And oh—what a photograph it was! But it was reproduced in France, Germany, Italy, and Sicily.
Some weeks afterwards I received the following letter from the Italian Government through Sir Rennell Rodd, our Ambassador in Rome:
“Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
“27th January, 1909.
“Sir,
“By your note of 14th inst. your Excellency informed me that the well-known authoress, Mrs. Alec Tweedie, had in the short time of three days collected twenty thousand pieces of clothing, which in 167 packages had been sent to Naples, Messina, and Catania, to succour the sufferers in the recent disaster.
“I shall be grateful if your Excellency will, in the name of the Royal Government and myself, express to Mrs. Alec Tweedie the sense of profound gratitude for the zeal and alacrity which she showed in coming to the help of so many sufferers.
“I have, etc.,
“(Signed) Tittoni.
“H.E. Sir R. Rodd,
“British Ambassador, Rome.”