"The father, in contrast, never spoke of them, and used the pretext of his retarded children to wallow in s he hame, abandon his career, his friends, and even fresh air, and entomb himself in his room... Meanwhile, his wife spent the last cent of her dowry, and her inheritance, and took on all kinds of jobs to support the family. In her own poverty, she never turned her back to the poverty of others, and even in the most difficult periods of her life she continued her works of mercy" (31).