Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-07
ONE ELITTLE TALE
OF TIMELY HELP
Thirteen Year-Old Girl Has
Charge of Big Family; AS
sociated Aid Helps

Despite the enforcement of wartime
prohibition the Associated Aids agents
are still unearthing the raVages of
drink upon the family life of the COM
munity. and despite the prevalence of
high wages, plenty of work and gen.
eral prosperity they are finding in
stances of want and hardship in the
city.
Imagine a thirteen year-old girl TAX
ing charge of a family of seven chill
dren. just because the mother would
insist on drinking and not making a
home for them. Miss Glenn Gottschall,
of the Associated Aids Society is one
who can tell how ''the other half lives.
and were it not for organizations like
this the conditions existing among GER
tain classes of people would be worse
than intolerable. No matter how diff
ficult the case may be, how utterly
hopeless seemingly, Miss Gottschall and
her helpers willingly undertake it.
For example, drinking wife, seven
children, and a husband so discoura ged
that he had deserted the family, made
hard problem. Mr.. Smith, the hus-
band, came to the office of the Asso-
ciated Aid Societies and announced he
had left his home and rented a room
for himself. He was utterly worn out
return
under existing conditions and that
there was no hope they would ever be
made better as every effort had failed
This hard working man. had arranged
to remain with his present employer,
and made provisions for supporting his
family. He requested that the Asso-
ciated Aid Societies place his children
in some good home and said that almost
any time the workers called they would
be sure to find Mrs. Smith intoxicated
and the kiddies neglected. Mary, the
13-year-old daughter. was carrying all
the responsibility of the home and was
informing her father daily as to how
affairs were progressing. She also re-
ceived from him money for the family
needs.
Even Baby Was Ill
Miss Gottschall called at the home
and found things just as the father
said they would be. The house itself
was rather well-furnished and neat but
decidedly dirty The children were
running wild and the baby was ill., At
first the mother resented the call but
eventually softened and at the men
tion of her husbands name was unable
to hold back the tears.
Other calls followed, the house was
cleaned. and the mother tried hard
to do the right thing. With the as
sistance of a pastor and the Associated
Aid people she succeeded so well that
1t was finally decided that supper
should be prepared to which the hus-
band should be invited as the honor
guest. The all-important evening ar
rived, the husband came, and a recon-
ciliation was offered.
From that time on affairs improved
continually. Naturally, there were
occasional relapses but, on the whole,
things were bright and promising.
Then, 1t was discovered that the mother
was tubercular and for six months her
sister assumed her duties while she
underwent a course of treatment at
sanatorium. At the end of that time
she returned, completely cured.
Then began a new era in the life of
that one-time wrecked family. Condi-
tions improved with great rapidity and
present reports are most favorable
This is but one of many instances
where the family rehabilitation work
carried on by the local Associated Aid
Societies has effected remarkable
changes in the lives of entire families.
During the month of July, 96 cases of
this kind were cared for.
Help in Many Ways
Sometimes an income was provided
to tide the family over a period during
which the bread winner was ill., Again,
children who had been. taken away
from the parents and placed in homes