Page:The Art of Helping People Out of Trouble (1924).pdf/161

 O'Brien promised to do so, and the social worker continued:

"It's going to be hard for the baby with her mother away. Have you any plan for taking care of the little girl?"

O'Brien seemed to be greatly embarrassed by this turn in the conversation. His face flushed, and it was evident that it was a subject which was not easy for him to discuss. The best way of helping him would probably be to recognize his difficulty:

"I know it's hard for you to speak about this, but I also know how devoted you and Alice are to each other, and I want you to feel that you can talk plainly to me about everything and that I will always understand."

"Yes," O'Brien teplied, "I think you would understand. I'm awfully ashamed of having anything like that happen, but I really don't want to do anything until after Alice is in the hospital."

"I think you're right," the social worker agreed. "Of course you will first want to see that Alice is comfortable, but after she goes to the hospital I am afraid that the baby won't get the care she ought to have."

"I've always felt," O'Brien said, "that if any-