"My mother speaks of my step being a source of life-long pain to her, that it is a living death, etc. By the same post I had several letters from anxious relatives, telling me that it was my duty to come home and thus ease my mother's anxiety"

This quote by Elizabeth Garrett Anderson speaks with the difficult situation of her mother's life. Her mother is in discomfort due to her action, which is described as a living death. This discomfort has actually caused her mom's stress and anxiety to increase, and her loved ones are advising her to come home to relieve her mom's suffering. This quote speaks to the difficult situation of her mom's life, and the pressure that Elizabeth Garrett Anderson is feeling to come home and help her mother. It likewise speaks with the value of household and the lengths that individuals will go to in order to help their enjoyed ones. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson's quote is a suggestion of the power of household and the strength of love.