111. “Too Exhausted to Eat.”
I have been one of the more fortunate women; being fairly strong, my sufferings have not been so heavy as a lot of poor women. At the same time, I was often so poorly that if I had had means to get a little help at times it would have been a blessing. My husband has never earned more than from 23s. to 25s. a week, and many a time I have had to go without many a thing that would have done me good. When I was expecting my last baby, I think it was with going such a long time, and the others, some of them at work, and coming in to meals. I know I used to get the dinner cooked and struggle through the serving, then I was done, and was obliged to lie down a bit, often without my dinner, as I was too exhausted to eat, and the pleasure of the rest was partly spoiled by the thought of the dinner-table still laid. A bit of help then would have been a boon. But having a good husband smoothed many things over. But this shows that many a woman is unable to do her work, and if the husband is a thoughtless man, or even a bad one, her lot is a hard one indeed. Then, after confinement, women should not be obliged to work, in my opinion, for three weeks, but most working women have to do. I never could possibly keep a woman more than a fortnight—and the struggle during pregnancy of saving up 30s., which was the sum we always aimed for, and it was a big job. Some weeks I have had to be content with putting 3d. away, with the hope of 9d. next week to make it into a shilling. To my mind, this is one of the hardest tasks a working woman has.
Wages 18s. to 25s.; seven children.