"Yes, but she took her time, and had all the necessaries of life on the
way. She walked for an advertisement. The woman I speak of walked in order
to get there. She walked because she hadn't the money to pay her fare. Her
husband was with her, to be sure. He was a pal o' mine. You see, it was
a hard winter, years ago, and work was so scarce in Pittsburg that the
husband had to remain idle until the two had begun to starve. He had some
education, and had been an office clerk. At that time of his life he
couldn't have stood manual labour. Still he tried to get it, for he was
willing to do anything to keep a lining to his skin. If you've never been
in his predicament, you can't realize how it is and you won't believe it
possible. But I've known more than one man to starve because he couldn't
get work and wouldn't take public charity. Starvation was the prospect of
this young fellow and his wife. So they decided to leave Pittsburg and come
to Philadelphia, where they thought it would be easier for the husband to
get work.
"'But how can we get there?' the husband asked.
"She was a plucky girl and had known hardship, although she was frail to
look at.
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