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109
" We are also indebted to Miss Sandiman, who has given her
Thursday afternoons to the work since the early part of last year,
and has been a most valuable help.
" Towards the latter part of the year a Mothers' Sewing Class
was started on Tuesday afternoons. Materials are provided,
as inexpensively as possible, and the mothers are helped to cut
out and make up suitable clothes for the children.
" At one time it was no uncommon thing to find very young
children brought here to be weighed who were clothed very
scantily in cotton even in the coldest weather, and there is still
room for improvement, for many babies die of Bronchitis and
Pneumonia from exposure.
" So far, the total attendances on Tuesdays has been 95, and
the numbers are growing.
" Cradles for the babies and a sewing machine have been
very kindly lent for the present.
" Most mothers are obliged to bring with them all their
children under school age, and when accommodation permits, we
hope to be able to arrange for the children to be minded in
another room for the afternoon. Two ladies have already
volunteered to help to mind the children. This would not
only be a great help to the sewing, but would make
it possible to teach the mothers while they are collected
here some simple facts about their own and their families'
health and well.being, or to interest them in some other
way during a part of the afternoon. A desire for something
of this kind has long been expressed by the mothers, so that there
will be good ground to work upon when we are able to make a
start. It would have been impossible to start the sewing class
without the help of Miss Ross Baxter and Mrs. Price; they have
taken over a large share of the work, and their kindness and
co.operation has been indispensable.