tion is an important factor in sapping vitality and
hastening the descent.

Yet this woman was a hard worker. From 4.30
in the morning till the last light at night, she said,
she had toiled at making cloth dress-skirts, lined up
and with two flounces, for seven shillings a dozen.
Cloth dress-skirts, mark you, lined up and with two
flounces, for seven shillings a dozen ! This is equal
to $1.75 per dozen, or 14 cents per skirt.

The husband, in order to obtain employment, had
to belong to the union, which collected one shilling
and sixpence from him each week. Also, when
strikes were afoot and he chanced to be working,
he had at times been compelled to pay as high as
seventeen shillings into the union s coffers for the
relief fund.

One daughter, the elder, had worked as green
hand for a dressmaker, for one shilling and six
pence per week 37?? cents per week, or a fraction
over 5 cents per day. However, when the slack
season came she was discharged, though she had.
been taken on at such low pay with the understand
ing that she was to learn the trade and work up.
After that she had been employed in a bicycle store
for three years, for which she received five shillings
per week, walking two miles to her work, and two
back, and being fined for tardiness.

As far as the man and woman were concerned, the

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v?