summer a hard one. She was not a brisk or cheerful woman. She had
suffered a great deal from the heat, and A. had diphtheria and other
illnesses." In the fall it was arranged that the girl should again go to
school; and the married sister finally offered, in order to make this
possible, to board her and provide her with boots until Christmas. The
Provident Association, after considering the case carefully, offered to
give $2.00 a week and coal and clothing. The friend who had been giving
all the help stood ready to give if more than this was needed. Two
months later Mrs. X. had her husband arrested, and sent to the Island for
a month.

In the winter Mrs. X. consulted her visitor as to the possibility of her
giving up the Provident help and supporting herself by taking boarders.
"She had friends all ready to come, and could arrange to hire additional
rooms. All she needed was extra bedding. She felt confident of success.
Her health was better than it had been for a long time, and she was
improved in energy and courage. By dint of great persuasion, the
Provident consented to give the bedding. They also promised to continue
giving coal; but the other help, it was arranged, should stop. They had
little hope, however, that the experiment would succeed. But the
experiment did succeed, and better {212} than I had anticipated. Mrs. X.
proved a good manager. She made a comfortable home, clothed the
children, and provided many little comforts of which they had long been
deprived. She became cheerful and hopeful for the future. She seemed
like a different person from the sick, discouraged woman I had known nine
months before.

"When her husband came home from the Island, I feared he might disturb
this prosperity, for he acted worse than ever; but in January he attacked
her with a knife, so she had him again arrested, and sent to the Island
for four months. She then told me she wished to take steps for a
separation. I encouraged her in this decision, but was careful not to
urge her, for I felt that such a step to be successful must be taken by
her own desire.

"So, as spring approached, I hoped that better days had really come for
this family. Unfortunately, however, in March a sad accident brought
this prosperous state of things to a sudden end. On the morning of March
10, N. brought me word that his mother had fallen downstairs and broken
her arm, and asked me to call as soon as possible. I found the poor