The crippled child was immediately placed in a hospital for treatment. The church to which the woman belonged agreed to send a weekly supply of groceries, and a weekly pension was provided of three dollars for clothing and other incidental expenses in addition to the provision of rent, for which purpose the contribution of the employers was provided. A friendly visitor was also readily enlisted, and through her influence Mrs. Sheehan was induced to have medical treatment, although not as yet to undergo a sur gical operation which she is thought by her physician to need.
For a year no member of the family did anything or was able to do anything towards earning an income, but in the second year Mrs. Sheehan undertook to do a small amount of sewing from a society which, during nine months of the year, provides her with work for which she is paid a dollar a week, while in the remaining three months she receives the same amount without an equiva lent. Special diet, medicines, tonics, gifts of clothing, extra supplies of fuel, and fresh-air outings have been fre quent, for all of which there has been ample gratitude and appreciation.
The little girl after fifteen months in the hospital im proved so much physically that it was decided to place her in an institution for the deaf and dumb, where it is thought that she can learn to speak.
Recently the friendly visitor being concerned about the appearance of the oldest child, a girl of eight, took her also to the hospital for examination. The physician de clared that the case was not one of deformity but of a lack of proper nutrition, as a result of which her whole body was said to be in an emaciated condition, requiring several months in a restful place in the country, together with a varied, nourishing diet. To this the mother re plied that she had been giving the children good, plain food, but that this child, who was very nervous and no tional, frequently refused her meals, and asked for articles which were not only beyond her mother to provide, but also likely to be harmful to her. She is also very timid, never playing with other children, and positively refuses to be separated from her mother. Arrangements were therefore made for an extension of a seaside outing for the mother and child, from a fortnight to a full month.
The relief supplied to this family amounted all together to about $350 a year or nearly $30 a month. Although this is almost unprecedented in liberality, the indications are that it is under, rather than over, the amount necessary to maintain a reasonable standard of living. It is of course considerably less than the actual cost of maintaining the four children in institutions, which would be about $800.
The three families described above, although presenting the possible alternatives of institutional care, are, as one may see, more suitably aided at home.
The following is an instance of temporary aid at home, followed by permanent provision. The absence of imme diate relatives, physical incapacity and age, all indicate the desirability of admission to an institution, rather than aid in a private apartment. In this instance no difficulty
is experienced because of personal faults, eccentricities of temper, or an unfavorable personal record, such as would lessen the disposition of the managers of a private home to receive her.
Where the conditions are all thus favorable, admission to a home can usually be secured within a brief period in any of the larger cities. It does not often happen that the conditions are all so uniformly favorable. Intem perance or other moral defect, the presence of relatives who could aid but will not do so, infirmities of temper, or such complete physical disability as demands an undue amount of personal attention, and various other complica tions are likely to arise, which increase the difficulties of securing private institutional care. The choice may then arise between the more expensive home for incurables, or admission to a public almshouse. There are, of course, in addition, the alternatives of board in a private family, of living alone with whatever assistance is requisite, or with a relative, or under some exceptional plan such as the circumstances of an individual case may suggest. It will be seen that Mrs. Mahler's husband had made pro vision for her support, but through misplaced confidence the principal of the sum left to her had been lost.
Mahler, Marie, widow of advanced age. At the death of Mrs. Mahler's husband she received insurance to the amount of $1750, which she intrusted to her landlord, a real 0 estate dealer. He had paid her ten per cent annually on the loan, but at the time of his death it was found that he had left no provision for repayment of the principal or to pay his other debts. His wife, as long as she could afford it, cared for Mrs. Mahler, but at the time of the application to the society it was necessary that some other provision should be made. Mrs. Mahler had no living relatives, and her friends, although willing to do something for her, could not do what was necessary. She had partly sup ported herself by doing embroidery and fancy work, but her hands were now badly crippled with rheumatism, and this had become impossible. She was most anxious to enter a permanent home. Her respectability and refine ment, and her truthfulness concerning the loss of her money, were established by sufficient evidence, and ar rangements were made with an acquaintance of Mrs. Mahler's to give her board and necessary care and atten tion, until she could be placed in a home. For this she was to be paid KO a month, which amount was obtained from three charitable agencies, all appropriate sources for the relief of a woman so situated. Application for admis sion was made to two appropriate homes, and, after a delay of eight months, Mrs. Mahler was admitted to one of these, a part of the money having been contributed by her friends, and the remainder secured by an appeal in the newspapers. Mrs. Mahler was very contented and happy at the arrangements made for her care, both during the period of waiting and upon her admission to the home for the aged.