Almost everybody day-dreams. Our hopes of achieving something significant, of exerting influence, and of doing good are probably greatest in the days of our youth, when we have emerged from childhood and are beginning to think of career. But very few of us are strong-willed enough to carry out our early idealistic plans, or patient enough to remain dedicated to a single dream.

Lillian Wald had both a strong will and complete dedication. Early in her life she became aware of the poverty and misery of many people about her. She resolved to do whatever she could to help the afflicted. Though her parents were well off and she could have led a life of ease, as a young graduate nurse, Lillian Wald went to live among the immigrants on New York's lower East Side. She undertook to aid the poor, minister to the the sick, and to lend a helping hand to those who needed assistance.

She thus embarked upon a life of service which gained for her the affection of her contemporaries and the admiration of the generations that followed. The institutions and organizations that she fostered have been functioning ever since. The ideas set forth have, in fact, become of international importance.

Founder of the Henry Street Settlement House in New York, she became a leader in the abolition of child labor, champion of the Federal Children's Bureau, and a staunch advocate of international cooperation for the promotion of world health.

Her influence has been a blessing to all mankind. Her life should be better known, since it was both thrilling and inspiring.

From the dust jacket