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    Only two months after graduating, Maria was faced with a new and different kind of challenge. She was invited to be a delegation to the international Women's Congress, she had a great success once again. She gave two speeches about education for women and about the condition of working women in Italy. Both speeches were received with great enthusiasm. Newspaper reporters from all over Europe interviewed her and praised her in their articles. They described the young doctor from Italy as both intelligent and charming. They were amazed, too, that she had used no notes for her long speeches. 
    When she returned from Berlin, Maria settled down to serious work in Rome. She continued to work in several hospitals, including a women's hospital and a children hospital. She also had some private patients. Some of these patients wrote letters of thanks that Maria's mother kept for many years. From this letters, it is clear that Maria was no ordinary doctor. She often stayed for hours with her patients, particularly those who couldn't afford nursing help. One time for example, Maria arrived at the home of the young mother of very sick baby twins. She saw at once that the mother was desperately tired, so Maria sent her to bed. Then she bathed the babies, prepared their food, and stayed with them all day.

"Particularly those who couldn't afford nursing help." (Paragraph 2)

The underlined word means ....