In White Elephant Buildings there is no prohibition as to the number of children, or the Jones family would not be there, for they number eight all told.

It is dinner time, and the children are all in from school, and, being winter time, Jones is at home too! He has been his wearying round in search of work earlier in the day, and has just returned to share the midday meal which the mother serves.

In all conscience the meal is limited enough, but we notice that Jones gets an undue proportion, and we wonder whether the supply will go round.
We see that the children are next served in their order, the elder obtaining just a little more food than the younger, and, last of all--Mrs.Jones.
It is true that self-denial brings its own reward, for in her case there is little to reward her in the shape of food.
To me it is still astonishing, although I have known it for years, that thousands of poor men's wives go through years of hard work, and frequent times of motherhood on an amount of food that must be altogether inadequate.
Brave women! Aye, brave indeed! for they not only deny themselves food, but clothing, and all those little personal adornments that are so dear to the heart of women.

There is no heroism to equal it.

It only ends when the children have all passed out of hand, and then it is too late, for in her case appetite has not been developed with eating, so that when the day comes that food is more plentiful, the desire for it is lacking.
It is small wonder, then, that Mrs.Jones has a careworn look, and does not look robust.