It was then I began taking Francis and Hughie to Mass every Sunday. I was hoping to teach them while they were young to understand the meaning of the Mass. 

I paid all the bills because it was more convenient for people to come into my place then go the kitchen, we had no fancy home to show off.  Then you mother complained and said she should handle the money. This happened before we went on relief. So I gave her the money. I gave her enough to take care of everything.  This suited her because she always had money in her purse when she went out. She didn't seem to understand what money was for. This idea of giving her the money didn't work out right. One day the milkman came in to see me. He said, I'm sorry Mr. Bass but I cannot leave you any more milk until the bill is paid up. I said what on earth are you talking about? He said I have a bill for $15.00 and my firm told me not to leave any more milk until it is paid.  Then I had other people coming in to see me about accounts that had not been paid. I could see she could not handle money so I stopped giving it to her. 

There was an organization on Main Street called the Family Welfare Bureau. The function of this organization was to listen and investigate the troubles of married people and try to straighten out their difficulties and set them on the road of a happy life.

Your mother got started visiting these people and she visited them often. Of course she told them of her brutal husband. 

A young lady from this organization came to see me and I explained everything to her. Then Mrs Pettit joined this organization and she came to see me. She made a suggestion. She thought the children were getting their mother down and it would be a big help if she was relieved of their care for a time.  I knew this wasn't true because she didn't care for them like a good mother. Mrs Pettit said let me put the children in the Shelter for a while and I am sure everything will come right. I didn't want to part with my children and I had little hope it would make any difference but I did not want to stand in the way of any peace coming to my home so I agreed to let the children go.