A few days before this very writing, Mrs. Friedrich said : " Whatever happens now, I have had the children by me at home these years. And they are good children, and if I were to live now, they could even take care of me. But nothing can change what has been — that we have been together with each other since their father died." A second case is equally illustrative of an opportunity for justifiable relief, amounting, temporarily, at least, to full support.
Brecken, Margaret, a young woman under thirty years of age, had been for some years the sole support of her self and her mother. For about two years she had had "lung trouble," which had made it necessary for her to give up work for weeks at a time on several occasions. At the time of our first acquaintance with the family she had been seriously ill for two or three months, although her local family physician was still insisting that her com plaint was only "bronchial catarrh," and that she would be able to work again in about two months. The mother, who had previously done the housework, was also ill ; and although her present acute illness was one from which she would recover in a fortnight or so, there were indications of inoperable cancer.
The immediate needs, if these two women, who were exceptionally intelligent and affectionately devoted, were to be kept in their little home, were the payment of rent, the supplying of food and medicines, the daily visit of a nurse, the services of a physician, and, at least during the mother's illness, the sending of a woman to do the house work. This is, undoubtedly, a liberal programme, and an exhaustive one. It would be more economical to secure admission for each of them to a suitable hospital, but this would mean separation—and separation, in the judgment of the nurse, who had become well acquainted with them, would be an almost unendurable hardship, and would probably mean the earlier death of both. It might even be cheaper to care for them together in a good boarding house ; but so much care is necessary for both that only a sanatorium would be suitable, and most of the items of expense, under this plan, would remain.
Inasmuch as the custodians of almost any relief fund would consider the amount required for support and care of the family at home prohibitive, while, nevertheless, the dictates of humanity call for this kind of relief, this is peculiarly a case for adequate relief from one or more pri vate individuals who can be made thoroughly acquainted with all the circumstances, and who, having this knowl edge, are willing to furnish the relief required. If such
persons are not at hand, the circumstances of this mother and daughter may wisely be used, without, of course, re vealing their identity, to create a knowledge of existing needs, and to arouse a sentiment which will permit the need to be supplied in this and similar instances.
Sheehan, Mary, widow of Richard. This widow was the mother of four small children, and had been advised two years ago by her husband's former employers to apply to the Department of Public Charities for the commit ment of her children as public charges. Richard Sheehan had worked satisfactorily for them for a period of eighteen years, and for the two years after his death the family had been supported mainly by these employers. The Commissioner of Public Charities, having discovered that Mrs. Sheehan was a good mother, that her home had always been an attractive one, and that she was by no means desirous of parting with her children, accepted the offer of a society that the latter assume the responsi bility of providing for her in her own home from private sources, thus preventing the breaking up of the family, and the commitment of the children as public charges. The employers, although under no legal responsibility, since Sheehan's death had occurred from an illness in no way connected with his employment, agreed to contribute to the society $100 a year toward the support of the fam ily, on condition that this contribution should be unknown to Mrs. Sheehan. None of the children is strong, one a cripple with defective hearing and speech, and the woman also is in delicate health, so that it has seemed impossible for her to do anything material toward the support of the family.
Mrs. Sheehan's parents are living in Ireland with a married sister, all poor. She has two brothers in this country, one of whom is unmarried, and boarded with her for a time, but he caused only discomfort, and finally, to her relief, went away. A married brother living in the neighborhood, earned twelve dollars a week, and his wife considered this only sufficient for their own wants.