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DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord
DigiTrad:
ALL MY TRIALS, LORD
Related thread:
Chords to 'All My Trials' (33)
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Subject: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Joe Offer Date: 03 Jun 02 - 01:46 PM This is an edited DTStudy thread, and all messages posted here are subject to editing and deletion. This thread is intended to serve as a forum for corrections and annotations for the Digital Tradition song named in the title of this thread. Search for other DTStudy threadsALL MY TRIALS, LORD Hush little baby, don't you cry You know your mama was born to die All my trials, Lord, soon be over Too late, my brothers Too late, but never mind All my trials, Lord, soon be over If religion were a thing that money could buy The rich would live and the poor would die All my trials, Lord, soon be over I've got a little book that was given to me And every page spells liberty All my trials, Lord, soon be over There is a tree in Paradise And the pilgrims call it the Tree of Life All my trials, Lord, soon be over recorded by Joan Baez @death @religion filename[ ALLTRIAL Tune file : ALLTRIAL CLICK TO PLAY SOF PLEASE NOTE: Because of the volunteer nature of The Digital Tradition, it is difficult to ensure proper attribution and copyright information for every song included. Please assume that any song which lists a composer is copyrighted ©. You MUST aquire proper license before using these songs for ANY commercial purpose. If you have any additional information or corrections to the credit or copyright information included, please e-mail those additions or corrections to us (along with the song title as indexed) so that we can update the database as soon as possible. Thank You. All My TrialsDESCRIPTION: "If religion were a thing that money could buy, The rich would live and the poor would die. All my trials, Lord, soon be over. Too late, my brothers, too late but never mind." The weary singer looks forward to victory after deathAUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1961 (recording, Pete Seeger) KEYWORDS: religious nonballad FOUND IN: US(SE) REFERENCES (3 citations): BrownIII 644, "Tree in Paradise" (3 short texts; the "A" version combines "Few Days" with a "Tree in Paradise" text; "B" is too short to classify easily; "C" seems to be mostly "All My Trials"; there may also be influence from "Is Your Lamps Gone Out" or the like) Silber-FSWB, p. 359, "All My Trials" (1 text) DT, ALLTRIAL* Roud #11938 RECORDINGS: Rev. Lewis Jackson & Charlotte Rucell, "Tallest Tree in Paradise" (on MuSouth07) Pete Seeger, "All My Trials" (on PeteSeeger31) CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "Little David, Play on Your Harp" (floating lyrics) cf. "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" (lyrics) cf. "Noah's Ark" (lyrics) cf. "Zek'l Weep" (floating lyrics) cf. "Blow Your Trumpet, Gabriel (Paul and Silas)" (floating lyrics) cf. "Is Your Lamps Gone Out?" (lyrics) cf. "Tell All the World, John" (lyrics) cf. "Wild Rover No More" (floating lyrics) NOTES: Although this is generally considered a Black song, one of the key couplets goes back to England. According to Roy Palmer, The Folklore of Warwickshire, Rowman & LIttlefield, 1976, p. 41, the stanza This life is a city of crooked streets, Death is the market-place where all men meet, If life were merchandise that money could buy The rich would live and the poor would die was found at Tysoe in 1798. Palmer files this among verses on gravestones, although he does not explicitly say for whom, if anyone, this one was carved. - RBW The Jackson/Rucell recording, from 1954, is classified here in near-desperation; it consists primarily of the single floating verse "The tallest tree in Paradise/The Christians call it the Tree of Life" (also found in "Is Your Lamps Gone Out?"), plus the chorus "Hey brother with a hey/Hey, sister with a hey-ey-ey/Jes' take a little bottle and let's go home/Yes, my Lord." - PJS Last updated in version 2.5 File: FSWB359B Go to the Ballad Search form The Ballad Index Copyright 2010 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Joe Offer Date: 03 Jun 02 - 01:56 PM I found these lyrics at the Peter Paul and Mary website, http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/music/f-03-08.htm. Note that they're copyrighted by PP&M, and that the Traditional Ballad Index shows the earliest known recording was Pete Seeger's 1961 record. Seems to me this ought to be traditional, but maybe it's a compilation of traditional phrases? Note that the