8.0.—Nurses baby.
8.15.—Washes and puts to bed elder children.
8.45.—Mends clothes.
10.0.—Nurses baby and puts him to bed.
10.30.—Goes to bed; nurses baby twice in the night.
There is no room for the “day” of the mother who bakes her own bread. Her husband, who works for a Post-Office contractor, is on night-duty, and spends most of the day at home. He is an old soldier, as are an appreciable proportion of these low-wage men. He helps his wife in the housework and the cooking, and their home is one of the most spotless the visitor has seen. When his wife was sent to the seaside for two weeks, he managed entirely for himself and the five children. His “day” would have been very valuable could the visitor have persuaded him to make it out for those two weeks. He apologised to her for not making the money go as far as “mother” did, for buying loaves and not baking the bread, for scrubbing without soap, which he had forgotten to buy; but a detailed account of his day he could not give. He was a guardsman when in the army, and stands six feet in his socks. He weighs eleven stone at thirty-six—a stone less than when he was serving. Here are the accounts for his two weeks, alongside a budget of his wife’s, with which to compare (see p. 173). He sent them with the following letter:
“Mrs. R.,—
“Unfortunately I had Rachel at home on the Friday as Mother went away on the Thursday. I could not do on the money; I had as you will see to borrow 5s. as well as putting the whole of my money in the house. The last week I managed better, but had to miss my club. I should have sent the list down to you each week but Mother forgot to ask me to do so.”
The reference to Rachel is that she lost her situation just as his wife left home. He had her food to get as well as the other children’s during his fortnight. She is an excellent worker, and got another place as soon as her mother came back.