The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-31

smaller according to the demands made upon him.
 It is fearful state of affairs when you consider 1t.
 No wonder a man like Dr. Madison Peters, the great New York preacher, with a love of humanity in his heart and a brotherly feeling for those less blessed with this sworld's goods than himself, has taken, with a few others, the problem into his own hands and Is trying to put prices down within the reach of the working people of the great city.
 Despite statistical verifcation of a 22 per cent average rise in wages all over the country the $60-a-month man is reasonably certain that his own wage is not going to advance in pro- portion to the rise in the cost of living which has been increasing during the past decade at the rate of 50 per cent.
 The s15-a-week man has learned one valuable lesson, however, from 1t all that of-DOING WITHOUT.
 One of the bravest struggles to keep going" that has happened to come un- der my observation was told me recent ly by a member of one of the char itable organizations of this city.
 A mother and eight children are de- pendent entirely upon the father of the household for their maintenance and support.
 The father is no longer young; he used to be able to ply his trade-that of carpenter-and make his $2.50 a day.
 Now he is scarcely able to do any work at all; he gets about one week s work out of the month and then earns only about dollar a day.
 Yet
 There his little family is dependent upon him for every bite they put in their mouths; for every article of clothing they wear; for every single blessed thing that they require merely to LIVE.
 Another case I quote A man and his wife and four chill dren-all of whom have seen better days-are trying 10 buy a little home In one. of the suburbs A few months ago they lost practically all they had In some sort of Get Rich Quick g scheme, and the man had to go back to his old trade of a day laborer.
 During this winter sickness has overtaken them: the husband had to stop work; the brave little wife got position as a clerk in one of the de- partment stores and while they got be hind in the monthly payments on their property and everything seemed to be going down hill" still with her skillful management and splendid frugality, and seheming and twisting and turn ing and only woman can. they pulled through and if sickness doesn't over take them again they will win out put 1t has been pretty hard to keep their heads above the wateri
 
 It Is such heroism as this through long years of toll and self denial. that goes unrecognized, unsung, while bray cry of a more spectacular sort-feats accomplished under stress of excite ment in few seconds time-that are heralded abroad and emblazoned in let ters of fire upon the worlds annals and the heroes bedecked with medals and honored with substantial recognitioni
 The REAL heroes of this day and time, when the High Cost of Livine 2. has become problem that the might lest cannot cope with--are the men who supply the needs of their fam ilies and do their little best every day the men who are happier perhaps bv Tar than the bloated bond holder who counts out his checks by the dozen when the days work Is over and clips his coupons with the ease of Roths- child or an Astori
 Yes, the REAL heroes of this day are the men who are earning s15 a week and less and who, in spite of things are HAPPY-leading honest, in- corruptible, brave, splendid lives, hard as the struggle may be and as hope-