Ellis didn't care much about this strike and describes it as a political move. He describes the miners' union's decision to join the strike as foolish and believes the miners were forced to join. She wasn't against strikes in general, but she didn't like this one because it dragged her down and hurt her financially. Following the strike, her daughter Joy falls ill with diphtheria. The financial effects of the strike, along with medical bills, had forced her to start working. This was a particularly stressful time in his life and it continued to get worse. One day Ellis was preparing for an upcoming social event and was reading a book to pass the time while her hair curled. His daughter Joy, lying sick in bed, asked for a glass of water. Ellis tells her other daughter to get Joy a drink. The other daughter is also reading a book and doesn't move. Ellis hears a gurgling sound coming from her daughter's bed, but her daughter was too late