti Settembre, Rome, to her parents, wishing happy birthday to her father; thanking mother for letters; no censor has tampered with them; Aunt Amy holds on to letters for a long time before forwarding them; mail may reach Africa more easily than Italy; war was declared on Monday; probable increase of censorship; the city is calmer now; a tramway strike is making the people indignant and desperate for other forms of transport; some horses taken away to serve the army; the station is a sad sight with people saying farewell to soldiers; Fenisia the maid has left them as her brother has been called up and she is needed on the farm; she has worked hard to leave everything clean, but her absence is good for Maria, who inadvertently (after drinking wine) let it slip that Fenisia was engaged; Maria and her husband are very careful with their money; Maria tries to save money without her husband finding out; Vincenzo's son Mario has finally married a 'brazen type' and it will likely end in murder; account of their attacks on each other; parents' property is divided not on their death but on the marriage of the children; Maria has become touchy after marrying Vincenzo; Aunt can deal with her; the news is of the taking of Ala, which is where they crossed the Austrian frontier last August; Ancona has been bombarded by the Austrians; restricted coverage in the papers, and her parents may know more of Italy in Africa than they do in Rome; America's attitude is annoying its people and failing to impress Italy; she will write to Dick to send shoes to her mother; provisions for periods when cheques are not permitted to leave or enter the country; Aunt Amy is of no use in dealing with the mails; she does not approve of the censor so does not write; Aunt Amy thinks that Mr. Burns' engagement was precipitate; he has been quite frank to his fiancée and her mother concerning his heart defect; Uncle is impressed by the mother, but Amelia does not think much of the daughter; she also thinks that Mr. Burns is fickle; Annie Brown has not written for some time; they seem to be settled in Rome for now; Aunt fell yesterday and is badly bruised; she slipped on orange peel, which is everywhere at present; Aunt seems likely to make a faster recovery than usual; learning to make lint bandages; practice for Mr. Green's organ lessons; there will be more housework now that Fenisia is gone; the weather is too hot; Florence Polkinghorne is back in Rome and much improved by having a purpose in life; Italy is indignant at Bethmann-Hollwig's speech to the Reichstag and his remarks on Bülow; the Cotterills are now in Florence. |