Traditional Ballad Index has cross-referenced to a number of traditional songs. -Joe Offer- ALL MY TRIALS Yarrow/Stookey/Okun- Pepamar Music Inc. ASCAP All my trials Lord, soon be over. I had a little book was given to me, And every page spelled Liberty. All my trials Lord, soon be over. If religion were a thing that money could buy, The rich would live and the poor would die. All my trials Lord, soon be over. Too late my brothers, too late, but never mind. All my trials Lord, soon be over. There is a tree in Paradise The Pilgrims call it "The Tree Of Life" All my trials Lord, soon be over. Too late my brothers, too late, but never mind. All my trials Lord, soon be over. All my trials Lord, soon be over. |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: GUEST,vixen @ work Date: 03 Jun 02 - 02:10 PM Having learned this song at a young age (say about 6) and having poor hearing, I thought the second verse was "If *Livin'* were a thing that money could buy..." FWIW, nearly 40 years later I *still* think it makes more sense in context than "religion." I've found that the lines scan very nicely into the melody of Michael Row the Boat Ashore, as do the lines of O Mary Don't You Weep. There seems to be a body of "plug 'n' play" lines that can fit well into a mess of different songs. just my $0.02... V |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Joe Offer Date: 03 Jun 02 - 02:56 PM Here's a quote from the Joan Baez Songbook (1964, edited by Maynard Solomon): This spiritual-lullaby probably originated in the antebellum South, from where it was transported to the West Indies. It appears to have died out in this country, only to be discovered in the Bahamas. From there it was reintroduced to us, eventually becoming one of the standards of the popular folk song movement.CDNow shows recordings by Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, Anita Carter (?), Dick & Dee Dee (?), Highwaymen, Impressions (?), Nana Mouskouri (!!!), Paul & Margie (Golden Bough), Peter & Gordon, PP&M (In the Wind), Ray Stevens, Seekers, and Kelly Family. There's also a recording by Mickey Newbury (part of his "American Trilogy," along with "Dixie" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" - also recorded by Elvis Presley). -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Dicho (Frank Staplin) Date: 03 Jun 02 - 07:38 PM The verse about the rich and the poor appears in several spirituals, it is an easily remembered comparison. See "Honey In The Rock," 1st verse (Extract): If religion was a thing that your money could buy Feed every child of God. The rich would live and the poor would die Feed every child of God. The verse about Paradise and The Tree of Life appears in the same spiritual. Honey |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Dicho (Frank Staplin) Date: 03 Jun 02 - 07:55 PM Ef salvation wuz a thing money could buy, Den de rich would live and de po' would die. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot II, thread 41800: Chariot II The verse about the little book "and every page spells liberty" sounds like a Seegarism to me. |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: raredance Date: 04 Jun 02 - 09:43 PM Hush,little baby, and don't you cry; Yo' mudder an' fadder is bo'n to die! Jesus done taken my driftin' han' Good Lord, Lord, Lord! Oh my Jesus done taken my driftin' han' Good Lord, Lord, Lord! This is from the Frank C Brown Collection of NC Folklore rich r |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: raredance Date: 04 Jun 02 - 10:18 PM Pete Seeger's version is on "American Favorite Ballads Vol. 4" (1961 Folkways FA2323). The insert to the album has complete lyrics but no information. By inference because it is included with America's Favorite Ballads, it must have been around before Pete recorded it. The Collected Reprints from Sing Out! has "mamma" replaced with "daddy" and "Liberty" replaced with "Victory" rich r |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Don Firth Date: 05 Jun 02 - 01:58 AM Earliest date, 1961? No, I don't think so. I first heard the song on Bob Gibson's "Offbeat Folk Songs," Riverside, RLP12-802, 1956, under the title Bahaman Lullabye. I still have the record. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: masato sakurai Date: 05 Jun 02 - 08:00 AM Don Firth, you're right. To back you up, I'll copy the entry from FOLK MUSIC INDEX: All My Trials
~Masato
