Case 89

E. was a respectable general servant before her marriage. Her husband a sober hard working Dock labourer. As work in the Docks grew scarce the wife took in [mangling] I thought they had several children and were often wanting the necessaries of life they kept out of debt preferring to live on dry bread rather than owe money. The oldest son then 15 has a good situation at the Docks where he was much liked for his intelligence and civility and for a few months gladly helped his parents when he met with a serious accident in the discharge of his duty. his foot was amputated. has never properly healed and for two years he has been mostly in Hospitals and convalescent homes only able to work at short intervals. The mother does her best to bring up the children since but being constantly at work is unable to exercise much supervision over the younger boys, who are thus in great danger of forming bad habits and making undesirable acquaintances, out of School House. The mothers means are so small that she can hardly provide sufficient bread for the children. If C. could be received into the home it would be an immense boon to her. He is a bright intelligent affectionate boy and only the mothers great poverty compels her to seek another home for him as she knows he is of an age to need that which she cannot give him constant and proper food.