Any one who knows what the worth of family affection is among the lower classes, and who has seen the array of little portraits stuck over a laborer's fireplace will perhaps feel with me that in counteracting the tendencies, social and industrial, which every day are sapping the healthier family affections, the sixpenny photograph is doing more for the poor than all the philanthropists in the world.

Summary

The quote implies that the value of family affection is highly cherished among the lower classes. The mention of little portraits hung over a laborer's fireplace suggests that these simple photographs hold great sentimental value. The quote further argues that these inexpensive photographs have a significant impact in preserving and strengthening family ties within the working-class, surpassing the efforts of philanthropists who focus on aiding the poor. It suggests that the act of displaying personal photographs reinvigorates and safeguards familial bonds, countering the adverse effects of social and industrial forces that erode such affections.

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