I remember it was a very big struggle to get all that was quite
necessary for ourselves and the expected baby. Although my experience
was far before thousands of others--should I say, women, when I was
only just turned eighteen?
In the first place, I felt a doctor would be too expensive, so only had
a midwife. Things were not just right with baby, so I had to call in
a doctor and pay £1 5s. My nurse I only engaged for a fortnight, then
thought I could manage, but I took cold, and had a most awful gathered
breast, and had to go back to bed again for another week or two. When
my baby was five months old I began to turn against my food; was
nursing baby at the time, so did not think for one moment I could be
pregnant again, but it was so. When the second one came, the first was
unable to walk, I can assure you. You need not wonder at women doing
all they can to prevent having big families, for there is certainly no
rest for mothers night or day.
I can tell you I saw but very little pleasure the first part of my
married life. I married in 1884. I had two children, lost one, and
lost my husband by consumption in June, 1887. He needed the best
of everything. It used to cost nearly 5s. per week for one sort of
medicine he felt did him good, so you see there was very little to do
with. I was only twenty-two when he died. I believe now, when I think
about it, my baby could have been spared had I had more experience;
although I did my best and was a good mother, as far as lay in my
power, but there was no one to advise me. So you can imagine ours was
one continual struggle from beginning to end, and then not so bad as
many others. When I look back on that time I feel very sad. I believe
my husband was in receipt of £1 5s. per week, but I am not quite
sure; he was a policeman, so it was regular, and of course not many
clothes to buy. Living in a village, our rent was small. This will, I
am afraid, be little to assist you, but it is all I can tell you. It
would not be possible to tell you all one feels with one baby and the
expected one, and all work to do. No one could imagine who has never
been through it.
_Wages 25s.; two children._