1-150-995 - The Cartoon Collector/Heritage-Images

'The Spirit of Christmas', 1886. Charity sweeps aside the unfeeling Beadle in her determination to relieve the terrible suffering of a poor family. The plight of the poor was regularly highlighted in the press and there were many charities endeavouring to help poor families. It was all too easy for a man to be put out of work, either through accident or sickness, and the consequences of even a short lay-off could plunge a family into destitution. From Punch, or the London Charivari, December 25, 1886.