The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-08
THE FALLING HOUSE.
4 Plain story Of small Continual Disas.
tiers I'm q Family.

/ To THE EDITOR or THE SuN--Sir: Seven
years ago my husband and ' Invested
little money we had inherited In COM
Portable home His salary then was s2O
"a week from the firm which has en-
ployed him for many years. We made
an average OF another $50 from something
which we sold. FOR which there was then
good market We had brother and
sister residing with us. who paid slo
week This made our total income 800
week.
We were ourselves. aged mother. brother
ana sister ana three children To be red
clothcd ana housed from this amount
brother and sister clothed themselves)
we have refined tastes, but not extrava-
CANT. We Ike good substantial food
not fancy, and everything is prepared
at home. | make all clothing for the
children and myself from inexpensive
material, ana ] contrive To nave the chill
drcn look nicely. At that time had
laundress come In once a week at $3.50
day. and n coloref man at the end of
the week. half "A day for 81. Deducting
all our expenses for living. help. clothing
taxes and interest on our mortgage.
managed to lay aside each week GER
tain amount toward tho gradual paying
on of our mortgage. felt comfortable
IN what ! was doing although We reside
In "a very nice community where the i'll
comes are from $4,000 Il year upward
Then came tho change. First 1t was
the serious Illness, with complications, OF
one of our children. This Illness lasted
from February until November Besides
the regular physician ] was obliged TO
consult with another. ! had to get certain
delicacics and expensive tonics. all sorts
of things. all the time | lid not be-
grudgc them, I can assure you. | was
ordered to get q trained nurse as my own
health was becoming impaired from anx-
iety loss of sleep and endeavoring to
keep up with my daily duties. The con-
dit!on became strenuous that / was
obliged to get "A maid of all work to
assist me. as | could not afford II nurse.
We were battling for "A precious life. but
} We won with our savings account consd-
erably lcsscned.
/ After this We began TO notice that our
sales for the commodity which We were
handling were gradually diminishing. as
there had been placed upon the market
something of the same nature. widely
advertised. which could be sold for less
money and answered the same purpose.
All our efforts to increase our revenue
from that source failed and ended by our
losing money. This for our next step
downward.
! In the meantime the very generous cor
poraton for which my husband works
from until 6 o'clock every day had in
creased his salary 1t the rate Of s52 "A
year for two consecutive wears His
earnest efforts faithful discharge of
duties. honesty, punctuality SC, had
been worth retaining. and they showed
their appreciation to that extent. Other
men I'm similar posltious of trust Darn
from $4,000 a y,ar INWARD ", have no
, pull" nor wealthy friends nor relatives
TO intercede for him and tho result is
that he has plodded on. always with the
. hone tina, his sunrriors would some d,v
=, show their appreclatlou NOR. suhstan
italy.
our next great strain was the ser,ous
illness ending In nor d.n,b of sister
. | This illness WAS of long dur,tior. costing
her her savings and seriously affecting
f, our income and reserves Her death
| meant another addition To our expenses.
| which were partially horne hy brother
nv this time ". were commencing 20
experi,uce serious difficulty in having or-
interest and taxes; So when the mortgage
fell due. instead of decreasing IL. as orig.
lnally planned we were Obliged to take
, on "A larger loan 10 tide lis over
In the meantime our little ones were
going through the various childr,n's con-
, ! ta,ious diseases each illness bringing IFS
care and exp,use. Then came another
serious Illness our little on, who had
, been gravely i'll before contracted pneu-
, monia Again It was a battle for a life,
but, thank pod, she was spared to us.
Things went on indiferently. with the
cost OF living rising steadily. our expenses
not decreasing 10y any means. | had
been obliged to give up my laundress and
the man who assisted half day n week.
and was endeavoring to do II all myself.
which. by the way, Is extremely hard
, when you have never had to do II before.
and your own physique, though never
robus, at any time, Ia sadly worn out
, from tho sleg" Of care and sorrow. when
|, brother suddenly married. with !rawing
this slight addition to our income. leav-
ing us with only 3o3 a week to meet our
, obligations
decided to take one or two boarde-s
hut found that the refined class of u.oulc
whom We had been accustomed To- were
= m. s,rt tina, would nat hoard whore Their,
were children. | vas therefor. Obliged
] 20 ,,,. clorlfs ,,bo could ,r,,,d :, nos.
| mi. vino "a. r,,,ch aud v.a,o
waar ,,d ,cs,. n,, o,,r In,.ly bar,.. az. GO
,ur,isbi,gs rbis yrioy,d no soreI,. how
/ 49, 600 su.,Ii,,,aJ ~. i,{,,a- a,.a ,,5
500 o,,, 49,, a,Js,,,',., ''''
,rha, s,dd,,'l, A. Nos hr,,,,.,. ro,,,, =,
: go -, ,,,a - ~,
- -, -. 80 '
- IS '.'a'Nr "'. q" 'ne SUI,
n"u "''"'' 49, ,'' .f' III " w" i"'
"'sS' WIS air'u"' p"''ioo' anu SV"''s'E
.Io''.u III '""" me- ''H'' parsons ~
ViesUNs l'e'IiSc'N'S' a"lohs 'Henl very