The nursing of this baby was more difficult.  The mother’s breasts did not seem to be nearly as active as in the previous case.  The baby cried a great deal and needed attention a good part of the night.  The husband was unable to help as he had previously done and the fatigue of the care of child and man brought a condition where the woman was tired all the time.  Still she bore up well, though when the summer came she greatly missed the little two weeks’ vacation that she and her husband had yearly taken together from the days of their courtship.

The husband recovered, but his strength came back very slowly.  He went to work as soon as possible but worked only part time for six months.  At night he came home utterly exhausted and could not help his wife at all.

During the next year both children were sick, first with scarlet fever and then with whooping cough.  The mother did most of the nursing, though by this time the father was able to help and did.  The necessary expenses so depleted the family treasury that when the summer came neither could afford to go away.

Both noticed that the mother was getting more irritable than was natural to her.  She went out very seldom and her youthful good looks had largely been replaced by a sharp-featured anxiety.  Though she carried on faithfully she had to rest frequently and at night tossed restlessly, though greatly fatigued.

She became pregnant again, much to her dismay and to the great regret of her husband.  At times she thought of abortion, but only in a desperate way.  The last few months of her term were in the very hot months of the year and she was very uncomfortable.  However, she was delivered safely, got up in a week to help in the care of her other two children and to get the house into shape again.  Her milk was fairly plentiful, despite her fatigue and “jumpy nerves.”  Unfortunately at this time, when they had accumulated a little surplus and she was looking forward to better clothes for her family and more comforts, the plant at which her husband was employed suspended operations because of some “high finance” mix-up.  Coming at this time, the news struck terror into her heart; she broke down, became “hysterical” i.e. had an emotional outburst.  This passed away, but now she was sleepless, had no appetite, complained of headache and great fatigue.

Though she was assured that the plant would reopen soon (in fact it soon did), she made little progress.  That she was suffering from a psychoneurosis was evident; what remained was to bring about treatment.

This was done by enlisting a development of recent days,—­the Social Service agencies.  Out of the old-time charity has come a fine successor, social service; out of the amateurish, self-consciously gracious and sweet Lady Bountiful has come the social worker.  Unfortunately social service has not yet dropped the name “Charity”, perhaps has not been able to do so, largely because the well-to-do from whom the money must come like to think of themselves as charitable, rather than as the beneficiaries of the social system giving to the unfortunates of that system.