Principle and Practice, the Orphan Family, by Harriet Martineau.
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This book was written in the earliest part of the nineteenth century,
and its author was only in her twenties when she wrote it. Basically
the story illustrates how at that time an ordinary decent family,
perhaps with its finances already a bit stretched with the effort of
educating several children, would be completely ruined if the
wage-earner were to die. If there was any income at all it might be
reckoned in tens of pounds a year, and the greatest economy would have
to be exercised to make this go round. Anyone in the family group who
was able to earn a little did their best to do so. For instance one of
the girls might be able to draw attractively, and could sell some of her
pictures; another might be able to create nice useful items; another
might be able to teach the younger children, thus avoiding the expense
of sending them to school. It was lucky if there was a wealthy friend
or relative who was prepared to pay for the education of one of the
boys, to the stage where he could in turn become a wage-earner.
Miss Martineau followed this book up with several more on such
politico-economic themes, and indeed made her name in this way by the
time she was thirty.
As so often with Miss Martineau there is a large cast: family members,
friends, relations; and unless you spend some time listing them you may
well not get the full impact of this book.
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PRINCIPLE AND PRACTICE, THE ORPHAN FAMILY, BY HARRIET MARTINEAU.