I have had four children; the oldest is now twenty-three, the next
twenty-two, the next twenty-one, and the youngest fourteen. I might say
that at the time my three eldest were born, my husband was working on
a farm, and earning 18s. a week. When the last was born he had moved
into rather better work, and earned 25s. a week. You may be sure after
I had paid 3s. for a small cottage of two rooms and scullery, I had not
much to spare, and of course doctors had to be paid. As for nursing,
well, I did not get much of it, and I feel very deeply always the
need of good nursing at these times. For years I suffered from what I
feel was the want of proper nursing and nourishment. In fact I wonder
sometimes even now if I have ever really got over it. When I think of
it I feel I would do anything to support any measure that would help
to secure that our daughters now shall not suffer as their mothers did
before them.
_Wages 18s. to 25s.; four children._