 A few feet to his right sits his wife, darning the clothes on her lap and those sprawled on the floor, where a cat sits, while a crying infant, who is upset and hungry, goes unattended in the only bed.Next to the poet's wife, by the open door, an angry milkmaid presents her substantial bill, demanding payment for milk, underlining the poet's refusal to provide for his family by getting himself a proper job.The cupboard stands open and empty, save for a mouse; near the door, a dog steals the last of the family's food from a plate.