Esther and her family are fairly well to do. She is at school at the age of 17 when her uncle comes to fetch her with news of her family's financial reversal and her father's serious illness. Her father dies shortly, leaving her mother and six children mostly dependent on their uncle's generosity. He provides them with a home, but the older children will have to work. Esther is ready to do her bit, as is her brother, a soon-to-be doctor.