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Joe Offer Date: 06 Jun 02 - 01:54 AM For the record, it might be good to give an explanation of that "earliest date" entry in the Traditonal Ballad Index. It's the earliest version of the song found in resources reviewed by the Index. Rather than attempt to determine a date of composition, the Index simply gives the earliest date its resources provide. I'd like ot see us go farther and determine a date, but the Index doesn't attempt that. Make sense? -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Joe Offer Date: 16 Jun 02 - 11:58 PM My son says Nick Drake did a great recording of this one, on a bootleg album called "Tanworth-n-Arden." Anybody know more? -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: ADD Version: All My Trials, Lord From: Mary in Kentucky Date: 17 Jun 02 - 12:21 AM I have this song in Something to Sing About! The Personal Choices of America's Folk Singers. It is listed as the choice of Joan Baez. The words are just a little different. ALL MY TRIALS 1) Hush little baby don't you cry, You know your mama was born to die, All my trials, Lord, soon be over. Refrain: Too late, my brothers, Too late, but never mind, All my trials, Lord, soon be over. 2) I had a little book, 'twas given to me, And every leaf spelled victory, All my trials, Lord, soon be over. 3) If religion was a thing that money could buy The rich would live and the poor would die, All my trials, Lord, soon be over. 4) The highest tree in Paradise The Christians call the Tree of Life, All my trials, Lord, soon be over. 5) The Jordan River is chilly and cold, The chill and cold does chill my soul, All my trials, Lord, soon be over. |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: masato sakurai Date: 17 Jun 02 - 12:49 AM All My Trials as sung by Ellen van der Hoeven
Hush little baby don't you cry
Had a little book was given to me
Too late my brothers, too late but never mind
If living was a thing that money could buy
We're bound together by a heavy chain
Too late my brothers, too late but never mind
(From HERE) ~Masato
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: GUEST,Russ Date: 17 Jun 02 - 10:37 AM vixen@work, "Livin" works, but I think that "religion" works better. It's a truism that the rich have the advantage in the here-and-now. Whatever can be bought, they can buy, including everything that can contribute to the extension of life. Since it is a truism, there's no point in using "if" to express hypotheticality. However, if religion=salvation=eternal life, then the full force of the hypothetical "if" comes into play. If eternal life is purchased with the same coin possessed in abundance by the rich, there is no hope at all for the poor. |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Joe Offer Date: 17 Jun 02 - 12:31 PM I'd say the van der Hoeven version appears to be a recent revision. I was about to say it appeared to be an attempt to "secularize" the lyrics, but it's more an attempt to put an antireligious "spin" to it. I don't think this verse is what you would call traditional, no matter what you think of sentiments expressed: We're bound together by a heavy chain-Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Dicho (Frank Staplin) Date: 17 Jun 02 - 01:40 PM The verse including "born to die" occurs in several songs. One from 1860: I'm glad that I am born to die From grief and woe my soul shall fly. From a hymn, Lamb of God, in Newman L. White, American Negro Folk Songs, p. 462. I'm glad that I'm born to die, Frum trouble here my soul goin' fly. From the spiritual, "Keep Inchin' Along," version in Odum and Johnson, The Negro and His Songs, p. 89. The last verse in the van der Hoeven song obviously has reference to the spirituals and gospel songs including the lines "Mary wore three links of chain, and every link carried Jesus's name" (many variants inc. "Mary wore de golden chain, Every link was in Jesus' name"). |
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Subject: Add: Keep Inchin' Along From: wysiwyg Date: 26 Mar 05 - 08:24 PM Fragment transcribed from a Fisk clip: Keep a-inchin' along, Keep a-inchin' along, Jesus will come by and by. Keep a-inchin along like a po* inch worm, Jesus will come by and by. If a-you get there before I do Jesus will come by and by. Look out for me..... ====================================================== ALSO SEE: KEEP A-INCHIN' ALONG FOLK SONGS OF NORTH AMERICA Keep a-Inchin' Along Songs of Zion (Nix) Inchin' along. Dett, Religious folk-songs of the negro, p. 10 (Keep a-inchin' along) Inchin' along. Fisher, Seventy negro spirituals, p. 79 Inchin' along. Noble, Most popular plantation songs, p. 71 (Inching along) Inchin' along. Johnson, Book of American negro spirituals, p. 134 (Keep a-inchin' along) Inchin' along. Dann, Fifty-eight spirituals for