Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-19
FAMILY HARD HIT
BYL0SS OF INCOME
Mother and Six Children Max
ina Brave Struggle-One
of Ia Opportunities.

Bad luck has the curious character
istic of coming in buIkhes.
1t is like a venomous snake whose
mate always is somewhere in the
neighborhood. AS soon as one Is
killed the other is ready TO strike.
This comparison stands out IN sew
eral of the Christmas opportunities
offered by the Associated Charities
The unfortunate families have not
been crushed by a single misfortune,
but by two or more. each Following
close on the preceding one.
Such was the case Of the third
family on the list. Here was com
paratively happy and prosperous home
a year ago-not much left over at the
end of the week. but always enough
10 pay the bills with a little economic
ing here and there.
Father Is Taken Sick.
Then the father was taken sick.
His case was serious and required long
and expensive hospital Treatment.
There had been no allowance for this
in the family budget. But he worked
for a good Washington firm. They
held his job open for him for a long
erous contributions managed to keep
up his wages for a while.
This, of course, couldn't continue
indefinitely. The mother, with six
children on her hands, wasn't able
to earn anything. She looked forward
to better days as soon as the oldest
boy. then nearly ready to quit school,
could get a job and bring home a
regular wage every month.
Right then misfortune struck
again. The boy met with a serious
accident which resulted in pneu-
monia. He is just now recovering
and will not be strong enough to do
much work for months yet.
Minimum Needs of Family.
The family, with two sick on its
hands, has no income. What is the
mother to do? The minimum budget
which will suffice this large house,
hold calls for $50 a week, or $1.560
for the year. That is what the AS
ISOLATED Charities is asking for them,
and it must be contributed before
Christmas.
Everything is on the shoulders of
the mother. but notwithstanding the
two hard blows she is keeping up the
fight with an optimism that has ex-
ated Charities investigators.
Six children, a sick husband, no
money. no way TO earn any.
Up to noon today the fund totaled
$3,251.90, leaving S11.S2S.10 to be OBJ
tanned in order to complete the mod
est budgets in the ID families.
Views of Annual Giver.
1.-THE near approach of the holiday
season and the announcement in the
press reminds us that another oppor-
tunity-in fact, IA opportunities
presented to purchase for ourselves az
small cost Christmas present i'm the
shape of an investment in humz n
lives and happiness. This Opportunity
affords added pleasure because Of the
information that similar investments
In Christmas gifts heretofore made
have proven so profitable
So writes an annual contributor to
the Ia opportunities.
The opportunity list this year is par
ticularly an appeal for the children.
Their number ranges from one family
of two children to one of eight
Three of them are infants in arms
and are below compulsory school age
although some of these younger ones
are attending kindergarten. The re
naming 26 children are all Of school
age with the exception of one who is
IL. Whatever the follies of deserving
fathers may have been, their children
are innocent of wrongdoing. In each
of these homes is a good mother more
than willing TO do a double part.
All IL of the remaining opportuni-
ties have still a long way to go tt
reach their goal. Would-be givers are
reminded that they may pledge either
monthly or quarterly amounts if they
find it not convenient to contribute at
this time when there are so many
calls for Christmas benevolence.
Contributions may be sent to the
Associated Charities, 1922 Eleventh
strict, or to The Evening Star.
Other Opportunities Listed.
The other opportunities are:
OPPORTUNITY No. /.
Amount asked for, 1895. Closed.
OPPORTUNITY No. 2.
Seven children are heavy RESPONSE
bility for a woman married to mar
who has repeatedly sidestepped his
obligations to his family. After stand
ing by her husband through many
hardships and for many years the
mOLner mas now ueclueu tnat ner mrs
duty is to her children The Oldest
of these is boy IA and the youngest is
4. The former has a permit to work
out of school hours. but he earns
hardly more than enough to clothe
himself. He is attending the Voca
tional School, where he is taking a
course which will lead to an ap
premiership at profitable trade, If al
goes well. But this is in the future
Meantime. one of the other six chill
dren presents a serious health prob