I have been one of the more fortunate women; being fairly strong, my
sufferings have not been so heavy as a lot of poor women. At the same
time, I was often so poorly that if I had had means to get a little
help at times it would have been a blessing. My husband has never
earned more than from 23s. to 25s. a week, and many a time I have had
to go without many a thing that would have done me good. When I was
expecting my last baby, I think it was with going such a long time,
and the others, some of them at work, and coming in to meals. I know I
used to get the dinner cooked and struggle through the serving, then I
was done, and was obliged to lie down a bit, often without my dinner,
as I was too exhausted to eat, and the pleasure of the rest was partly
spoiled by the thought of the dinner-table still laid. A bit of help
then would have been a boon. But having a good husband smoothed many
things over. But this shows that many a woman is unable to do her work,
and if the husband is a thoughtless man, or even a bad one, her lot is
a hard one indeed. Then, after confinement, women should not be obliged
to work, in my opinion, for three weeks, but most working women have
to do. I never could possibly keep a woman more than a fortnight--and
the struggle during pregnancy of saving up 30s., which was the sum we
always aimed for, and it was a big job. Some weeks I have had to be
content with putting 3d. away, with the hope of 9d. next week to make
it into a shilling. To my mind, this is one of the hardest tasks a
working woman has.
_Wages 18s. to 25s.; seven children._