choral use, p. 37 (Inching along. Variant) Inchin' along. Johnson, Utica jubilee singers spirituals, p. 72 (Keep a-inchin' along. Variant) Inchin' along. Fenner, Religious folk songs of the negro, p. 154 (Keep a-inchin' along) Inching Along AMERICAN NEGRO SONGS Inching Along Newman, GO DOWN, MOSES Inching Along Newman, GO DOWN, MOSES ====================================================== From John Work, American Negro Songs: INCHIN' ALONG Traditional Negro Spiritual REFRAIN Keep a-inchin' along, Keep a-inchin' along, Jesus will come by and by. Keep a-inchin along like a poor* inch worm, Jesus will come by and by. VERSES: 1. It was inch by inch that I sought the Lord (Jesus will come by and by.) It was inch by inch that he saved my soul. (Jesus will come by and by.) 2. We'll inch and inch and inch along; (Jesus will come by and by.) And inch by inch till we get home. (Jesus will come by and by.) 3. O trials and troubles on the way, (Jesus will come by and by.) But we must watch as well as pray. (Jesus will come by and by.) * sung po' or poor SH @spiritual ====================================================== APPARENT MINSTREL-SHOW PARODY ====================================================== |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: BB Date: 29 Mar 05 - 02:21 PM Anyone remember The Shadows' recording of this on their early solo album? It was before I ever heard of such a thing as folk music - must have been very early '60s - and it was one of my favourite tracks on the album, harmonies and all. I seem to remember that they sang 'living', and it didn't seem at all incongruous to me. Barbara |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Mr Happy Date: 27 Feb 08 - 10:53 AM On my record of Joan Baez, she sings I've got a little book with pages three And every page spells liberty All my trials, Lord, soon be over |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie Date: 27 Feb 08 - 05:33 PM |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie Date: 27 Feb 08 - 05:40 PM Sorry I can't provide references for each and every difference, but one of my inputs was Harry Belafonte, somewhere along the line. Hush, little baby and don't you cry; You know your daddy is bound to die. All my ... If life were a thing that money could buy, The rich would live and the poor would die, And all my trials, Lord, would be forgotten. Mary wore three links of chain; On every link/piece was Jesus'/freedom's name. All my ... I have a little book with pages three, And every page spells liberty. There's one more thing that troubles my mind: My love/Lord is gone, left me behind. The one different verse (different chording) I do as: But it's too late, my Lord, too late, but never mind. All my trials .... And the last line is either: All my sorrows, soon forgotten. Or All my trials, soon forgotten. Or All my trials soon be over. CC PS: Joe, sorry about the blank--I bumped the wrong key. I'm sure you can delete it. Cheers. |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 27 Feb 08 - 10:00 PM Happy, that verse is in her Songbook. Lyrics in the "Joan Baez Songbook," 1964, Amsco, slightly different from those at top of thread. "Flowing, with a moderate calypso beat. C#, Capo 1st, Play: C." ALL MY TRIALS Hush, little baby, don't you cry, You know your Mama was born to die.- All my trials, Lord,- Soon be over. Refrain- Too late, my brothers,- Too late but never mind,- All my trials, Lord,- Soon be over. The river of Jordan is muddy and cold, Well, it chills the body, but not the soul, All my trials, Lord, soon be over I've got a little book with pages three, And every page spells liberty, All my trials, Lord, soon be over. Refrain- Too late my brothers, Too late, but never mind All my trials, Lord, soon be over. If living were a thing that money could buy, You know the rich would live and the poor would die, All my trials, Lord, soon be over. There grows a tree in Paradise, And the Pilgrims call it the tree of life, All my trials, Lord, soon be over. Too late, my brothers, etc. pp. 126-129, with score. Seems put together from floating verses. First sung by Pete Seeger, 1961; supposedly from the West Indies. Brown, "North Carolina Folklore," vol. 5, "The Music of the Folk Songs," Ed. Jan Philip Schinhan, includes music and partial lyrics to: TREE IN PARADISE There's a green tree standing in Paradise, Oh, yes, my Lord. And the Christians call it the tree of life, Oh, yes, my Lord. And it's over River Jordan I'm bound to go, And it's over River Jordan I'm bound to go, And it's over River Jordan I'm bound to go, Oh, Lord, yes, my Lord. Coll. 1922, Montgomery Co., NC. Other