THE STARVING FAMILY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11999, 17 October 1906, Page 4

THE STARVING FAMILY.

Thanks to the kindly action of Messrs. C. J. McCarthy and J. S. Palmer, one of the most painful and distressing cases* of poverty that has come under our observation in Wanganui has been brought to light during the past few days, brief mention of which was made in our columns on Monday. As doubt appears to have been cast by our contemporary on the gemiineness of the distress said to have existed in our midst, we made a point of calling on the widow yesterday to ascertain for ourselves the true state of the case. A glance at the gaunt, emaciated figure -lying in bed, and signs of uumistakable squalor, poverty, and want served at once to convince us that the distress had not in the least been exaggerated. On the contrary, testimony was forthcoming from the mother and children to prove that the public have not yet heard the saddest eide of this most painful case of destitution. Tiiere was no need to produce a list of rations supposed to have been supplied by and obtained from the Charitable Aid Board to convince us that the family were in abject poverty, nor did we desire any rebutting evidence to prove that frequently they were without so much as a

crust of bread in the house. So recently ■jm Friday last they had not a bite to eat, and but for Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy's kindliness the children would — as they have done before — have goue to bed without appeasing their hunger. It requires uo stress of imagination to picture the struggle for existence of a puuy, delicate woman, left a widow seven months ago, with a family of five young children to support. Indeed, it seems positively certain that had matters ' contimied much longer in their present condition there would have been a still sadder tale to tell. One touch of nature makes the whole world kiu, and it has required but the mention of the ca-!e to call forth many acts of charity.