I wish to give you a little on the sufferings of mothers in pregnancy.
I myself might say it is a matter of nine months misery for me while I
am in that condition. I might say I was married twelve months when I
had my first--a little girl--and four years after we got a little boy,
a fine child, born. But I had contracted a severe chill, and it was
all on my chest; and having baby on the breast, it drew the cold from
me, and with that took ill of catarrh of the stomach, and died at four
months. Being in a weak state myself, I again found myself pregnant;
but at the eight months the child was born dead, it being the second
boy. Two years after I had another girl, but it was when work was
slack, and my husband could get very little work, and it became so bad
that we had to sell part of our home to keep ourselves, and the time I
should have had extras and somebody in to look after me this was out of
the question. Now, two years after, again I had another girl (my last,
I hope). I might say that, although sick and ill all the time I was
pregnant, I soon got over it when the time was up. I have known some
poor souls go days and weeks in their labour, and then have to have
instruments and chloroform, and after nearly coming to death’s door
have had to be stitched and syringed and doctored for months.
_Wages 20s. to 22s. 6d.; five children, one still-born._