versions collected. _____________________ The following have been called the Pete Seeger lyrics. I don't have a recording of him singing the song; apparently he changed the lyrics from time to time. Does anyone have the 1961 lyrics? For what they're worth- ALL MY TRIALS Hush, little baby, don't you cry, You know that your mother's bound to die. Chorus- Too late, my brothers, too late but never mind, All my trials, Lord, soon be over. If religion was a thing that money could buy, The rich would live and the poor would die. I had a little book was given to me And every leaf spelled Victory. Well, the hardest tree in Paradise, Don't you know, it's the tree of life? _____________________ Version at ingeb.org. No reference. Anyone know where it comes from? ALL MY TRIALS If religion was a thing That money could buy, The rich would live And the poor would die. Go to sleep, my little baby, And don't you cry, Your daddy was born Just to live and die. Refrain- All my trials, Lord, Will soon be over. Too late my brothers, Too late but never mind, All my trials, Lord, Will soon be over. Oh, I have a litle book That sets me free, My bible, it spells "LIberty." Yes, a man was born To suffer agony, His will to live Spells "Victory." |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 22 Oct 09 - 05:44 PM The evolution of this lullaby 'from the Bahamas' into the song sung by Joan Baez and many others during the 'folk revival' is not well documented (The Baez lyrics in the DT lack the Jordan verse, which she sang; "All My Trials," on youtube). Somehow it has, by the addition of floating verses, changed into a pseudo-spiritual. It may have started life as a religious song or lullaby in North Carolina or other coastal state and moved to the West Indies. I have not seen any clear reference to when or in what form it was collected. Raredance (above) posted the first verse of a religious or lullaby song from North Carolina ("negro fragment"), and printed in vol. 3, Folk Songs of North Carolina, Belden and Hudson, no. 580, "Hush, Little Baby," in F. C. Brown, North Carolina Folklore. I will post the complete entry in a separate thread. Bob Gibson, 1956, and Cynthia Gooding, also 1956, seem to have been the first to start the song on its way to popularity; Glenn Yarborough recorded it in 1957, and Harry Belafonte in 1959. (The link by Masato to "Folk Music Index" has disappeared). Any information on the 'beginnings' and history of this song would be appreciated. |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: GUEST Date: 13 May 11 - 09:08 PM I am learning a choral version in which one line is "If living were a thing that money could buy", and also includes the reference to the river Jordan. |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: andrew e Date: 14 May 11 - 07:18 PM I made a SATB A Cappella arrangement if anyone would like it, based on the Peter, Paul and Mary version. Andrew |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: mayomick Date: 15 May 11 - 07:47 AM Does anyone think Bob Dylan's I Shall be Released might have been based on this song? |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: GUEST,Gerry Date: 14 Feb 20 - 12:38 AM The Kingston Trio song that has been cited in this discussion seems to be very different from the others (but still similar enough to be in the family). No religious content, it's all about love. All My Sorrows Only one thing that money can't buy. True love that will never die. All my sorrows soon forgotten. Carrefree lovers down country lanes Don't know my grief, can't feel my pain. All my sorrows soon forgotten. (Bridge:) But it's too late, my love, Too late, but never mind. All my sorrows soon forgotten. Now there's one more thing that troubles my mind; My love is gone, left me behind. All my sorrows soon forgotten. (Repeat bridge) |
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Subject: RE: DTStudy: All My Trials, Lord From: leeneia Date: 14 Feb 20 - 12:13 PM Hi, Gerry. Thanks for those lyrics. I used to sing those years ago, when the Kingston Trio was the latest hot thing. The melody for this song is very beautiful. I like to play it on fretted dulcimer. The Sing Out! book says this is a lullaby, and I can see how that would be. It is so calm and peaceful in tone. But the baby being sung to better be too little to understand the words. Telling a baby that its mama will die is hardly designed to soothe. I picture a poor family going out to work at whatever they can find, while an old, sickly member of the family is left at home to care for the baby. |
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