BIG FAMILIES FOR HEALTH

Waipa Post, Volume 38, Issue 2271, 21 February 1929, Page 6

BIG FAMILIES FOR HEALTH

KEEPING TEN ON 13s A WEEK. Mrs Sarah Ann Stevens, of Ensbury Park Road, Bournemouth, the youngest of whose sixteen children was married recently, gave a correspondent a simple recipe for keeping eight children on 13s a week. "I gave them as much as I could get of vegetables from the garden, bread,, dripping, milk and suet pudding, and very little meat," she said, "and they grew up healthy and strong. And of course both I and my husband have worked hard all our lives." Later, when Mrs Stevens' family increased to sixteen—eight sons and eight daughters—her husband, who was employed in charge of horses at Highcliffe, Hants, for many years, had had his wages raised above the 13s mark. With the wedding of Miss Lucy Stevens, aged 25, Mrs Stevens has seen all her 16 children married. Forty-one members of the family sat at the wedding breakfast. Mrs Stevens, who is 69, has 53 descendants, including one great grandchild. "And everyone of them healthy and strong," she says. She does not approve of the pre-sent-day cult of the small family. Hard work and plain living are the best things for keeping well, she declares, and small families make people lazy. Mrs Stevens is immensely proud of the war record of her family. All her eight sons served in the war, and all came back safely. Despite the inevitable cares of her large family Mrs Stevens declares her life has been perfectly happy and contented. She is looking forward to getting all the members of the family together next year to celebrate her golden wedding anniversary.