| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, c/o Mlle. Delord, 1 bis Rue Lafayette, Grenoble, Isère, France, to her relatives, regarding Uncle's departure and Aunt's move to the pension; provision has been made for her meals; the cooking is good but the groceries, overseen by Mlle. Delord who is not a housekeeper, are poor; economy is important; the Englishman intending to go as a missionary to Madagascar, Mr. Hardiman, came to lunch today; one of the boys who usually comes to lunch has parents working as French missionaries in that country, but was unable to come on the same day, and conversation was very stiff; his French is not good; writing an essay on Edinburgh; Uncle's talk to the soldiers was not a great success as he assumed they would be interested in the Bible Society while they thought he was to speak on the soldiers in Italy; the soldiers were courteous, however; she has been playing for the soldiers and accompanying their singing and playing; further joking criticism of Mr. Hardiman; mention of Lieutenant Alexander's death; Uncle has seen 70 wounded soldiers arrive at Chambéry; Grenoble still has many men who have not been to the front and it is comforting to know that France has so many reserves; Uncle is delighted to be returning to Rome and 'his own language'; she will miss the exams as they have to return to Rome; the translations are impossible anyway, as they have to translate passages from Ruskin, Meredith, Cowper and Scott and she is dismissive of their styles; she does not find it valuable practice. |